Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Amazon.com Sales Rank: 7612

Average Customer Rating:

UPC: 827307934490

List price: ~~$49.99~~

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Reviews

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Great Game!, July 18, 2007

Great game, although it has been out for a while, still fun as heck to play and is compatible with the 360 with an update that you can get from the Xbox website or from live when you put the game in. Never gets old!

The hype was deserved this time, May 16, 2007

Putting aside from the typical reactions one gets from those who are predisposed to dislike this game due to its controversy (such as so-called "attorney" Jack Thompson, whose crusade against this and other violent video games has become an unintentional self-parody), it seems that there are those who are quite vocal about disliking this game due to the ridiculous amounts of hype the series receives. I can't completely blame them; after all, certain magazines (such as Game Informer) seem to throw any semblance of journalistic integrity out the window in their quest to write slavishly glowing and obsequious previews and reviews of any games from GTA's developers, Rockstar Games. These publications make it seem that there are no other worthwhile games out there aside from the GTA games, to such a degree that it almost screams payola. Or does it?

By this point, you probably are familiar with the Grand Theft Auto premise, established by Grand Theft Auto 3 in 2001. You control a criminally inclined character in a city, who can take a variety of missions from characters scattered about the area, and can pretty much take over most any vehicle. While there is a storyline in the game, you are allowed a significant amount of freedom, to the point where you can choose to not take any story missions, and instead either take on minor side missions, or simply drive about and cause chaos. GTA 3's sequel, Vice City, was the beneficiary of relentless media hype arising from the swell of unexpected success from its predecessor. While it boasted a number of improvements, such as better graphics, a great licensed soundtrack, a more cinematic storyline (complete with celebrity voice acting), somewhat better targeting, and the addition of motorcycles and helicopters, Vice City was really not the quantum leap in gaming it was billed as. Not only did it fail to correct some of the failings of GTA 3, but it also took a step backwards in environmental design, as Vice City's flashy '80s neon cool couldn't make up for its flat and boring design (as opposed to Liberty City's multi-tiered, busy design).

When the hype over the next Grand Theft Auto game began to build, my reaction was more of a "so what"? Sure, I loved the GTA Double Pack (and had originally played a fair portion of Vice City on the PS2), but did I really need another stint in a small city, pursuing the same kind of missions and mayhem as before? However, when I found out the true scope of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, my interest grew exponentially.

GTA: San Andreas is certainly one of the most ambitious action games I've ever seen. Instead of providing one mere city, this game provides an entire state, albeit a relatively small and abridged one (when compared to the real thing). Three very distinct cities (based on Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas), a dozen small towns, a mountain, desert, woods, prairie, farms, rivers- this game's environment is the definition of "throwing in the kitchen sink". The number of missions has increased from the prior installments' 60-odd missions to over 100 story/side-story missions, plus the "career" missions (vigilante, ambulance, firefighter, valet, trucker, pimp, burglar, etc.), and the inevitable racing challenges. If that's not enough, several "just for kicks" mini-games are included, such as pool, basketball free-throws, and arcade games. But wait- there's more! The variety of vehicles has once again increased, and now includes a selection of "proper" airplanes (including a fighter jet!), ATVs, and mountain bikes, in addition to cars, boats, motorcycles, and helicopters.

Beyond these changes, the gameplay mechanics have been kicked up a notch. Your character, Carl Johnson, can now not only swim, but can also climb over fences if needed. In a move unheralded in the series, the developers threw in RPG elements: the more you perform an action (running, firing a certain weapon, driving), the higher your related skill stats go. You can customize your character to a certain degree (haircuts, individual clothing items), affect your characters physique by eating and working out, and even have a few girlfriends (who you can go on dates with). Targeting has also been improved, with the addition of a new manual aim mechanic for all projectile weapons, and a fully controllable camera. At several points in the game, you'll also get to lead your own posse of gang members, and engage in territorial conflict.

