Busted
[Update: Rockstar’s PC release Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition has now returned to the Rockstar Launcher, several days following the title’s original launch. It is believed the game was removed following the reveal of numerous files — such as excluded music tracks and the infamous “Hot Coffee” mod — that were found within the game’s code. Rockstar Games has noted that it will work to further improve the title’s stability & performance on all platforms.]
Yesterday’s launch of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition certainly raised many an eyebrow for a myriad of reasons, but perhaps none more so than on PC. As of this writing, the remastered GTA trilogy cannot be purchased on the platform, where it is — or at least was — available via developer Rockstar’s custom dashboard: Rockstar Launcher.
The trilogy, which is comprised of remastered editions of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was available and playable for a short while before the Rockstar Launcher was taken offline, essentially cutting off players’ access to purchasing, or even playing, the anticipated new release.
“Services for the Rockstar Games Launcher and supported titles are temporarily offline for maintenance,” read a tweet from the studio. “Services will return as soon as maintenance is completed.” Rockstar offered an update earlier today in the form of a secondary tweet that reads “We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work on restoring services for the Rockstar Games Launcher and supported titles.”
Unlike the PC version on the Rockstar Launcher, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition remains purchasable and playable on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Response to the trilogy has been mixed, with a lot of players posting images to Twitter, drawing attention to some of the titles’ comical in-game models.
While dated visuals and mechanics should naturally be expected by all players, (these are essentially rezzed-up versions of decades-old releases), some players are of the opinion that The Definitive Edition‘s $60 asking price warrants a remaster with a higher level of quality.
