Review: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

BigBlue · #1 (**permalink**) 11-10-2004, 11:25 PM

Wired Magazine has a decent review of GTA: San Andreas. Sounds like a pretty cool game.

Gotta love this quote:

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: "Pimping session over."

Anyone got it yet?

Red Devil · #2 (**permalink**) 11-11-2004, 04:18 PM

I've got it. Don't bother reading the review. Just go out and buy it. It's that good.

The size of the game really is amazing. I'm currently at the second area (the countryside) and i'm completely lost. You can go off roading, jump off a mountain on a dirt bike... anything you want really. Vice City is nothing compared to SA.

You can also customise CJ. Eat too much and he will get fat. Go to the gym and build up muscle and stamina. Buy different clothes. Also the more you use weapons, the more your skill will increase, until you reach "hitman" level. Your skill with Cars, motorbikes and BMXs will also increase the more you use them.

As well as the standard GTA mini games, like taxi driver, vigilante and fireman, there are many new ones. You can steal from houses at night, play pool, basketball, enter dance competitions(and dancing car competitions), street race, upgrade your car and play other mini games on the arcade cabinets around the cities.

The aiming system has also been given a major overhaul. As well as having the normal lock on, Pressing R1 and then using the right analogue stick enters manual aiming mode. This can be done with any weapon, making it much easier to hit what/who you want. CJ can also move and roll while crouching making it the best way to approach a gunfight.

Hidden packages have been replaced with tags. You'll find rival gang graffiti tags over the city, which you can tag yourself if you have a spray can. There are about 100 of these on the first island (I think). You are also able to take territory from other gangs. You do this by recruiting gang members, and then entering the territory you want. Find an enemy gang and kill them, starting a gang war. Survive the three waves of the war and the territory is yours.

As you can probably tell, I like this game. The only problem I have found is that it sometimes suffers from pop-up but that is understandable considering the size of the areas and the lack of loading times. It was worth the wait and is well worth buying.

Sharpshooter · #3 (**permalink**) 11-12-2004, 02:17 PM

Something Red Devil didn't mention is that on the 2nd island, there are oysters to collect in the water. You must dive to grab them but improving lung capacity in the game will be crucial for this.

Joelbie · #4 (**permalink**) 11-12-2004, 08:45 PM

Sounds like its a pretty awesome game. Maybe it is worth checking out.

I've only really played the very first GTA, and was never really into it, but it sounds like this one is a whole lot better.

sasimi · #5 (**permalink**) 11-13-2004, 03:27 AM

never really been a big fan of this game.
it just gets sooo boring after u beat the mission. onlything left to do is kill people. i may be a murderous type but let me tell u wheni kill over 1k people i think that would be a nice limit.

Sharpshooter · #6 (**permalink**) 11-13-2004, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sasimi

never really been a big fan of this game.
it just gets sooo boring after u beat the mission. onlything left to do is kill people. i may be a murderous type but let me tell u wheni kill over 1k people i think that would be a nice limit.

It's not exactly the easiest game to complete sasimi. When you complete it is when you either start again or get out the SMG (or other weapons) you bought with 50,000 bullets and cause 6-star havoc. If you get lucky enough, you steal a tank (or use a cheat to get one).

Also, a 2-player mode can be activated when CJ gets a girlfriend. This can involve going on a drive round the city looking for rival gangs and drive-bys can be done by the player not driving.

sasimi · #7 (**permalink**) 11-15-2004, 05:37 PM

but my friend said(and i qoute this) " ... ive only played for 134 hours and ive already done everything in the game..." i mean yea durin that time it may be fun...but you cant say that it dosent get annoying by killing people... since thats really all thats left. and running from the cop is all the same thing. and the tank thing ... whats the point of getting the tank.... to kill people right?yes this game has its hillarious sections to it like stealing the bikes from kids.. the gangs in it, and the hoes.

Red Devil · #8 (**permalink**) 11-15-2004, 08:06 PM

Quote:

ive only played for 134 hours and ive already done everything in the game..."

What do you mean ONLY 134 hours?? Thats a hell of a long time to be playing. Thats twice as long as it took me to complete FF7! And theres a lot to be done in this game, even after you complete it. 100 tags to find, 50 oysters, 50 horseshoes, optional missions, improving weapon skills, shooting ranges, basketball, BMX park... too much stuff to name basically.

Sharpshooter · #9 (**permalink**) 11-16-2004, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sasimi

but my friend said(and i qoute this) ... ive only played for 134 hours and ive already done everything in the game..." ...but you cant say that it dosent get annoying by killing people... since thats really all thats left. and running from the cop is all the same thing. and the tank thing ... whats the point of getting the tank.... to kill people right?

I dont see whats annoying about killing the gangs or people in the game. If the problem is that you got busted or wasted, then drive away before you take it too far and save it.

What's wrong with getting a tank as well? Of course its to kill people, I'm hardly just going to get it to go round San Andreas in it at 5 mph am I?