Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is a 2021 compilation of three action-adventure games in the Grand Theft Auto series: Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). It was developed by Grove Street Games and published by Rockstar Games. All three games are remastered, with visual enhancements and gameplay upgrades. The games feature different protagonists and locations within the same continuity.

Grand Theft Auto III follows silent protagonist Claude in Liberty City; Vice City, set in 1986, features ex-mobster Tommy Vercetti in the titular Vice City; and San Andreas, set in 1992, follows gangster Carl “CJ” Johnson within the fictional state of San Andreas. The two-year development focused on maintaining the look and feel of the original games; the physics code was copied from the originals, and artificial intelligence was used to automatically upscale textures. The development team studied the distinctive qualities of the original games. They added several colouring, weathering, and lighting effects, as well as new assets from Grand Theft Auto V (2013). The team consulted with the original developers at Rockstar North when upgrading the character designs.

The Definitive Edition was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 11 November 2021; Android and iOS versions are in development. The Windows launch was marred by problems with the Rockstar Games Launcher, rendering it unplayable for three days. The game received poor reviews; critics generally praised the enhanced visuals, upgraded lighting, improved controls, and added gameplay mechanics, but criticised its technical problems, art direction, and character models. It was one of the lowest-scoring games of 2021, and was the subject of review bombing on Metacritic. Rockstar apologised for the technical problems and announced its intentions to improve the game through updates.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition includes the genre-defining Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas together — each with modern enhancements such as updated graphics and gameplay along with new features including a custom soundtrack option for all three titles. Three iconic cities, three epic stories, one definitive collection.

Grand Theft Auto III is the game that introduced the open-world sandbox genre to the mainstream. Set in 2001, it follows Claude, a silent criminal who is betrayed by his girlfriend and left for dead. He escapes from prison and works his way up the criminal ladder of Liberty City, a fictional version of New York City. The game features a nonlinear gameplay that allows the player to explore the city and complete missions at their own pace. The game also features a radio system that plays various genres of music and humorous talk shows.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the sequel to Grand Theft Auto III, but set 15 years earlier in 1986. It follows Tommy Vercetti, a former mobster who is sent to Vice City, a fictional version of Miami, to establish a criminal empire. The game expands on the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto III by adding motorcycles, helicopters, boats, and planes. The game also features a more detailed and vibrant city, inspired by the culture and aesthetics of the 1980s. The game also features a star-studded voice cast that includes Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds, and more.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the third and final game in the trilogy, set in 1992. It follows Carl “CJ” Johnson, a former gangster who returns to his hometown of Los Santos, a fictional version of Los Angeles, after his mother’s death. He reunites with his old friends and family and gets involved in a series of events that take him across the state of San Andreas, which also includes fictional versions of San Francisco and Las Vegas. The game features the largest and most diverse open world in the series, with various terrains such as urban areas, countryside, desert, and mountains. The game also features many gameplay improvements and additions, such as swimming, climbing, stealth, gang wars, car customization, gambling, and more.