The storyline this time around is a little less tongue in cheek, and a little bit more serious. You control Carl Johnson, a former gang member, who is dragged back into the lifestyle by an unexpected death in the family. Even if you were never into the "Boyz In The Hood" genre of melodrama, the game is so well executed, and expands so far beyond that conceit, that it's hard not to be drawn in. (The downside is that this game may hit too close to home for anyone in a neighborhood terrorized by gang violence and the resulting "collateral damage".) The true breadth of the game really hits you when you first drive beyond the Los Santos city limits, into the countryside of Red County. Not only is there variety to be found in the three general country areas bordering the cities, but each of the three big cities is distinct from the others. Los Santos (the Los Angeles clone) combines the sun-drenched, beachcomber vibe of Vice City with the gritty sprawl of the L.A. seen in Quentin Tarentino and John Singleton movies, and the elevated highway interchanges and lofty downtown metropolitan look of more decadent depictions of the West Coast. San Fierro's (the fake San Francisco) vertical inclines and polished architecture come off as a more genteel, pleasant version of Liberty City. While the Las Vegas-inspired Las Venturas sports the weakest layout of the cities, being too reminiscent of Vice City's flat, low-rise tract design, its neon-lit casinos, scattered industrial depots and encircling highway system provide their own charms.

For the Xbox version, there's the good...and the bad. One of the greatest improvements is the inclusion of custom soundtracks. As huge as the included soundtrack is, I feel that Vice City's '80s soundtrack is better, and I'm not much of a fan of rap or grunge (I do sort of like the New Jack Swing station). The ability to make my own soundtrack is key for a game which depends a lot on cruising around; King Crimson, Deep Purple, Angra, The Four Tops, and more make the experience more unpredictable and just more fun. The graphics are improved in that the draw distance is better, textures are a bit nicer, and the almost-overwhelming orange glow present in the PS2 version has been toned down. However, the cool car reflections of the PS2 version are MIA, for some reason. In general, the graphics are not as shiny and "clean" as the Xbox version of Vice City, but do seem to provide more detail and variety (even if in a somewhat grainier fashion). Controls are a similar mixed bag; while the Xbox control sticks are a sight better for targeting, the controls for "drive-by shooting" are abysmal, compared to the GTA Double Pack (why the change?).

This game is so huge in scope that you'll find yourself playing for 70 or more hours, whether engaged in the more elaborate missions (which involve such diverse objectives as chasing a train, framing a DA, infiltrating a military base, a high speed mid-air dog fight, and even an assassination in far away Liberty City!), betting on the horse races, or in just exploring the huge environment. It's true that the "open world" genre is no longer new and enough in itself, with competition from Saint's Row, Just Cause, and True Crime: NYC. However, while those games may have better graphics, or a more refined targeting system, none of them has the depth of gameplay, variety and attention to environmental design as this game. For once, the hype was right. They finally made a game that feels almost as immersive as an actual world, but without as many limitations. (Note to the parents reading this: DO NOT get this game for any kid under 16. It's very entertaining, but the subject matter and context of the violence [of which there is plenty] is better for a "less impressionable" mind.)

ABSOLUTE Funnest game i ever played, September 3, 2006

THIS IS MY FAVORITE ALL TIME GAME BECAUSE ONCE YOU BEAT IT YOU CAN JUST PLAYING AND PLAYING.

