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Review : Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas for PS2
I have been loving every minute of playing Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas for PS2. I will bet anyone my NES that it will outsell any game coming out this year including Halo 2.
Rockstar Games really re-invested all the piles of cash that they had left over from the first two GTA games on PS2 and hired an army of graphic artists and animators to work on this game. While this game is a sequel for Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City from a technical standpoint the design of the game is sort of an period game like Vice City was. I have a gut feeling that Rockstar is planning GTA 4 for the Playstation 3 and is probably working on it under the cloud of some serious NDAs. I also would bet that there will be a GTA game for Playstation Portable but no word yet.
The game is set in three Southern Californian cities in the early 90s. There will probably never be another game that is as hard core ghetto as this game right here. Vice City was inspired by period cultural icons as Scarface and Miami Vice. This game is inspired by Boyz N the Hood, Colors and every Gansta Rap CD pressed before 1995. This is an interactive fantasy based a hyper saturated abstracted media concept of South Central LA in the early 90s. They really did their research and this game will be a designer drug for every kid in the suburb who has more than one Gansta Rap CD. I betcha that every white kid in America who is into gansta rap will have a copy of this game with in a year. But there is a possible angle that this game is exploitive or un-realistic racial stereotypes. That is not saying that there is not a gang problem but this is the fantasy world directed in some of the more over the top media. I know that gansta rap was a reflection on the harsh urban realities in California at the time but damn. I think that the video game playing public knows that this is a fantasy. But that being said you play an African American youth in a gang, buys hundred dolor sneakers, use the word Nigga and enjoy eating fried chicken with your gansta pals. There will be critics of this game that will be very very pissed off of this stuff but you know what. It is just a game and life will go on.
There is a new facial animation system and there is RPG stats like Good old River City Ransom or The Sims. You have to learn new skills, work out at the gym, buy new clothes, get tattoos, get sexy and earn respect. It is really more of an action RPG than just a pure action game. I am now saving all my GTA games on my "RPG" PS2 memory card rather than my "Action" Memory card. You can climb over things now and thank Christ you can finally swim. Did you read that? YOU CAN FINALLY SWIM IN A GTA GAME!!! I mean the guys in GTA3 and Vice City are some bad-ass mofos who can drive and shoot but they can't doggy paddle to save their lives.
The level design is the real star of the game. It is huge and just seams to go on and on. This is a new benchmark on just how big of an environment you can make in a videogame. The music is an early 90s make over of the Vice City radio system. I can just see the CD-box set of all the real period gansta music under the Christmas tree for every suburban Ganstas.
I betcha that there will be thousands of Xbox gamers who will be buying their first PS2 to get their hands on this game. I am guessing that there will not be a PC or Xbox port for at least six to nine months from now but I have not heard a word about when the Xbox is going to get down with San Andreas.
So once you establish the fact that it is a fantasy intended for responsible adults and has no measurable impact on the real word it is a damn fun game. Peace.
Jake at October 29, 2004 
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Comments
How do you like the soundtrack?
I loved VC's music, but I'm sceptic about GTA:SA.
Posted by: Jim at October 29, 2004 1:56 AM
Good review, thanks Jake. I'm stoked about the larger city environment. One of my favorite things about the GTA series is how the cities seem so big at first. It's so easy to get lost. Halfway through the game, you start to learn your way around, and by the end, you know all the shortcuts and where to turn and grab the police badge power-up if the fuzz is on your tail. It's just like living in a real city.
The one disappointing thing from my perspective is that they haven't released the PC version of the game. I think it's slated for Q2 2005. I enjoy this game MUCH better on the PC (any sort of camera-oriented game that requires aiming I'd rather play with mouse and keyboard). I understand most people like it on the console, but I'm still disappointed they see the PC version as secondary. That said, I'd rather wait to have the PC version than a straight console port that sucks.
Posted by: Jeff at October 29, 2004 8:13 AM
Yeah I thought the PC version was better also. Graphics are sharper. Or maybe my TV just sucks.
Posted by: phoric at October 31, 2004 10:00 PM
The PC version of GTA 3 and Vice City had updated graphic engines to take advantage of what a $1500 PC can dish out compared to a $150 Playstation. But I do still like the PS2 version and I can't get the PC version to run on my laptops weak ass graphic chip
Posted by: Jake of 8bitjoystick.com at November 1, 2004 11:28 PM
This is easily Game of the Year for me. It's freaking HUGE! I love all the new stuff they implemented, but the most that stands out to me is the new aiming system. Dual analog aiming works great for this game.
Posted by: Gavin at November 5, 2004 12:29 AM
