How the Hottest Game of 2025 Would Have Looked in 2004
A creative fan has transported Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) back in time by recreating its trailer using PlayStation 2-era graphics. The hilarious and surprisingly authentic “demake” has gone viral, offering a nostalgic glimpse at what Rockstar’s upcoming blockbuster might have looked like if released during gaming’s early 3D heyday.
The PS2 Demake Phenomenon
This fan-made trailer perfectly captures the distinctive visual hallmarks of early 2000s gaming. Blocky character models with limited animations move through low-poly versions of Vice City’s streets, complete with blurry textures and that signature PS2 “sheen” on wet surfaces. The creator even mimicked the grainy video quality of early YouTube-era game trailers, complete with compressed audio that crackles with nostalgic imperfection.
What makes this demake special isn’t just the technical downgrade—it’s how faithfully it recreates the feel of classic PS2 trailers. The camera angles mirror the original GTA 6 reveal but with the constrained cinematography of early 3D games. Explosions render as simple orange spheres, water resembles blue gelatin, and the iconic “Welcome to Vice City” title card appears in that classic early 2000s font style we all remember.
Gta 6 PS2 trailer
byu/NoCarpenter2250 inGTA6
Why This Resonates With Fans
The PS2 demake taps into powerful nostalgia for the era when many current gamers first fell in love with the GTA series. Comments on the Reddit thread overflow with memories:
“This looks exactly how I remember San Andreas looking”
“The low-poly Lucia model is somehow still recognizable”
“Takes me back to watching GTA trailers on dial-up”
Beyond nostalgia, the video serves as a striking showcase of how far gaming technology has progressed. Seeing the same scenes rendered in PS2 versus next-gen visuals highlights two decades of graphical evolution in one impactful comparison.
The Art of Demake Creation
Creating an authentic PS2-style trailer requires more than just reducing polygon counts. The artist carefully studied:
- Texture Quality – Replicating the 512×512 resolution limits of PS2 games
- Lighting Techniques – Mimicking the flat, baked lighting of early 3D games
- Animation Constraints – Using the limited bone counts of PS2 character models
- Post-Processing – Adding CRT-style scanlines and period-appropriate video compression
The result feels less like a modern parody and more like a genuine artifact from an alternate timeline where GTA 6 really did launch alongside San Andreas.
Also, Read
- GTA 6 Story Length – Will It Really Take 100+ Hours to Complete?
- GTA 6 vs. Cyberpunk 2077 – Does Rockstar’s Game Set a New Visual Standard?
- Why GTA 6 Will Surpass Even the Highest Expectations
A Celebration of Gaming’s Journey
This demake arrives at a perfect cultural moment. As we stand on the brink of another generational leap with GTA 6, looking back reminds us how far open-world games have come. The PS2 era’s technical limitations forced developers to focus on gameplay innovation and artistic style—qualities that remain vital even as technology advances.
The viral reception proves that today’s gamers still cherish these roots. While we eagerly await GTA 6’s cutting-edge visuals, there’s magic in remembering the blocky beginnings that made the series iconic.
What’s your favorite memory from PS2-era GTA games? Share your nostalgia below!