5 old school features that the GTA Trilogy didn’t keep

The GTA Trilogy improved some aspects of the original games, but it also sadly removed some features in the process.

Some of these features might seem minor to players, but their omission showcases how the GTA Trilogy isn't a 1:1 port. There are some legitimate examples where the GTA Trilogy removes a feature rather than outright replacing it.

For example, the Radio Wheel is a replacement for how players can select a radio station, but cutting songs doesn't have a clear replacement. It's the latter example that some players miss, as it's emblematic of where the old games shine over the GTA Trilogy.

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Five features from the original games that the GTA Trilogy didn't keep

5) Top-down camera perspective from GTA 3

How it looked in the original game (Image via Rockstar Games)

One of the optional camera angles that a player can have in GTA 3 is a top-down view. This old-school perspective referenced the previous GTA games in the series, as those games were played from a bird's eye view.

Unfortunately, this optional camera angle is gone from the GTA Trilogy. It wasn't present in the other two games, but GTA 3 - Definitive Edition lacking it shows how they didn't keep everything.

It would've been interesting to see an updated Liberty City with this perspective, especially since modern GTA games seldom use this feature.

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4) Cinematic camera

An example of the player using this feature in GTA San Andreas (Image via Rockstar Games)

Speaking of camera angles, the old-school cinematic camera is gone. It was present in all three original games, yet it's nowhere to be seen in the GTA Trilogy. Like the previous entry, it was completely optional, too.

It's yet another example of how the GTA Trilogy wasn't 100% faithful to the original games. They're minor features, so their omission isn't the end of the world or anything like that.

Still, some fans loved to use it, but now they can't in the GTA Trilogy. Its absence is more noticeable than the previous feature, especially for players who liked to take scenic screenshots.

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3) Difficulty at the gym

The original PS2 version of GTA San Andreas ensured that players couldn't bench press the highest weights from the get-go. To do so, they would have to become more muscular, as it would be practically impossible otherwise.

The GTA Trilogy foregoes that. Now, one can do the hardest gym activities from the get-go. It also doesn't help that the animation looks rushed if the player tries to lift 320 lbs.

The above Real KeV3n video shows an example of this at the 3:30 mark. The punching bag being unresponsive in the GTA Trilogy is also disappointing. It's yet another example of the game lacking some attention to detail that the original iteration had.

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2) Unique walking animations for skinny/fat/muscular CJ

One thing that the GTA Trilogy lacks that the old games had was a special level of attention to detail. For example, CJ used to have different running animations depending on if he was skinny, fat, or muscular.

The GTA Trilogy now has the same animations for all three versions of CJ. In this case, the protagonist will always use skinny animations. To get a better visualization of this, Real KeV3n made a YouTube video highlighting more differences between the GTA Trilogy and the original games.

The animations for skinny/fat/muscular CJ are around the 3:00 mark. CJ running at the same speed, regardless of his weight, is a questionable change. It simply makes the GTA Trilogy feel too bare.

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1) Some songs

The Radio Wheel is convenient to use, at the very least (Image via Rockstar Games)

The lack of some songs is a big flaw of any GTA port or remaster. Music licenses expire over time, meaning that some fan favorite songs are no longer available to listen to in the GTA Trilogy. The following is a list of the GTA Vice City songs that are now gone:

• "Bark At The Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne
• "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
• "Cars" - Gary Numan
• "Come On Feel The Noise" - Quiet Riot
• "Japanese Boy" - Aneka
• "Looking For The Perfect Beat" - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force
• "Love Missile F1-11" - Sigue Sigue Sputnik
• "One Thing Leads To Another" - The Fixx
• "Poison Arrow" - ABC
• "Rockit" - Herbie Hancock
• "Running With The Night" - Lionel Richie
• "Steppin' Out" - Joe Jackson
• "Video Killed The Radio Star" - The Buggles
• "Wanna Be Starting Something" - Michael Jackson
• "Wow" - Kate Bush

That is just one game's soundtrack. GTA San Andreas also suffered something similar, losing well over a dozen songs in the GTA Trilogy:

• "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" - Black Harmony
• "Express Yourself" - Charles Wright
• "Express Yourself" - N.W.A.
• "Funky President" - James Brown
• "Grunt" - The J.B.'s
• "Hellraiser" - Ozzy Osbourne
• "Hot Pants" - Bobby Byrd
• "I Don't Give A Fuck" - Tupac Shakur
• "I Know You Got Soul" - Bobby Byrd
• "Killing In The Name" - Rage Against The Machine
• "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown" - Augustus Pablo & King Tubby
• "Loopzilla" - George Clinton
• "Ring My Bell" - Blood Sisters
• "Rock Creek Park" - The Blackbyrds
• "Rock Me Again And Again" - Lyn Collins
• "Runnin' Down A Dream" - Tom Petty
• "Running Away" - Roy Ayers
• "The Payback" - James Brown
• "Woman To Woman" - Joe Cocker
• "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" - The Gap Band
• "Yum Yum (Gimme Some)" - Fatback Band

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.