I’ve been a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series since the very first game. I still have fond memories about that one as I played it on one of the computers in our computer lab. ‘Wow, you can do this in a videogame? You can crash into people, steal, rob and be a criminal?’ Broken was the assumption that the game’s hero had to be a good guy. No, in Grand Theft Auto you’re the bad guy, and you’ll like it just fine.
The pinnacle of the series, so far, has definitely been Vice City. I loved that game as it let me do things that really I’d never consider doing in real life. It provided a true escape from reality. I’d steal, kill, and take over the city all through something that seemed out of the Godfather movies. Now, Rockstar gives us the next step in the evolution of the series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. And as I write this review I find that I still have mixed feelings about the game. I like the game, however there are things that I’m not sure how I feel about. For example, I don’t find the story as engaging as Vice City, perhaps because I’m not into the hood and urban aspect of it as I was into the Mafia feeling of its predecessor.
Anyway, enough with the comparisons with Vice City, let’s talk about the game we’re here to review. Let’s start with the graphics. Although they are good, I don’t find them to be a huge improvement over what Rockstar has done in the past. They are solid, realistic and they do have this ‘90s feeling that the game is supposed to carry. They didn’t make me go insane with delight though, and my reaction to them is that really, they are just nice.
The music is good and includes a selection of familiar figures from the era the game is supposed to be set in, however I didn’t find the soundtrack as compelling as the ‘80s one that Vice City carried. There are different stations suiting different tastes of music. The one station I always look forward in Grand Theft Auto games, Chatterbox, a comedic talk-radio station, seemed to be a bit lacking. I don’t know what it was, but I didn’t find it as funny as I did in previous games.
In general sound is solid, it just isn’t something that blew myself away. The voice acting is superb, though and they brought in very high caliber actors to supply some of the voices. That by itself adds a lot to the immersion aspect of the game as you believe what the characters are saying due to the excellent acting talent.
Things I loved about the game play? A lot of what I loved about it has to do more with the feeling the game creates than anything. The whole experience is rewarding, however I still have issues with some of the things that make up that experience. On the , the game gives you a lot to do, and I mean a LOT. The city, or rather cities are huge. There are a wide variety of places to explore, a solid number of side missions and a plethora of incentives to keep you coming back for more. The storyline is very engaging, and although it portrays the typical story of a gang member trying to survive both in the streets, it does it in a way that you feel like you’re not just watching a movie, but being part of it; you can feel the main character CJ, you connect with him, you understand where he’s coming from and why he’s reacting to the world around him the way he does.
I did find combat frustrating, and missions that required me to take on several guys at the same time often ended up in pressing the reset button for another crack. It took me a while to learn how to drive my car without running into things all the time, even though I’ve played all the games in the series. The game also adds a bunch of other goodies into the old mix. Now the character has stats that are affected by your actions. Eat a lot and you grow fat. Exercise a lot and you get more athletic and buff. Swim and run and your stamina will increase. Drive a lot and your driving ability gets better. You feel more investment in your character than what has been available in the previous titles and that’s a good thing. The biggest addition in my opinion is the ability to swim. Yes! No longer will I just drown if I fall in the water, no, this time around you can swim around and all is good.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a great game. It might not be the industry’s Holy Grail, but it doesn’t have to be. What we have here is a game that, while exhibiting some flaws, delivers a solid story and hours of entertainment. Simply put, the game is just fun and does a good job of continuing the Grand Theft Auto legacy. There are a lot of things to do in this game and most of them are fun. It’s definitely something I’d recommend you get to help add some…variety…to your holidays.
If I had been able to play games while inside of my mother's womb, I'd have done so. The first system I ever had was the Atari 2600 followed by a Tandy Color Computer. From there on, I was hooked. I'm particularly attracted to role playing games (a passion that extended to tabletop gaming through college) and action/adventure games. I don't like puzzle games a whole lot, although I enjoy strategy games, particularly real-time ones, quite a bit. I can have fun with First Person Shooters, often finding them very cathartic, but I tend to avoid survival horroor games because I find myself too stressed out.
I was a software engineer until events in my life gave me a kick on the behind and I found myself exploring my true passion, writing. Other than gaming, I love reading, especially fantasy and science-fiction. I like my games to be challenging, but not frustrating. Although I don't want to see games becoming books with pretty graphics, I don't mind seeing solid storytelling in my games.
