Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

It certainly was a big decision for me when November 2004 came around. Just about every hardcore gamer had a tough decision on their hands. Although I joined the bandwagon that wanted to see Halo 2 done in its final and playable form, I couldn't resist taking the new Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for a spin, seeing as how I managed to get an early gift from a good friend of mine. Three weeks went by and my collector's edition of Halo 2 sat in its pseudo-tin case and collected dust. It was two months later before I finally completed GTA without feeling let down at any point.

I found that the game play is much better than its well-known predecessor, Vice City. We now find that we can customize CJ to our liking. From his clothes, to his hairstyle, and now even his build. Yes, we can and have to keep CJ in shape. It's not as easy as it sounds. The right amount of food and exercise will keep him in great shape, but no exercise and too much food will certainly make him gain weight. While you may think that you can let his shape slip, it does affect his stamina and strength. What may take a few punches and kicks to knock an enemy down will take many more if CJ isn't in shape. Not only are there variables for CJ's health, there are variables for his respect level, shooting ability, driving skills, etc. You name it, there's probably a variable for it.

What would Grand Theft Auto be without GTAs? You'll notice immediately that there are many more vehicles available to CJ, not without a fight of course: sports cars, classics, monster trucks, motorcycles, tractors, ATVs, moving trucks, bicycles. But, what would a gangster be without a gangster ride? That's right, there's even the low-rider. The low-rider was developed with all of the features you could think of, and is very customizable: hydraulics, exhaust, sound system, and of course, the paint job. One thing to keep in mind with all this available, no two vehicles are the same. The handling and top speed of a car vary immensely and what may be possible in one car probably shouldn't be attempted in another.

Another interesting addition to San Andreas is the turf wars. Much like real life in the modern day ghetto, CJ can claim territories for his gang, Grove Street. I find this feature of the game much more interesting than free roaming. It keeps the game interesting for the player as well as contributes to the game later on down the line rather than just the gratification of just shooting random people.

The graphics in this installment look very sharp. I've heard complaints saying that the graphics are very jagged and buggy but we all have to swallow the fact the now 4 year old PS2 can only do so much. Rockstar took advantage of every last bit of technology that it had available to them in creating some good effects such as the spontaneous rain and fog in San Fierro to the sunset shining right into the camera in Las Venturas. I also loved the mobility of the camera angles with quickness. Being able to rotate around the character on foot as well as seeing to the left, right and ahead of a vehicle while driving made maneuvering in situations which require quick thinking much easier.

A feature that certainly won't go missed is the sound. If there was a sound design award for gaming, this would certainly get a nomination. Although Vice City had the in-game DTS surround feature, its absence in San Andreas wasn't missed. I found that Dolby Pro Logic was just enough for me. Voice acting was top notch and certainly not as cheesy as Vice City's celebrity cast. If you think Rockstar was going to put all of its money into development and have a bland soundtrack, you're mistaken. Not only did they pool enough hip-hop and rap from the era, but it made sure to accommodate the various genres from classic rock, reggae, house, alternative, funk, and even country to give the player a wide variety of music to listen to. Enough to create an 8 CD box set! And for those that enjoyed the talk radio of Vice City, there's still a home in San Andreas, hosted by Andy Dick.

I would love to give this game a perfect 10 out of 10 but I only had one complaint about it: the controls. Enough to make me give it a 9.8. As much as I would love to replay this game to try and beat it with a better time, there is a certain point of the game where CJ is given the opportunity to help a character fight his enemy in his own style. One of the missions involves flying a radio controlled plane. I spent a significant amount of time trying to learn how to fly the plane only to find out that every time that I just about got it right, I ran out of fuel. It wasn't long before I succumbed and asked for help from others that managed to get thru it. Later in the game, the player is given the chance to actually fly a real plane and I found that flying the real plane was much easier to learn, even though the controls are very similar to the RC plane.

Rockstar certainly did their homework when it came to developing San Andreas, hopefully not watching "Menace II Society" or "Boyz In The Hood" fifty times a day. I'm glad they finally added an ending to a game of this immense size, even if they did make it look like another movie's ending (you'll know which one I'm talking about once you see it in the game). With the one exception that I stated above, which can be overcome with a little practice, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is certainly a game to have for your PS2 collection. It may not have had 3 years of hype and "development" behind it, but it certainly was a more enjoyable game to play.

Final Game Rating: 9.8 out of 10.

Links

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