Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

I am disappointed in this particular order, its my fault that I didn't do my homework first about the video game ratings 4 kids. I ordered it 4 a neighbor child & was surprised at the content, so I had 2 order him something else more appropriate 4 preteens. I do not recommend any game of this nature 4 young children. I am having a little trouble getting rid of it, because I am told I bought an old version of it. I know nothing about these games, the company that shipped it hasn't returned my call yet, & no one answers the phone there (Kamco). Buyer beware of hard 2 return items, Amazon has an excellent return policy. I just wished they were the ones 2 send it.

Gran Theft Auto- San Andreas
This edition of Grand Theft Auto was released in 2004, which is considered one of the best years 4 gaming. This game was released around the same time as Halo 2, so they had 2 bring guns blazing 2 be quality-based competition. San Andreas delivers & then some. The whole "gang in the hood" storyline had me worried, but it turned out well. San Andreas has the same essential gameplay as the other GTA games, but this time has provided some tweaks 2 increase your playing pleasure. If you could only own one game 4 your Playstation 2, this needs 2 be it.

Graphics- 6/10
We all know the graphics in GTA have always been horrible. The reason 4 this is the insanely enormous levels & the PS2's graphical capabilities. This game's graphics are better than all the previous games though. Vehicles, people, & layout have all been done better in this game. There is also a blurring effect that happens when your speed gets high. This can be achieved by using nitrous or just driving a speed machine, like a Cheetah.

One problem with the graphics is with the game freezing. Changing outfits can often cause the game 2 get stuck. I never use cheat codes & this still occurs from time 2 time. Saving as often as possible can make this problem not that big of a deal, but it still happens.

This is the first game not 2 have a loading section between the level sections. You can drive from one point San Andreas 2 the complete other side without encountering a single loading screen. This is surprising considering San Andreas is larger than Liberty City & Vice City.

Another problem has been inherited from previous games. As you begin 2 increase in speed, all the cars around you will begin 2 go extremely fast as well. This causes other cars on the road 2 crash constantly & switch lanes directly into you. Drivers in real life do not just speed up because you speed up. I have always hated this weird glitch in these games.

Story- 9/10
You are Carl Johnson. You have just returned 2 your family from a long hiatus in Liberty City. In San Andreas is a small area named Grove Street. That is where your family & their gang live. Your return brings mixed reactions & you need 2 prove yourself. You begin running errands 4 the Grove Street gang. The story rapidly evolves into one of betrayal & revenge. I cannot go into it further than that without ruining the story.

Along the way, you meet many interesting characters. This includes a psychotic girlfriend, a crazy hippie, & the yakuza. You will do different missions 4 each one. Some will relate 2 the main storyline while others will feel like a small side-story. This is good 4 anyone that gets sick of doing the storyline missions constantly. Some missions you do not even have 2 do, but they will usually benefit you in some way.

Sound- 9/10
The sound is almost perfect in this game. There are a few small problems, like gun sounds & radio repeats. Let us talk about the good parts first though. The voice acting in superb. Every character in the game has a voice. The people you meet on the street will have conversations with each other. They are nonsensical conversations, but they are talking 2 each other. The main characters are done by great voice actors. Every person sounds interesting & unique. If someone calls you on your phone, you automatically know who it is.

Gun sounds are horrible. Not one gun sounds realistic. They all sound like toy guns. There are a large number of guns though, so this is forgivable. The guns are not horrible; they are just not realistic.

The radio is great. All the music is fit 4 this game. The game is based in the 90s, so expect music from that era. There is rap, hip-hop, rock, country, & even a talk show. There is a lot of variety there. Depending on where you are in San Andreas will depend on what the people are originally listening to. The problem comes in that the game is so long. You will get tired of hearing the same music over & over & over again. Talk shows get boring after you realize they repeat the same exact thing in a loop.

Gameplay- 10/10
This is the real meat of the game. This entire game is based on the concept that graphics do not matter. I agree with that. The gameplay usually makes up my mind on what 2 score a game. This game gets a 9.5/10 because of its awesome gameplay.

