Quite possibly the best video game of all time.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will now officially be the third Playstation GTA game. It had an immense amount of hype surrounding it from the start. The question is, did it live up to the hype? In my opinion, it definitely did in every way, and the game has literally set a benchmark for the future in video gaming, one in my opinion that cannot be surpassed.



The theme in this game is all to do with the ghetto lifestyle and living. The main character is named CJ, and he is the first main character that has black skin In GTA. The lifestyles in this area are also similar to what you would expect, such things as rap music is prominent and everything to do with the ghetto world.



The graphics have gone up a few notches since Vice City. It is noticeable that Rockstar has spent some time fixing the jaggedy-edged graphics in Vice City to come to the smooth and amazing graphics of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The graphics pretty much push the ps2 to its limit, and represent the hard work that Rockstar has put into the game. There are, however, some slight graphical glitches that occur from time to time, but this really doesnt take anything away from the game. As well as this, there are a few frame rate issues that can occur when there is a massive pile up of traffic, but for the most part, youre good to go.



The map size in this game is truly amazing. The map surpasses Vice City in area by nearly six times. You will literally not believe how big this game is when you see and play it, the map just does not do it justice. The terrain varies from the country side to the city, and this missions you undertake in the game often require you to drive around all areas of San Andreas, and this is notably very fun.



There have also been many other welcome additions to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas since Vice City. You can now customize CJ to how you prefer, as in giving him tattoos, making him go to the gym and get some muscles, dressing him how you desire and so on. All this makes the game much more complete and it makes you feel like you are actually there. Another notable change is that your main character now has to eat to survive, like all of us, and there are numerous places in the world of San Andreas to dine in.



In addition, the computer AI has been dramatically increased. Now the police are a lot smarter than they were in the previous games, and this can really add to the atmosphere of the game. As well as this, the conversations that regular people have throughout the game have been made more interesting, longer, and in many cases, funnier. All of these little things contributed the mood of the game, and it suited it very well at that.



Many of the things, if not more than what was expected, have returned to GTA: San Andreas. This includes the hidden packages, rampages, unique jumps, and so on. There have also been quite a few other welcome additions to the game, and this includes finding such things as horseshoes. All these things do not contribute to continuing the storyline, they are just side quests you can choose to do, and they can all up clock you in at hundreds of hours of Gameplay if you are going for 100%.



The vehicles in the game have doubled in amount since Vice City, and there are many other types of transport CJ can use. A new addition is the bikes, and these bikes can be used to perform a vast array of tricks. The weapons have also increased in amount, and basically everything else has been improved upon since the previous games. An excellent addition in this game worth mention is the new fighting animations. These animations are brilliantly done and look as real as you can get in a game on the Playstation2, and it is improved upon since the previous games by an unconceivable amount.



The music in GTA: SA for the most part is excellent. Many people upon its release thought that all the music in the game would be rap to suit the games ghetto mood. This is not the case. There are quite a few other radio stations ranging from country music to rock, and there are also some very interesting chat conversations that you can hear as you are driving. All in all, GTA: SA boasts a solid soundtrack, but I think its fair to assume that Vice City had the best in the series.



In Conclusion, calling GTA: SA and excellent is an understatement. Trust me, if you are a fan of the GTA series, hell, if you hate the GTA series, go out and buy this game it will be the best investment you have ever made!



Overall: 10/10  A MUST FOR ALL GAMERS!



Rating: 10