Why the graphics of GTA The Trilogy Definitive Edition can’t be compared to GTA 5

When Rockstar announced the remastered GTA trilogy, many fans, particularly those new to the series, expected the games to have GTA 5-like graphics. As a result, when the trailer was released, they were left completely disappointed and took to social media to vent their frustrations.

However, Rockstar has delivered exactly what they promised, and most fans were not even expecting such a significant improvement. Hence, the issue arose when some had unrealistic expectations from the games.

As many have pointed out, the new trilogy is a remaster, not a remake.

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Why fans shouldn't compare the graphics of the Definitive Edition with that of GTA 5

The original GTA 3D Universe trilogy featured a cartoonish artstyle with some aspects of realism, but that was limited by the RenderWare engine's capabilities. The new trilogy was made on the Unreal engine and features all of the graphical advancements found in today's games.

In fact, Rockstar deliberately chose to maintain the original aesthetic. The characters, environment, and all in-game items appear to be more polished variants of the originals rather than replacements.

Coupled with that, the character faces are much more cartoonish than in the 3D trilogy. This has polarized the fanbase, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the graphics.

One reason Rockstar did not opt for hyper-realism could be the stark difference between the 3D Universe and HD Universe. Furthermore, according to reports, the remasters were created by only one studio, Grove Street Games.

GTA 5 took years to develop and required the collaboration of several Rockstar Games subsidiary studios.

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Take Two banning mods

Take Two's actions against the modding community is another source of rage among fans. This was exacerbated by Rockstar's lack of communication with its playerbase.

Many GTA trilogy-related mods have recently been forced to shut down as a result of Take Two. Many stated that Rockstar would only be forgiven if the new games outperformed the mods in terms of quality.

A few of these mods were visually stunning, and some modders even created HD versions of 3D Universe characters. Even if the cartoonish artstyle is taken into account, a similar graphical aesthetic has been replicated by several mods in their own 'remasters.' Players believe that these are superior to Rockstar's new trilogy.

Whatever players think about the remasters' graphical quality, the fact remains that they cannot be compared to GTA 5. The latter game took a lot more time and effort to develop, whereas the remasters were made in a short period.