The classic trilogy of first 3D Grand Theft Auto games, GTA 3, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas, are all being re-released as part of a Definitive collection and individually and Rockstar has taken some steps to beautify them all. Vice City has been given a new lighting pass, with new and improved shadows, and texture resolution improvements, leading to a game that looks quite a bit different from the original. Although it's certainly a cleaner look, there's something lost in translation that leaves it looking a little flat and lifeless and places, and bizarrely blurry in others.
Vice City is my personal favorite of the GTA franchise, blending a great aesthetic, with a fun soundtrack, and a decent progression system as you rise in the ranks of the Vice City underworld, without all the bloat of later games. The new version does look better in places, but the heavy handed anti-aliasing leaves it looking so mushy and undefined. It's a real step back from the original in many ways.
The Vice City Definitive Edition will launch as part of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, and will include these visual improvements, as well as control upgrades for targeting, lock-on, and driving, and improved navigation with waypoint setting.
It's set to launch on PC, Xbox Series S/X, Switch, and PS4/PS5 on November 11.
