Can GTA Trilogy DE match the original trilogy's success?

Since its release, the Definitive Edition GTA Trilogy has been frequently compared to the original trilogy. All aspects of the new games have been scrutinized and compared to the originals, from graphical quality to gameplay.

While the remasters are currently in an unpolished and broken state, they do have a lot of potential.

Meanwhile, many fans are wondering if the new games will be able to match the success of the originals. This article investigates whether this is possible, and whether the Definitive Edition games can ever surpass the success of the original GTA trilogy.

Original vs Definitive Edition: Which GTA Trilogy will be more successful?

The GTA 3D Universe Trilogy is often regarded as the main reason behind Rockstar's massive success. The games became pioneers of the open-world genre and made way for Rockstar to become one of the most popular game developers.

As a result, fans naturally expected that the remasters of these legendary games would be almost as great when launched. However, the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition turned out to be the most disastrous launch in Rockstar's history. The various technical issues and bugs led most fans to react harshly.

However, this is not the sole reason that the games haven't surpassed the original trilogy's popularity yet. When the 3D Universe GTA games came out, they created quite a stir in the video game industry. The open-world genre was firmly established by GTA 3 and also perfected in 3D.

The later games only complemented the success of the trilogy, with each sequel being miles ahead in terms of advancements. On the other hand, the Definitive Edition Trilogy is merely a remastered bundle of three well-known GTA games. The initial hype for the Definitive Edition games was so high that most fans were convinced of its success.

Indeed, if the games had not been released in such an unfinished state, they could have been the year's biggest launch. Many GTA fans were eager to relive the nostalgia of the original trilogy, and a successful launch would have skyrocketed the game's popularity.

Although it wouldn't have been able to match GTA 5's success, the original 3D Universe could have easily been bested.

However, all is not lost with the remastered trilogy, as Rockstar has already released a title update and is working on subsequent ones. In an apology letter addressed to their fans, Rockstar promised to improve the quality of the Definitive Edition GTA Trilogy.

If this turns out to be true, the new games might easily surpass the popularity of the original games.

This will most likely be a gradual process, as the initial disappointment will be difficult for most players to live down. However, Rockstar Games' titles, particularly those from the GTA franchise, have always done well in terms of sales.

As most fans are aware, GTA 5 has been the second-bestselling game in history, with gamers still buying it even today.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.