In 2013, the PS3 was at the very end of its life cycle. The PS4 was on the horizon. But a couple of masterpieces would still make it onto the legendary console.

Towards the end of a console’s lifecycle (especially older consoles), developers tend to have things figured out. They’ve learned how to squeeze the most performance out of a machine, and the results truly show. For the PS2, it was Shadow of the Colossus and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – two epics that showcased what the console could really do.

For the PS3 in 2013, it was two well-known games that have since had multiple re-releases: The Last of Us, an instant hit and storytelling masterclass from Naughty Dog, and later that year, the juggernaut that is GTA V. It’s still wild to think both of these massive games launched on PS3.

At the time, I did something for both games that I wouldn’t normally do: after finishing the main story, I went straight back in and started again. I’m usually a one-and-done type of guy, unless the gameplay is fire or I want to try a harder difficulty. But for these two games, the reasoning was different.

With The Last of Us, I did crank the difficulty up, but I mostly just wanted to experience it all again – the highs, the lows. Naughty Dog had already nailed pacing with Uncharted 2, but they mastered it here. One minute you’re calmly going through a walking segment, spotting relics of the past or glimpsing the odd bit of surviving wildlife; marvelling at the fact that all this life still exists amongst all this death. Then next, the death springs to life and you’re in an intense firefight against infected or often worse, other humans.

The pacing is near flawless.

With GTA V, I didn’t want it to end. I made the mistake of killing Trevor in the final mission (slight spoiler, but come on – it’s been long enough!), only to find out after that the whole gang could survive. I also realised that if I waited until the characters had serious cash before doing the Lester assassination missions, I could make some real bank. I had to go run it back and turn the auto aim off this time too.

Both games had stellar gameplay, impressive visuals for their time, and characters you just didn’t want to leave behind. So I dove back into both and replayed them in full. That meant when the inevitable PS4 versions came, I didn’t really feel the need to revisit these stories. I dipped into the online modes occasionally, but that was about it.

Flash forward to today. The Last of Us Season 2 is in full swing. Hype for GTA VI is at fever pitch. And now I’ve got an itch, an itch to shank clickers and cruise the streets of Los Santos, An itch to return to 2013.

Thankfully, both games are now on PS5. The graphical leap isn’t as massive as the jump between Oblivion and Oblivion Remastered, but the improvements are real. Skulking through infected zones as Joel, torchlight reflecting off airborne spores is beautiful, the upgraded character models it all hits harder.

Joel and Ellie’s journey has been an utter joy to relive. The supporting characters are unforgettable – for better or worse. The gut punch of Sarah’s death in that brutal intro still hurts. Tess, Sam, Henry; the hits keep coming. And then you’ve got the truly monstrous ones, like David and his band of cannibals. But between the violence and heartbreak, there are beautiful moments, like the giraffe scene. Every time I reach it, I put the controller down for a minute and just soak it in. (But not for too long this time as they added haptic feedback for the giraffe petting!)

Switching between the emotional rollercoaster of TLoU and the more chaotic, fun energy of GTA is a joy in itself, it’s like watching a comedy after a horror flick to settle your nerves before bedtime.

In GTA V, Los Santos has never looked better – especially in the rain. Vehicles gleam like they’ve had a fresh coat of paint. NPC models haven’t improved much admittedly, but the variety is still strong. Wildlife seems more abundant too – people walking dogs, birds in the sky – more life than I remember. The city looks beautiful in the night too…

Bit of a sidebar, but I’m skeptical of the GTA VI trailer. I don’t buy that all of the gameplay shown is from free roam. The NPC behaviours, the animations, even the beer bottle physics. Is it all too good to be true?. My guess? We’re seeing curated cutscene-style moments running in the game engine.

Part of the reason I jumped back into GTA V was to research what’s already been possible. And yes, I know it’s a PS3 game upgraded for PS5. I also dabbled in Red Dead 2 to see what Rockstar achieved there. I’m basically trying to forecast what’s feasible – oh god, I’m becoming one of those people.

But I get it now. I’m starting to see the light. I’m becoming a Rockstar truther. I’ll still be surprised if the level of detail from the trailer carries over to full gameplay. But they’re close. *GTA V(PS5) *was a solid attempt. Red Dead 2 took it a step further with its unique NPCs and quieter setting. If Rockstar can combine and amplify both styles using modern consoles, we might be in for a proper generational leap.

Time will tell but for now here’s my advice: if you haven’t recently, give The Last of Us and GTA V another run. One for the heart-wrenching story and brutal action. The other for one last chaotic dance in Los Santos before GTA VI finally arrives.

Wether you play them on older consoles like the PS3 or updated versions they still hold up, and now is the perfect time for it.