Gran Theft Auto- San Andreas
This edition of Grand Theft Auto was released in 2004, which is considered one of the best years for gaming. This game was released around the same time as Halo 2, so they had to bring guns blazing to be quality-based competition. San Andreas delivers and then some. The whole "gang in the hood" storyline had me worried, but it turned out well. San Andreas has the same essential gameplay as the other GTA games, but this time has provided some tweaks to increase your playing pleasure. If you could only own one game for your Playstation 2, this needs to be it.
Graphics- 6/10
We all know the graphics in GTA have always been horrible. The reason for this is the insanely enormous levels and the PS2's graphical capabilities. This game's graphics are better than all the previous games though. Vehicles, people, and layout have all been done better in this game. There is also a blurring effect that happens when your speed gets high. This can be achieved by using nitrous
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or just driving a speed machine, like a Cheetah.
One problem with the graphics is with the game freezing. Changing outfits can often cause the game to get stuck. I never use cheat codes and this still occurs from time to time. Saving as often as possible can make this problem not that big of a deal, but it still happens.
This is the first game not to have a loading section between the level sections. You can drive from one point San Andreas to the complete other side without encountering a single loading screen. This is surprising considering San Andreas is larger than Liberty City and Vice City.
Another problem has been inherited from previous games. As you begin to increase in speed, all the cars around you will begin to go extremely fast as well. This causes other cars on the road to crash constantly and switch lanes directly into you. Drivers in real life do not just speed up because you speed up. I have always hated this weird glitch in these games.
Story- 9/10
You are Carl Johnson. You have just returned to your family from a long hiatus in Liberty City. In San Andreas is a small area named Grove Street. That is where your family and their gang live. Your return brings mixed reactions and you need to prove yourself. You begin running errands for the Grove Street gang. The story rapidly evolves into one of betrayal and revenge. I cannot go into it further than that without ruining the story.
Along the way, you meet many interesting characters. This includes a psychotic girlfriend, a crazy hippie, and the yakuza. You will do different missions for each one. Some will relate to the main storyline while others will feel like a small side-story. This is good for anyone that gets sick of doing the storyline missions constantly. Some missions you do not even have to do, but they will usually benefit you in some way.
Sound- 9/10
The sound is almost perfect in this game. There are a few small problems, like gun sounds and radio repeats. Let us talk about the good parts first though. The voice acting in superb. Every character in the game has a voice. The people you meet on the street will have conversations with each other. They are nonsensical conversations, but they are talking to each other. The main characters are done by great voice actors. Every person sounds interesting and unique. If someone calls you on your phone, you automatically know who it is.
Gun sounds are horrible. Not one gun sounds realistic. They all sound like toy guns. There are a large number of guns though, so this is forgivable. The guns are not horrible; they are just not realistic.
The radio is great. All the music is fit for this game. The game is based in the 90s, so expect music from that era. There is rap, hip-hop, rock, country, and even a talk show. There is a lot of variety there. Depending on where you are in San Andreas will depend on what the people are originally listening to. The problem comes in that the game is so long. You will get tired of hearing the same music over and over and over again. Talk shows get boring after you realize they repeat the same exact thing in a loop.
Gameplay- 10/10
This is the real meat of the game. This entire game is based on the concept that graphics do not matter. I agree with that. The gameplay usually makes up my mind on what to score a game. This game gets a 9.5/10 because of its awesome gameplay.
This game plays similar to previous GTA games. You run around doing missions for others in an attempt to control San Andreas. Missions in this game are extremely varied though. While most are driving or shooting missions, you now have stealth missions and turret style missions. In stealth missions, you sneak around in the shadows and go through an area killing people from behind. A new knife attacks allows you to secretly take out enemies. Turret style missions have you in the back of a car shooting at enemies. These are wild and fun missions.
Another new mission type sees you wielding a fire extinguisher. You go through a building and extinguish fires in order to get through a building. These are innovative ways to break up gameplay.
The usual extra missions come into play. You can do police, fire truck, taxi, and other missions for extra cash. These are all useful if you need some quick cash. If not, completely the missions will gain you beneficial extras.
There is also a new gang territory mission. You can create gang wars. If you win the war, you gain control over a portion of land. There are many different gangs you will have to defeat to win the land. Gaining the land makes some money appear at your house. The more you territories you control, the more money you get. However, your territories will come under attack and you will have to defend them. This is just another fun thing to do in this game.
All the vehicles control good. This all depends on which vehicle you decide to jack. Stealing a huge box van will cause you do drive slow and crappy. Stealing a sports car will have you handling great at high speeds. Cars all handle differently. Grabbing some of your favorite ones and pimping them out at the new garage will only improve its look and speed.
Shooting has been greatly improved. Aiming is very easy now. You will no longer struggle to stay on an enemy. You will automatically lock onto the closest threat. Your gun will move to the enemies head if they are close enough. It is all very simple.
This game is plain fun. You want to jack and car and show every your road rage? Go ahead. Do you want to shoot everyone in sight? Fine. Do you want to play through the missions and finish the game in record time? You are an idiot, but you can. There is such a variety in what you can do; I love you.
Difficulty- 9/10 (Note- This is how much I like the Difficulty)
This game is simplicity does not mean it is easy the entire time. You will have to try some missions repeatedly before winning them. The game gets increasing difficult as you go on. Just like a game should. The only problem is that there are no difficulty settings. You just play the game at one difficulty. It does not matter though since the game has good pacing.
Overall- 9.5/10
This game is near perfect. The only problem I see is the graphics. Every other aspect of the game is fantastic. The game has a strong story, fun gameplay, and the ability to do whatever you want. If you own a Playstation 2, you need to own this game.
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5 price(s)
