- Despite the buggy launch, the latest 1.112 update features classic lighting that gives all three games the same PS2 feel.
- Street lamps have been made warmer, neon lights are more vibrant, and the atmosphere now has distant fog, which gives a sense of vastness.
- Other bugs have been fixed, such as the delayed ripple effect while swimming, animations while eating and shooting while moving.
GTA Trilogy
When the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition came out, it was nothing short of a disaster because it had unexplainable bugs, weird glitches, and graphical downgrades. It was just a complete mess.
Poor Start
Many players were disappointed by the Steam release because they didn’t get what they initially expected. Given that the trilogy is from Rockstar, many expected a successful release.
Repeated Patches
Rockstar admitted that this remaster didn’t meet their expectations and slowly started to turn things around. They started releasing patches, and there was also a time when more than 100 bugs were fixed in a single patch.
Fast-forward to November 2024, when Rockstar launched their v1.112 patch, which turned out to be a game-changer. With this latest patch, the game is far from what it was when it was released.
Lighting & Effects
One of the most prominent features of this update is the lighting effect. Classic PS2 lighting is now available as an option in the game, bringing back the same nostalgic vibe while adding the modern touch of graphics.
Classic Lighting
With this effect enabled, the GTA San Andreas retains that orange-teal hue at the time of the sunset that was present in the PS2 version. This invokes many memories for the OG players and is a great add-on.
As for Vice City, the game now appears more cinematic, with toned-down brightness and amped-up effects that make it feel cosy and warm, complementing the Miami theme.
Lights Within The City
Apart from the lighting feature, the lighting in the lamp post has also been fixed. Previously, Rockstar decided to integrate white bulbs in lamp posts, which looked modern for a game set in the 90s.
This has been fixed by replacing the white hue with a warmer one. Now, the street light feels very warm and paired with the classic lighting, it feels extremely nostalgic.
In Vice City, the neon lights around places like the Malibu club have been amplified, and now they illuminate just like neon lights do in real life. Previously, these lights lacked vivid colors and brightness.
Clouds & Effects
Previously, if you flew high up, you could see the edge of the entire map. You could also not get that sense of altitude with the absence of clouds from the release, and flying felt like you were going out of bounds of the game.
Distant Fog
Added Fog At A Distance (Image Credit – YT/Playzz)The game lacked this fog, which made the map feel extremely small and reachable. The element of distance was missing, which this fog filled. Paired with the lighting effect, now the games appear beautiful as well.
Volumetric Clouds
Initially, these clouds only appeared when you reached a certain point and felt fake. Now, more clouds have also been added along with the distance fog, and now the sky feels natural and full.
Dense Sandstorms
The weather system also improved greatly. Now, the sandstorms are denser and have a similar effect to those in PS2. Although they can’t be as good as in PS2, the effect still looks good.
Other Fixes
Besides these visual enhancements and fixes, many bugs have also been fixed. These include glitchy animations, improper placement of effects, and a lack of detail on objects.
Animations Glitch
Animations were previously plain bad. For instance, in a cutscene Ryder’s neck was weirdly placed. Moreover, CJ used to eat and drink using his forehead instead of his mouth. With the update, his animations have been improved.
There was also a swimming glitch, where it felt like you were flying instead of swimming. Swimming also felt out of place before, and the ripple effect only occurred after CJ came to the surface to take a breath.
Fortunately, with the new patch, you can now normally swim while having proper particle and ripple effects, and the water looks better and more natural in this update.
Shooting Without Movement
GTA III and GTA Vice City had a bug that prevented you from moving while shooting. This was thoroughly frustrating since shooting without moving takes away half of the fun. This fix was long overdue and should’ve been fixed before.
What Can We Expect In The Future?
With these fixes, it seems like GTA Trilogy might make a comeback, just like Cyberpunk 2077 did despite its worse launch. Both games share almost the same history and could share the same success.
Now that Rockstar has acquired Video Games Deluxe, the company behind the GTA Trilogy remaster, we may see future remakes or even remasters of GTA or other franchises. At the very least, we can expect even better patches.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
