How much has the GTA Trilogy improved in 2021?

An example of what the GTA Trilogy does better by the end of 2021 compared to its initial release (Image via Rockstar Games)
An example of what the GTA Trilogy does better by the end of 2021 compared to its initial release (Image via Rockstar Games)

The GTA Trilogy has made some improvements in 2021 via a few patches, but it still has a long way to go to please some fans.

When Rockstar Games first announced the GTA Trilogy on Twitter, it quickly became the most liked tweet in history. However, its astonishing downfall made for a sad sight.

Fortunately, Rockstar Games decided to release a few patches to improve the game's problems, such as:

  • Optimization
  • Textures (characters and environment)
  • Audio
  • Rain

The last major update to the GTA Trilogy was back on 3 December 3, 2022, and that was solely for stability on the PS4 and Xbox One while the player was driving a vehicle.


The GTA Trilogy is in a better spot by the end of 2021, but it's not a must-have title by any means

The physical version came out recently, but no new patch came along with it (Image via Rockstar Games)
The physical version came out recently, but no new patch came along with it (Image via Rockstar Games)

Fans should know that the GTA Trilogy shares identical characters and stories to the original three games (III, Vice City, and San Andreas). It's largely faithful to these titles, but hasn't really improved upon their formula (especially compared to what some mods could do).

The semi-recent patches help make the games feel more "definitive"; anybody who bought the game at launch should notice several improvements. It still has a steep price (although its recent sale has mitigated that slightly), so some fans might want to know if it's better now compared to back then.


Metacritic scores

Its scores are still unfavorable (Image via Metacritic)
Its scores are still unfavorable (Image via Metacritic)

The GTA Trilogy's User Score across all platforms is still extremely low. However, even panned games can improve over time and still have an overwhelmingly low user score.

No Man's Sky can be cited here as an example. It has a user score of 3.6 on PC, thanks to it being review bombed several years ago. However, it managed to win Best Ongoing Game at The Game Awards 2020.

Hence, fans shouldn't strictly adhere to low user scores to judge whether the GTA Trilogy has improved or not. However, it's worth looking at why some fans hated the game:

  • Mediocre graphics for a modern game, particularly when it comes to its characters
  • Take-Two aggressively went after mods that did certain elements better than this game
  • High price for minimal improvements
  • Some songs are removed
  • GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas were removed from digital retailers
  • Rockstar Games Launcher didn't work with this game on PC for over a day
  • Poor optimization

What has improved?

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It would be farfetched to say that the GTA Trilogy is in an ideal position, but it has made notable improvements through some patches. For example:

  • Some characters have fixed textures (Old Man Reece and the GSF member with the jersey)
  • Rain looks less obtrusive now
  • GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition added some fog to make the map seem less small
  • GTA III and Vice City Definitive Edition have their classic menu sounds back
  • Gamers could disable the white outline that appears on a targeted NPC
  • Cinematic camera returned
  • Some optimization fixes

Some aspects haven't changed for the game. For instance, many of its questionable character models still look terrible. Likewise, the GTA Trilogy is more prone to crashes than the original games.

That said, the GTA Trilogy is much better now at the end of 2021 than months ago. Rockstar Games haven't said that they were done with the game yet, so there's a possibility that 2022 could introduce more patches.

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

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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul
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