The GTA franchise is nothing short of iconic. It is one of the most popular franchises in gaming history. Almost every guy who played PS2 knows about the classic GTA trilogy. Chaotic is the word that comes to my mind when talking about the adventures of Claude Speed, Tommy Vercetti, and Carl Johnson.
There are reports that Rockstar Games is working on a remastered version of the original trilogy. This version reportedly consists of Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The three titles are among the best-selling games on the Play Station. Even Xbox and PC users do not shy away from declaring their love for the trilogy.
What Are the Rumors Behind the Trilogy Release?
Kotaku was the first to break the news that a potential remastered version is in the works. It further stated that the studio is using the Unreal Engine for their latest release. Moreover, GTA Remastered Trilogy will feature a mix of old and new graphics. Kotaku also went on to state that the trilogy will be available for a “multitude of platforms” “later this fall”.
Safe to say that this is huge news. After all, GTA has millions of fans around the world. I myself am a huge fan of the franchise. In fact, whenever I see a police chase scene on a news channel on my Charter Spectrum cable, I cannot help but recall the many times I had a brush with the authorities in GTA. The influence the game has on the players is undeniable.
The Purported Release Date
Kotaku reports that the remastered trilogy will be released as early as October or November. It is worth mentioning here that there isn’t an official word from Rock Star about the development. Before we move forward, let’s talk about the release date of the original trilogy. Grand Theft Auto 3 had its release in North America on October 22, 2001. Vice City arrived on the Play Station a year later – on October 27. GTA San Andreas hit the gaming consoles on October 26, 2004.
A Game for Nintendo Switch
This is by far the biggest rumor about the trilogy. And, to be honest, it has created a great deal of excitement and buzz among gamers. The last GTA game to hit a Nintendo console was Chinatown Wars. The remastered trilogy is expected to be released on the Switch, Play Station, Xbox, and PC.
Remastered on Unreal Engine
According to Kotaku, the trilogy will be remastered using the Unreal Engine. Rockstar Dundee is rumored to be the developer of the remastered trilogy. Dundee is a Scottish-based branch of Rockstar Games. Moreover, the remastered version is expected to feature a mix of new and old graphics.
PC and Mobile Phone Version to be Put on Hold
The report says that the developer intends to release the remastered version on all major gaming platforms except PC this fall. That means we might not be getting the PC and mobile phone version of the remastered trilogy until 2022. Rockstar Dune is rumored to be focusing on gaming consoles like Play Station and Xbox at the moment.
What Features Do the Gamers Want to See?
4K Quality with 60fps Framerate
A GTA remastered trilogy that supports 4K 60fps, now that sounds about right. If I may recall, the PC version of San Andreas couldn’t go higher than 30fps. Anything running higher on that would make the game run unnaturally fast. It would be as if you’ve entered some cheat code to change the physics. While a 60fps framerate would need quite some work to achieve, a 4K resolution seems manageable. In fact, it would look great on the screen.
Trophy Modes
Rockstar introduced Trophy support as part of the Trilogy re-release for PS4. It would be great if the developer could give the players an additional set of achievements or Trophy modes separate from the main story. When it comes to Nintendo Switch, we would like to see a dedicated menu for the achievements.
Cut Content
Alright, we’re heading into something far more ambitious. All three games from the trilogy featured content that was inaccessible without cheat codes or hacks. It would be great if Rockstar could restore the cut content. After all, players want more weapons, missions, vehicles, and voice lines.
