AbstractBrings the GTA world to the early 90s in this huge California-based installment. Deal with rival gangs and corrupt cops as you climb the crime ladder.
ESRB rating
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Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong L |
Full descriptionRockstar Games' cornerstone Grand Theft Auto series returns for a third run through the 128-bit generation, with this violent, mature-themed third-person shooter and mission-based driving game. Set in the early-'90s gang culture of "San Andreas," a fictional U.S. region modeled after California, the adventure plays out across the entire virtual state, with action centered in its three main cities: Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), San Fiero (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).
Like its immediate predecessor, Vice City, San Andreas strives to provide a wide, deep foundation for its free-form criminal gameplay by setting the story in a slightly exaggerated representation of a familiar (if not glorified) American subculture. As Vice City seemed inspired by Miami Vice, and the pastel-decked, "me generation" ideals of the early '80s, San Andreas is set in a time and place suggested by films like Boyz N the Hood, Menace II Society, or Colors, where riots eventually brought a whole city to a halt and awakened new consciousness across the country.
Players take the role of a young man named Carl "C.J." Johnson, who thought he had escaped the gangland lifestyle by moving away from his Los Santos home. When his mother is murdered, he returns to the neighborhood of his childhood, only to become embroiled with threats and danger from all sides. Because of his family and friends who remained in Los Santos, he's considered an enemy-on-sight to rival gang members. Even worse, perhaps, the corrupt local law enforcement frames him for a crime he did not commit.
To clear his name and save his family, C.J. sets out on a long journey that will lead him all across the state. More than any earlier GTA game, San Andreas features strong elements of role-playing and character development, encouraging players to customize their version of C.J. as they play through his adventure on their own terms. Unlike the protagonist of GTA 3, or Vice City's Tommy Vercetti, C.J. isn't really working for some underworld organization or crime boss mastermind -- he's out to take care of himself and his own family. He is not driven by the immediate promise of wealth or promotion; his goals are far more personal. He must steer the direction of his exploits, to follow them to a satisfactory end.
Also in the theme of giving more control over the lead character's development, players will take care of C.J.'s day-to-day needs. Food presents the easiest way to replenish lost health, so when he is hungry, he'll need to eat -- perhaps at one of San Andreas' fast food chains, like "Cluckin' Bell" or "Burger Shot." If he doesn't eat enough, C.J. will become thin and weak, but too much fast food without any exercise will cause him to grow fat and slow. Players can also choose the clothes that C.J. wears, and have him get customized tattoos.
C.J. has to come up with any money he needs for these things on his own, however, since there won't always be some boss character waiting to pay him off as he completes his missions. One way to scratch up some quick cash is by robbing homes at night. When he jacks the right kind of van and puts on his ski mask, C.J. enters a stealth mode, and is more likely to be able to sneak into a house, nab some valuables, and head off to the local fence before the residents even wake up.
Overall, San Andreas is in the same format and style that won millions of fans for GTA 3 and Vice City, but it features a number gameplay adjustments and improvements. In addition to C.J.'s stealth mode, he can also swim; a wrong turn off the pier will no longer result in an instant trip to the emergency ward, and if all else fails, the protagonist may even be able to evade pursuers by taking a quick dip. The game's targeting system has also been adjusted. Using triggers and both analog sticks (à la Manhunt), players take more complete control of C.J., and can have him run and strafe, change targets, and shoot in almost any direction, even while moving in another.
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Editorial reviewSource:
AmazonIt 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 to move and revolutionize video games as its two predecessors,
Grand Theft Auto III and
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. As in previous installments, here you play as a thug with problems you must steal and 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 to his hometown, Los Santos (a fictionalized Los Angeles), to find that his mother has been murdered and that the police have framed him for another murder. Reunions with his friends and 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) and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).
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| You play as Carl Johnson, known on the street as CJ. |
This is an honest effort to create an engaging story about sympathetic characters caught up in a brutal environment that is on par with a movie or novel.
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Where Vice City took its cues, with tongue firmly in cheek, from the 1980s television series Miami Vice, San Andreas is a sincere homage to early 1990s innercity gangster films like Menace 2 Society and Boyz ‘N the Hood. This is an honest effort to 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 to be totally desensitized not to wonder if it's OK to 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, and 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 to 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" and "Talk Positive," you can drive only with the left analog stick. A minor point, but it makes cars a lot more difficult to handle.
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| Bicycles take on a surprisingly central role. |
It would be hard to surpass the variety of automobiles available in earlier games, and
San Andreas wisely does not for the most part try to compete on that score. Instead, it's bicycles of all things that steal the show. The bikes' speed and flexibility are perfect for many of the missions, and there is something about cruising through the streets and 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 to fly a number of aircraft, and flying is something Rockstar makes a greater effort to get right this time (welcome news for anyone who struggled with the planes and ‘copters of the earlier games).
Lackluster Graphics--but a Real Feel
Graphics--never a huge priority for Rockstar--actually take a step backward from the luscious, tropical look of Vice City. Textures are rendered with only a cursory attention to detail, and 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 to voice work by an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Ice T, James Woods, Peter Fonda, and Outkast's Big Boy and a stellar soundtrack with tunes by Soundgarden, 2Pac, Public Enemy, and 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 and 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 to get to 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 and 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 and detailed maps to achieve every objective with the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Official Strategy Guide.
Features well-known actors voicing characters including Samuel L. Jackson, comedian David Cross, Andy Dick, and rapper Ice-T
Soundtrack includes Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur
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