This game plays similar 2 previous GTA games. You run around doing missions 4 others in an attempt 2 control San Andreas. Missions in this game are extremely varied though. While most are driving or shooting missions, you now have stealth missions & turret style missions. In stealth missions, you sneak around in the shadows & go through an area killing people from behind. A new knife attacks allows you 2 secretly take out enemies. Turret style missions have you in the back of a car shooting at enemies. These are wild & fun missions.

Another new mission type sees you wielding a fire extinguisher. You go through a building & extinguish fires in order 2 get through a building. These are innovative ways 2 break up gameplay.

The usual extra missions come into play. You can do police, fire truck, taxi, & other missions 4 extra cash. These are all useful if you need some quick cash. If not, completely the missions will gain you beneficial extras.

There is also a new gang territory mission. You can create gang wars. If you win the war, you gain control over a portion of land. There are many different gangs you will have 2 defeat 2 win the land. Gaining the land makes some money appear at your house. The more you territories you control, the more money you get. However, your territories will come under attack & you will have 2 defend them. This is just another fun thing 2 do in this game.

All the vehicles control good. This all depends on which vehicle you decide 2 jack. Stealing a huge box van will cause you do drive slow & crappy. Stealing a sports car will have you handling great at high speeds. Cars all handle differently. Grabbing some of your favorite ones & pimping them out at the new garage will only improve its look & speed.

Shooting has been greatly improved. Aiming is very easy now. You will no longer struggle 2 stay on an enemy. You will automatically lock onto the closest threat. Your gun will move 2 the enemies head if they are close enough. It is all very simple.

This game is plain fun. You want 2 jack & car & show every your road rage? Go ahead. Do you want 2 shoot everyone in sight? Fine. Do you want 2 play through the missions & finish the game in record time? You are an idiot, but you can. There is such a variety in what you can do; I love you.

Difficulty- 9/10 (Note- This is how much I like the Difficulty)
This game is simplicity does not mean it is easy the entire time. You will have 2 try some missions repeatedly before winning them. The game gets increasing difficult as you go on. Just like a game should. The only problem is that there are no difficulty settings. You just play the game at one difficulty. It does not matter though since the game has good pacing.

Overall- 9.5/10
This game is near perfect. The only problem I see is the graphics. Every other aspect of the game is fantastic. The game has a strong story, fun gameplay, & the ability 2 do whatever you want. If you own a Playstation 2, you need 2 own this game.

I have mixed feelings about this game. It has endless replay value if you like 2 explore & have endless hours 2 play. Would have been a great game when I was younger. But now I'm a career man, don't have the time 2 search around & the world seems too big. I'm only half done with the game, up 2 San Fiero, but I can't seem 2 get too familiar with the streets & things like I did in Vice City. Plus most of the state seems pretty bland, yah, there are miles of houses but only a small fraction have something of value 2 find in or near them. I don't know, I just had a lot more fun with Vice City- I'm giving up & gonna try Grand Theft Auto 4 when I have the time... this game can go back where I got it from.

This was the best GTA game ive played out of all of them, this one had more better stuff like working out, driveing a train, swiming, & more great stuff 2 do. This was a ghetto part of GTA witch was alright i still enjoyed it, it was'nt just about killing people you could do more better stuff in this game then the other GTA games, but GTA1V came out & thats a preety decent game but really kinda the samething, in this one you can work out & become buffed why could'nt they put that in GTA1V but this game was fun.

EASY TO SAY, 5 STARS NOTHING REALLY MORE TO SAY. IT'S GTA BABY LOTS OF VIOLENCE AND HOOKERS :) GOOD 'DAY

On his return 2 the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him 4 homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, 2 save his family andto take control of the streets. Liberty City. Vice City. Now San Andreas, a new chapter in the legendary series. Grand Theft Auto returns 2 the PlayStation 2 this October.

