Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
Publisher: Rockstar Games Developer: Rockstar North
Hot off the heels of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, San Andreas is the next installment in the GTA series, and it made many promises that it was actually able to keep. It's bigger and better than ever, and short of a few technical glitches, it's one of the greatest games out there. San Andreas is a great expansion of the series, it's the most fun I've had playing games in recent weeks.
Gameplay: 9
The gameplay in San Andreas is roughly the same as it has been since GTA III. The control scheme works perfectly for the PS2, and things just flow well. This isn't the essence of the game, however. The true fun in the game is the way it's played.
San Andreas follows a story, but you could have fun for hours even if you didn't stick to it. While the storyline missions unlock new areas of the game, there's quite a lot to do on the side. It's fun to just cut loose and gun people down for a few minutes.
You start off in Los Santos (Los Angeles), an area that is easily bigger than the entire area of Vice City. If you strictly follow storyline missions, you'll unlock most of the map in the area, but you won't really "see" everything. Once you progress enough in the story, you end up unlocking a whole new area/island, which is San Fierro (San Francisco). This area is large as well, but it gets better. Further down the line, you unlock Las Venturas (Las Vegas), full of all the casinos and clubs you'd expect from Sin City. Yeah, the game has gotten a lot bigger, they really took it to a new level this time. Unlike previous GTA games, the islands aren't just separated by a bridge. No, there are miles of countryside and highways separating each area. You'll pass through small country or desert towns on the way to each destination. It makes the experience more realistic.
Carl Johnson (CJ) has quite a few more abilities than anyone previously in a GTA game. He can climb walls, swim, gain respect, and best of all, improve his skills in every area. Shooting your weapon makes you better at it, and in some cases, even allows you to hold two at once. If you get good at gambling in the casino, your gambling skill goes up too. There are dozens of ways to improve yourself in this game.
CJ can also change his appearance. You can shop for clothes, hats, shoes, watches, chains, and all of that stuff. You can even get tattoos and haircuts. To take things a step further, you can go to the gym and workout to build up muscle. If you eat too many times at Cluckin Bell, you end up getting fat, and your character will change noticeable. There are dozens of little things you need to do to stay in shape, and proper diet and exercise are important here. (It seems like a nuisance, but it's not really that big of a deal.)
The "auto" part of Grand Theft Auto is roughly the same this time around. Most of the cars are similar to the ones in previous games, but there are a few welcomed additions. You can steal trains, tow trucks, forklifts, hot dog vans, and a variety of new planes and helicopters. There are even missions where you can drive a tractor trailer to deliver cargo.
I could go on all day about the million things to do in San Andreas, but it's better for you to just play it yourself and find out what else the game has to offer. Odds are, you'll have fun no matter what you're doing. (As a matter of fact, a buddy of mine recently just drove around the cities with the in-game camera, taking pictures of all the landmarks we spotted.)
Graphics: 5.5
The graphical glitches are what kill San Andreas the most. The entire outdoor environment is one big area, meaning no loading screens between areas. While this may sound cool, it actually causes more problems than anything.
The PS2 hardware has a hard time keeping up with the demands of GTA:SA, and it shows. For instance, you'll be driving along with clear roads ahead, and you'll slam head first into an invisible wall and fail the mission. Three seconds later, the wall will magically appear. The game can't spawn the objects fast enough sometimes, and it does become a problem from time to time.
Besides the glitches, the game just hasn't had many graphical improvements over the last two games. Things look kind of blah in Los Santos, and everything is sort of orange. This isn't a big deal, but things could look better.
Sound & Music: 10
The voice talent in San Andreas did a great job. Some people complained about the swearing in the game, but it seemed pretty normal for a real life ghetto scene. Young Maylay did a great job as CJ, and there were lots of big name talent in the game such as Samuel L. Jackson and James Woods.
San Andreas had a pretty big variety of music as well, but I generally get tired of it and turn the radio feature off. It's nice to have a good soundtrack available in a game though.
Story: 7.5
The story was OK in San Andreas. CJ's mom was killed, and he needs to come back to Los Santos (from Liberty City) to tie up a few loose ends. He gets back in with his old gang, and things are sort of in trouble. There's not a really deep story there, but it is interesting to watch it unfold. There are also a number of side stories going on, all of which CJ seems to get involved in. The story kept me interested, but the ending was less than impressive. I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess that wasn't it.
Replay Value: 6
Believe it or not, San Andrea doesn't have much replay value. That's of course after you've finished the game 100%, which might take you 50-100 hours depending on how much you cheat, or how many guides you look at. Once you've finished everything, you might get bored, but it sure will be a long time before you get to that point.
To buy or to rent?If you've never played a GTA game before, you might want to start with GTA III or Vice City before picking this one up. If you have played them before, and you're familiar with the series, you'll feel right at home in San Andreas. You could rent it, but you wouldn't get far unless you played almost non-stop. San Andreas is a must buy! The only exception to this rule, is if you have a decent PC and can wait a few months. The PC version comes out in June, and will be MUCH better than the PS2 version, with many of the technical issues worked out. I've got PC version of GTA III and Vice City, they're both 100 times better than the PS2 counterparts. (Plus, you can mod the PC versions and add new cars and stuff.) If you really can't wait though, buy the PS2 version now, and trade it in before the PC one comes out.
Overall: 9
Overall, San Andreas is lots of fun to play, but a few minor annoyances keep if from being perfect. If you're a fan of GTA games, you'll probably like this one, but there isn't a whole lot of new innovation here.
Additional Information:
Genre: Action/Adventure
Players: 1-2 (VERY few 2p mini-games)
Memory Required: 395k
Rating: M (for Mature)
Extras: None
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