Should Rockstar Games remake the original GTA PS2 Trilogy?

There have only been a handful of games in history as deeply beloved and revered as the GTA trilogy on the PS2. The early 2000s was marked by the arrival of Rockstar Games as a major force to be reckoned with, on the back of their seminal and revolutionary open-world design.

It didn't take long for fans and the industry to pay close attention to the GTA franchise and it made one heck of a ruckus upon arrival. Right off the bat, Rockstar Games were taking no prisoners - deeply satirical and unapologetic in their vision, GTA was here to stay.

There have been many successful and revolutionary game franchises in the past, but GTA seems to deal in an extremely valuable commodity - social relevance.

The social and cultural impact of the PS2 trilogy

The PS2 Trilogy (Grand Theft Auto III, San Andreas, and Vice City) were unbelievably successful financially, with San Andreas still hailed as the best-selling game on the PS2 console. That kind of continued success is hard to top, but that is exactly what the franchise has been able to do.

Yet, the original PS2 trilogy did more than just make boatloads of money for Rockstar Games. At the same time, they made GTA an integral part of not just pop culture, but of culture as a whole.

From being referenced in music, movies, TV, and even other games, to becoming pretty much a household name, GTA has transcended the boundaries of gaming. This means that essentially every GTA game is, in fact, appealing to both gaming audiences as well as casual audiences that don't identify as typical "gamers".

That kind of social currency is impossibly hard to achieve, and the original PS2 trilogy has a lot to do with that. Thus, it only makes sense for those three games to be remade, yes? Well, not exactly.

Should Rockstar Games remake the original GTA PS2 Trilogy?

Looking at the gaming landscape today, one would believe that only online multiplayer games like Fortnite have a shot at succeeding. While that is partially true, there is a massive market for remakes as well.

This is videnced by the monsterous success of remakes like Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Mafia: The Definitive Edition, and the hype of the upcoming Mass Effect. Yet, Rockstar Games, a publisher with a giant catalog of critical and commercial successes, has been quiet on that front.

A franchise as lucrative as GTA has surprisingly not looked back once in its run. Rather than revisiting older titles with countless remakes and remasters (looking at you, Skyrim), GTA has largely always looked ahead.

Which is in line with what Take-Two Interactive CEO Straus Zelnick had to say about Rockstar Games' remasters and how they aren't "just ports." This is true, as GTA 5, when remastered for the PS4 and Xbox One, were significant step-ups technologically, and included new functionality and features as well.

When does a game need a remake? Do GTA III, Vice City, or San Andreas need one?

A "remake" is a clear distinct from a "remaster" in the way that it isn't just a touch-up graphically or visually. Instead, a remake implies that a game is worked on from top-to-bottom and is a whole other game entirely.

A remaster is a safe option for publishers since there is a sense of assured quality and success. The logic being that the game was already pretty popular to warrant a remaster, and thus, will be successful a second time around.

However, for a game to warrant a "remake," there must be a sense that the game isn't nearly as enjoyable in its current state. Some games often do not age as well, and need a second-pass in order for it to showcase its best qualities.

While there is no question whether fans would love the GTA PS2 trilogy a second time around, are the games unplayable in their current state? No.

Although some aspects of the games have not aged as well, the games are still pretty fun. Given the palpable demand of a new GTA game, it somehow doesn't feel like the fans would respond well to news of a remake/remaster.

The original PS2 trilogy, even in 2021, is just as fun as it was all the way back then, and arguably, there is a charm in their age.