Ahh... the nostalgia with this one.
I remember playing this daily and causing chaos everywhere I went, doing missions, repainting cars until getting the color I want, cruising around and overall feeling of mostly Portland. As for the graphics they were great too, in the original at least. While yes, GTA III Definitive Edition is a remaster, but when it comes to graphics I'm not sure if it's an upgrade or downgrade.
Some things look actually improved, some things looks worse, for others it feels like their souls were removed just to stay as an empty shell, which does ruin vibes and immersion into this story at least for me, although not that often.
As for the rain effect it was horrendously ugly, as soon as it started to rain I would just go afk waiting for it to stop.
They have patched it and made it look way better then it was after launch, but before or after the patch, when it rains my performance drops by tiny bit, which can be noticeable at times by ruining your enjoyment of this game.
Most vehicles hit boxes are still bigger than the actual vehicle, making you hit ghosts, who immediately retaliate against you.
So while the remaster isn't the best, but at the same time it's not the worst either. Game does show off it's age and it's alright, what matters is if you, yourself enjoying it or not and sure as hell I did.
Overall this game for me is a gem. Even now after completing it and writing this review I think, and look back at it fondly.
Price wise I would recommend only getting it on sale.
10/10

good time after all the updates on sale

i was like many put off by the negative reviews, but heard about the improvements made. i will agree that the original trilogy were master pieces, But you had to modify those to get get to work on modern hardware, and to replace original music. i would say that the sale price for the trilogy is worth it for the better resolution and quality of life improvements, such as quick replay mission from last check point and weapon wheel is a nice touch. I did have to force the game to run on dx12 to stop screen tearing. Its a shame that some of the music has been removed but with mods can be patched. all in all i think its worth the sale price but not worth the full price as its still essentially the same as the original game just with fresher lick of paint.