I wasn’t expecting much from the upcoming re-release of the series-altering Grand Theft Auto trilogy, where 3D worlds and design twists took over from GTA III on to GTA: Vice City and finally GTA: San Andreas. I definitely wasn’t expecting this.
These games can’t possibly have aged well on the story side, but Rockstar Games’ upcoming refresh release, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, injects a new look into the trio of classics that has a distinctly “late ’90s computer animated kids’ cartoon” vibe. The difference, based on this trailer’s first look at gameplay, is most evident in character designs and faces. They look more like cartoon characters than very old video game character models. A nice update!
Even if the story and gameplay mechanics — the GTA series hasn’t ever been a masterpiece of video game feel, let’s be honest — end up feeling a little dated, fans should get a kick out of returning to each game’s massive virtual cities, which are absolutely characters unto themselves. Look for the trilogy to arrive for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles on Nov. 11.