It may not be a splashy leap forward, but Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in its own deep, dark way does just as much 2 move & revolutionize video games as its two predecessors, Grand Theft Auto III & Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. As in previous installments, here you play as a thug with problems you must steal & shoot your way out of, but the problems this time are disconcertingly more realistic. You play as Carl Johnson, known on the street as CJ, a likeable criminal type who has just returned 2 his hometown, Los Santos (a fictionalized Los Angeles), 2 find that his mother has been murdered & that the police have framed him 4 another murder. Reunions with his friends & a troubled relationship with his brother set off a sprawling, complex plot line, taking place at first in the immediate Los Santos area but eventually spilling into San Fierro (based on San Francisco) & Las Venturas (Las Vegas).

You play as Carl Johnson, known on the street as CJ.

This is an honest effort 2 create an engaging story about sympathetic characters caught up in a brutal environment that is on par with a movie or novel.

Gaming Gangsters

Where Vice City took its cues, with tongue firmly in cheek, from the 1980s television series Miami Vice, San Andreas is a sincere homage 2 early 1990s innercity gangster films like Menace 2 Society & Boyz ‘N the Hood. This is an honest effort 2 create an engaging story about sympathetic characters caught up in a brutal environment that is on par with a movie or novel. If that effort hits a few flat notes (you would have 2 be totally desensitized not 2 wonder if it's OK 2 make entertainment out of driveby shootings), it may also mark the first step toward video games growing up. The first thing that fans of earlier GTA games will notice is the range of action is much wider now: Along with shooting, running, & driving, there's now swimming, eating, working out, shopping, and, yes, getting a haircut. All this means the game has a fairly steep learning curve. But, though the pick-up-and-play appeal of Grand Theft Auto III may be long gone, your access 2 the action becomes fairly transparent after a little practice. My only serious complaint is that, with the controller now crowded with such previously unheard-of functions like "Gang Active" & "Talk Positive," you can drive only with the left analog stick. A minor point, but it makes cars a lot more difficult 2 handle.

Bicycles take on a surprisingly central role.

Vehicular Variety

It would be hard 2 surpass the variety of automobiles available in earlier games, & San Andreas wisely does not 4 the most part try 2 compete on that score. Instead, it's bicycles of all things that steal the show. The bikes' speed & flexibility are perfect 4 many of the missions, & there is something about cruising through the streets & basketball courts on a BMX that just feels right. If you play far enough into the game, you will also be rewarded with the chance 2 fly a number of aircraft, & flying is something Rockstar makes a greater effort 2 get right this time (welcome news 4 anyone who struggled with the planes & ‘copters of the earlier games).

Lackluster Graphics--but a Real Feel

Graphics--never a huge priority 4 Rockstar--actually take a step backward from the luscious, tropical look of Vice City. Textures are rendered with only a cursory attention 2 detail, & contours are often blocky. It scarcely matters, though, because no matter how San Andreas looks, it feels real. This is due in no small part 2 voice work by an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Ice T, James Woods, Peter Fonda, & Outkast's Big Boy & a stellar soundtrack with tunes by Soundgarden, 2Pac, Public Enemy, & even a few country classics from the likes of Willie Nelson. But it's not just realistic, San Andreas is also vast, encompassing three big urban centers & huge swaths of rural land (complete with shotgun-toting farmers) between them. This vastness does mean, however, that there can be a lot of tedious driving 2 get 2 the missions, which, along with some awkward sequencing of the cut scenes (they are in places stacked one on top of the other), means that there is a bit too much downtime. But never mind the quibbles. Ladies & gentlemen, we have another classic on our hands. --David Stoesz

Pros:

• Astonishingly vast game space
• Vivid character development
• Complex, engaging plot
• Enormous range of available actions

Cons:

• Occasionally awkward game design
• You can no longer steer cars with the directional buttons
• Steep learning curve

What's Your Strategy?
Get mission strategies & detailed maps 2 achieve every objective with the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Official Strategy Guide.