The team consulted with the original developers at Rockstar North when upgrading the character designs.

They added several colouring, weathering, and lighting effects, as well as new assets from Grand Theft Auto V (2013). The development team studied the distinctive qualities of the original games. The two-year development was focused on maintaining the look and feeling of the original games the physics code was copied from the originals, and an artificial intelligence program was used to automatically upscale textures. The games follow 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 follows gangster Carl 'CJ' Johnson within the fictional state of San Andreas in 1992. All three games are remastered, with visual enhancements and gameplay upgrades. It was developed by Grove Street Games and published by Rockstar Games.

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).