What if the best version of GTA The Trilogy Definitive Edition was actually the free one on mobile? Obviously, this version pleasantly surprises everyone.
The classic Grand Theft Auto trilogy, recently ported to mobile devices, pleasantly surprised fans with features that were missing in the console and PC versions released two years ago. But the surprise obviously doesn’t stop there. What if this was actually the best way to play the original GTA games without any hassle? This is what we can conclude from this.
GTA at the peak of its form
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition brings together the three iconic games in the series on PS2 – GTA 3, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas – for modern media. Patches attempted to improve the rough launch, but persistent bugs, technical issues, and questionable graphics changes made the collection unappetizing.
So it’s surprising that the recently launched mobile versions, available for purchase or through a Netflix subscription on iOS and Android, have actually resolved many complaints. One could even argue that they represent the best way to enjoy the Definitive Edition.
Rockstar Games hasn’t provided a full list of changes, but does mention that the port includes:Additional improvements including a new classic lighting mode that restores the appearance of the sky in the original games.“This lighting mode is particularly noticeable in San Andreas, where the original’s signature orange hue has been faithfully recreated. You can see the (pretty obvious) differences in the comparison video below:
As Kotaku notes, the GTA forums are full of fans who have noticed other minor changes, such as improved destruction effects and fixes to broken billboards, character models, scenery, and more.
However, Rockstar did not carry these improvements over to the still-failed editions on PC and consoles that were originally released in 2021. To its credit, the company has updated the current port of Red Dead Redemption to PS5 to allow for 60fps – although the Switch version left this behind. Rockstar is now likely to be fully focused on Grand Theft Auto 6, which unveiled a record-breaking trailer earlier this month before falling back into radio silence.
Free
GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas are now available for free on Netflix Games for subscribers. In fact, access to this range of games is included in the standard Netflix subscription at no additional cost. These are accessible directly via the Netflix application as well as in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. To enjoy Netflix games, an active Netflix subscription is required. In addition, an iPhone with iOS 16.0 (or newer) and an A12 chip or a smartphone with Android is required for an optimal gaming experience.