Plus: what other bugs and oddities still remain after three years?
The Grand Theft Auto Definitive Editions were a mixed bag.
The regular lighting mode feels somewhat sterile in comparison.
The classic lighting option also introduces other atmospheric effects, like fog particles, in certain weather conditions.
The classic lighting setup definitely helps here quite a bit.
In general, the classic lighting fits better with the original lighting presentation.
Instead, the haze softens the contrast between sky and water.
This is arguably more realistic, though somewhat exaggerated.
Haze is often more prominent close to the player in other areas too.
Gameplay also trends towards warmer hues with a hazier atmosphere and a bright, bloomy sun.
Overall, I think the new classic lighting option works well and generally suits these three titles.
We get some simple 2D scrolling clouds instead.
Interestingly, the regular lighting has changed too.
Some of these changes correct outstanding lighting problems, while others seem purely aesthetic.
NPC cars and unoccupied cars aren’t affected by this issue.
Patch six also revises fire effects, and I do think the results are generally more appealing.
In earlier patches, the fire spawned more frequently and it effectively communicated that you were in imminent danger.
But there are still instances, like a “Salvadorean” sign, where the text remains incorrect.
The GTA Definitive Editions still make heavy use of AI-upscaled artwork, and the results are generally poor.
There’s sort of an impression of higher-detail art, but the results are laden with harsh upscaling artifacts.
Text in particular gets mangled quite substantially, to the point where it’s sometimes hard to read.
These assets really should have been redrawn, or perhaps replaced with higher-res original Xbox textures where available.
That makes the fidelity modes an essentially locked 30fps on all tested consoles.
The performance modes are generally a solid 60fps too, with a typically unblemished update during normal gameplay.
The GTA Definitive Editions must have had a complicated development and patching cycle.
I think the crux of the problem though comes down to scope.
A more comprehensive remake effort could have produced a much more satisfying outcome.
A lot of the visual issues I’ve discussed should be resolvable with a reasonable patching effort.