Rockstar is getting so close to the perfect game!, July 21, 2006

If you have never played a Grand Theft Auto title before than you ,my friend, are in for a treat. This is by far the best single player game in the last 2 years. I originaly played this game for the PS2. I played it for weeks. Then I got wind of a XBOX release and stopped playing that day. The XBOX versions of GTA games are always better. This title is no exception. The graphic problems of the PS2 are still there, but are greatly reduced. San Andreas opens up a new character development feature that while it's not quite an RPG system it's real close. You play a character by the name of Carl Johnson or CJ. CJ has come back to Los Santos (or Los Angeles) to attend the funeral of his mother. Mrs. Johnson was killed by a drve-by shooting involving a Green Sabre (one of the many types of cars). CJ and his brother had a falling out over the death of CJ's other brother. However now that CJ's back he's ready to get rolling in the family business, which is a street gang known as the Grove Street Gang. The story takes off from there with tons and tons of side-missions to keep you robbing, killing, and car-jacking for weeks! After you complete a certain number of story-line missions you will "unlock" a new city known as San Fierro (San Francisco) with tons and tons more missions in that city as well. Following suit you complete X amount of missions in San Fierro and you unlock Las Venturas (can you guess?? Las Vegas!). Every unlocked city gets more and more intense and crazy. With everything from learning to fly a plane to breaking into an area 51 rip off and stealing a prototype from the military, to the simple things such as sitting in a casino and playing a few hands of black jack or maybe slots are your thing. All in all this is an open ended open world game with literaly weeks and weeks (at about 40-80 hours a week) of fantastic gameplay! My main gripe with GTA as a whole is no multyplayer. The PSP GTA title Liberty City Stories has ad-hock multiplayer, and it's great! If GTA's next installment has Online capable multiplayer then ,ladies and gentlemen, we'll have gaming perfection. Untill then GTA SA is near perfect. The casual conversations people have on the street are really. Some people even speak to you, but beyond answering positively or negatively there no real comunication. A major part of most "side-missions" are real funny also. Certain characters will have you laughing at there stupidity and "gangster" slang. One person in particular that had me rolling on the floor was Jeffery aka Loc (pronounced loke like joke). Loc gets out of jail and you end up helping him get his Rap career of the ground. Well first you help him kill a guy who was "dissing" him in jail. Dissing must be another word for....well, you know what people say guys do to other guys in jail. Anyway the comedic content in this game is some of the best and funniest stuff I've heard in a long time. This game gets high marks for that alone.

Difrences between PS2 and XBOX; mainly the graphics aren't as choppy or short sighted. There are a few places where you can get way up high in the air, especially when flying, and take a look around. On the PS2 you would almost always end up staring at a blank single color skyline. On the XBOX you get what the programmers intended you to see. A beautifull skyline complete with sunset colors and even a cloud here and there. Most importantly the sound is the exact same as PS2, but as with other GTA XBOX versions you can play your own music via the user track player. I highly recomend checking out the standard radio stations before jumping in and blasting your own stuff. There are a lot of classic (now classics anyway) Rap, R&B, country, even some super rock songs! The talk radio stuff isn't as funny as other entries in this series, but the stuff with Andy Dick is hilarious! I have a unique sense of humor, so you may enjoy the other stuff more than I did.

At the end of the day this is the clear winner of the two console entries. And in my opinion the best GTA title to date. The real issue I have with this series has already been fixed. No more waiting for PS2 to sell out their stock before XBOX can release their version. Because at the 2006 E3 game convention it was anounced that GTA 4 (the title might change) will be released on XBOX and PS3 on the same day. Wooohooo!

Cons of San Andreas, April 20, 2006

No need to go into how awesome the game is, we already know that, so I will share some of the things I found wrong with it. (Love the game by the way)

Graphics. They are almost PS1 like. However, when a game is this big, with that large map and all that music, you have to sacrifice somwhere.

Cars. There are just too many of the same car in each city. There are about as many as vice city maybe. it just seems that I see the same five cars everyhwere I go.

Map. The HUD map on the corner could be a little clearer.

Unrealistic "sim" effect. Going for days without food? While it is a cool concept its a little lame. If it indeed were realistic then the game would suck.

Running into stuff. You can still take out street lights and traffic lights at 20 miles per hour, but heaven forbid you run into a bush!

Controls. Why did the have to mess with the controls??? I have played the previous versions so long it was hard to adjust at first. You cannot change the configuration of the buttons. I am still having a hard time remembering that the right trigger is now to aim, not to shoot. Why mess with a working system?

Well thats about it, this game is so awesome you would be a fool not to own it. Great story line, and some great new additions to the already great series.


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							December 2, 2008


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