Grand Theft Autois one of the biggest franchises in the games industry. Entries throughout theGrand Theft Autoseries have been some of the best-selling and most influential ever released, withGrand Theft Auto 5setting numerous sales records. In recent years, fans have been eagerly waiting for news regardingGrand Theft Auto 6, about which there has been a steady trickle of rumors and leaks.
However, a recent leak reported by Kotaku suggests that aGrand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogyis currently in development and aiming to be released before the next-gen port ofGrand Theft Auto 5. The leak has not been confirmed by Rockstar Games nor the series' publisher Take-Two Interactive, but there is still a good amount of information revealed if they do turn out to be true. Many fans have called for aremaster ofGrand Theft Auto 4, but the leaked remastered trilogy could be an even bigger treat for fans if it ends up releasing this year.
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Games Included in the Grand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogy
According to the leak, theGrand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogywill include upgraded versions ofGrand Theft Auto 3,Grand Theft Auto Vice City, andGrand Theft Auto San Andreas.Grand Theft Auto 3was originally released in 2001 and saw players step into the shoes of Claude after he is betrayed by his girlfriend during a bank heist outside Liberty City. The game was a huge moment for the series, as it was the first to introduce a third-person 3D perspective that allowed players to explore its open world in new and immersive ways. The game was well received, cementingGrand Theft Autoas a series to be watched.Grand Theft Auto 3has been visually improved by modders, but an official remaster would likely make the game look better than it ever has before.
Grand Theft Auto Vice Citytakes players to the series' analog for Las Vegas in 1986, and was released just one year afterGrand Theft Auto 3. The game follows Tommy Vercetti as he is reintroduced to the criminal world after getting released from a fifteen-year prison sentence. The game was also well received upon release, and many fans still play it to this day for its soundtrack and environment.
Grand Theft Auto San Andreaswas then released in 2004, and introduced some new features to the series like a customizable character, RPG elements, and a massive increase in the available vehicles and player interactions across the game. The game also takes place in Los Santos, which fans may recognize as it is alsoheavily featured inGrand Theft Auto 5. The story follows CJ who returns to the city after his mother is killed in a drive-by shooting before he is forced to work with a local police force under threat of being framed.
What the Grand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogy Will All Change
One of the biggest changes reportedly coming in the remastered trilogy is that the games are being remade with Unreal Engine. Previously, the three games were developed on the RenderWare engine. The leak also claims that the remasters will include a mixture of new and old graphics, although it does not specify what that means. It could mean that the game will still use the original models with new textures to improve the visuals, or that players will be able to switch back and forth, similar toHalo: The Master Chief Collection. Either way, the move to the Unreal Engine means the game is being entirely rebuilt, and it could lead to the game looking incredible like Unreal Engine has done fora fan take onThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
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As for what content would see changes, the leak mentions that the UI will be updated, but that it is striving to maintain the same style as the original releases. The leak also did not include any gameplay, but sources reportedly say that the remasters are trying to stay as close to the gameplay of the originals as possible. This will likely be good news forGrand Theft Autofans who want to use the remastered trilogy to revisit the games they already know and love. Hopefully, the remasters will be able to keep what players love about the original games while upgrading them to meet modern standards. If availablemods for olderGrand Theft Autogamesare anything to go on, the visual upgrade will likely be impressive.
How Likely the Grand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogy Seems To Be
Leaks should always be taken with a grain of salt, as many of them end up not being true. However, this particular leak does have some substantial evidence supporting it. One of the biggest pieces of this evidence is that Rockstar’s parent companyTake-Two Interactive recently announcing it was working on remastersacross its various IPs, and aGrand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogywould fit that description and make a lot of sense for the company after the success ofGrand Theft Auto 5.
Further supporting evidence comes from Kotaku’s original reporting. Firstly, the article says the source of the leak is a reputable source Kotaku has gotten accurate information from before regarding news aboutGrand Theft Auto OnlineandRed Dead Onlineupdates. The other interesting note in the original leak is that the development ofGrand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogyis why Rockstar isslowing down updates forRed Dead Online. It does seem thatGrand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogyis likely to happen sometime this year, so hopefully players will get some official news on it soon.
