Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC)
Manufacturer: Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Part number: 21889
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- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
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Gamespot editors' review
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC) price range: $19.99
- Reviewed by: Jeff Gerstmann
- Reviewed on: 06/07/2005
- Updated on:06/08/2005
- Released on: 06/07/2005
By now, you probably know how this works. The new Grand Theft Auto game comes out in October, but only on the PlayStation 2. Xbox and PC owners have to wait a half a year or so for their versions of the game, and each always has the potential to be better than the original release. That's saying something, because we're already talking about one of the best games of 2004 and the best game in the Grand Theft Auto series. Once again, the wait is over, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is now available on the PC and Xbox. While both versions have aspects that are better than the outstanding PS2 game, visual weirdness on the Xbox and a handful of technical issues on the PC prevent either version from being the clear-cut best of the bunch.
Representing the hood never felt so good.
For those of you already familiar with the game, let's quickly discuss the differences between all three versions. The Xbox one has 480p support, but when enabled, the aliasing is out of control. Portions of the environment look so unbelievably jaggy that you'll wonder if your eyesight is failing you. At times it looks like you're playing a 3D game without putting on the glasses. But if you can get past that (it isn't quite as noticeable in standard resolution), the game generally looks great. Loading times on the Xbox don't seem to be much faster than the PlayStation 2 release, and for some weird reason, a loading message occasionally appears onscreen, even in situations where the load times are supposed to be hidden, like when changing your hairstyle. Control in the Xbox version is sharp, and just like the GTA Double Pack, your vehicle gas and brake controls have been moved to the triggers and made analog. This works well, but the flight controls, which have also been remapped to fit on the Xbox controller, are a little weird.
The PC version comes on DVD only and is packaged with a fully bound book that serves as the manual. It's definitely some of the coolest PC game packaging around. This version also has the potential to be the best-looking version of the game by a long shot. Support for higher resolutions makes the textures and characters look sharper and much better than either of the console versions. There's a draw distance slider that, when turned all the way up, almost totally eliminates the draw-in and fogging that's become synonymous with the series. Your Grove Street home looks much more like a run-down South Central neighborhood when you can see more of its surroundings. But all this graphical quality is offset by some serious problems with the sound. Testing on three different machines that exceed the recommended system specs got us three results. On one machine, we didn't experience any audio glitches. On another, the audio simply cut out a lot, leaving you to drive around with only music to keep you company. It's tough to play when you can't hear your mission descriptions. On the third machine, loading up a save game caused a loud grating noise--which sounded like the bike-riding audio mixed with a helicopter--to scream out from the middle of the Grove. We had to hop in a car and drive away from the area to make the noises stop. Also, the cutscenes occasionally desynched from the audio, making the lip movement appear to be way off.
Control in the PC version is full of options. You can decide to hook up a dual analog gamepad so that you can play it just like the console versions, or you can instead opt for mouse-and-keyboard control. Either method works, though we had several cases where the game would simply stop responding to any mouse input until we alt-tabbed out of the game, moved the mouse, and then jumped back in. This isn't exactly the sort of thing you want to have happen in the middle of a shoot-out. Mouse control also removes the lock-on aspect of the targeting, giving you easy access to manual targeting. The refined control the mouse gives you seems like an unfair advantage at times, because it's very easy to rack up one-shot kills by aiming for the head. If you have a smooth mouse hand, even the roughest firefights are really basic...provided the mouse doesn't die on you.
The Xbox and PC versions have some aspects that are better than the PS2 version, but they also have some that are worse.
Both versions have custom soundtrack support, though using it robs you of the great DJs that populate the game's radio stations. You'll still hear a lot of the funnier ads on the custom station, though.
Overall, each version of the game has its share of differences and minor issues, but the core game is fantastic, regardless of the platform you play it on. While the list of games that can list GTA as an influence grows longer and longer, there's still nothing quite like the real thing, and the "bigger, better" approach to sequel design definitely works in San Andreas' favor.
OK, all that information is fine and good if you've already played San Andreas. But if you're new to the loc'ed-out streets of San Andreas, there's much more you need to know.
User reviews
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Believe the hype: This Game is The Gold Standard!
by LobeliaTook on May 23, 2007
Pros: Huge game space, better targeting, intricate plot, fantastic scenery and ability photograph it, to name a few.
Cons: Not many. The addition of two necessary flying missions can drive you crazy.
Summary: I thought Vice City was fantastic...and it is...but San Andreas FAR surpassed my wildest dreams. When I first hopped on a motorcycle and rode out into "Red County", ...
Summary: I thought Vice City was fantastic...and it is...but San Andreas FAR surpassed my wildest dreams. When I first hopped on a motorcycle and rode out into "Red County", I was flabbergasted at the enormous and detailed countryside. Little did I know what was in store, as CJ made it to San Fierro (a terrific condensation of San Francisco!) and then out to the desert and Las Venturas (Vegas).
Some of the missions are absurdly easy, while others (Toreno, a bizarre government agent, hilariously voiced by James Woods, forces CJ, not only to learn to fly, but then navigate the entire game space and BACK, in a touchy, WWI plane! You see the "WASTED" screen a LOT in this mission).
Another great feature is the believable relationships, which, like real ones, grow and deteriorate. Some people CJ suspects, like Cesar (his sister's boyfriend) and Wu Zi Mu (aka "Woozie"), a Triad boss, become stalwart friends. In a tragi-comic side plot, CJ also befriends famous, but drug-addicted rapper "Madd Dogg", again, wonderfully voiced by Ice-T, along with an aging hippie, "The Truth" (Peter Fonda!).
Still other characters CJ has known for years and trusts, betray him and even try to kill him. This, plus the necessary gang wars, give "non-gangsta's" a fairly good idea of the rush of battle and the near-despair of constant death and harassment by police and rival gangs. Even CJ's own brother, Sweet, eventually gives up and begins trying crack.
The missions are so diverse, they barely need any augmentation, yet you still have it. There are side missions galore, including a cute, yet EXTREMELY difficult one involving a Geek war with remote airplanes and helicopters!
Dating seems like an easy thing, but it is NOT! Most of the girls are hard to please, if not outright homicidal (Cesar's cousin, Catalina). Not to worry; after a "disastrous" date, CJ can still pick up one of the many hookers for some satisfaction. If he completes the Pimp mission, they pay HIM!
Sex not your bag? Try gambling in Las Venturas, or OTB shops and pool halls around San Andreas. Enter triathlons races with "Bloodring" cars, lowriders, high-performance autos, motocycles, mountain bikes, airplane & helicopter or try stunt-bike challenges (VERY difficult!).
The list of non-story missions is so long it'd take me an hour to list them all! Suffice it to say, if this game bores you, then you should just move in with Ned Flanders!
The interactions between various gangs is now larger and have "back stories"...an explanation of sorts, unlike the Cubans and others in Vice city who simply milled around, waiting to jump you.
Here, you may be on your way to a date or mission, yet suddenly attacked by rival "Ballas" from the old hood (often a drive-by), or in San Fierro, strolling near the docks when Vietnamese "Da Nang Boys" just open fire! Keeps you on your toes. You DO get your revenge on these guys, both by fighting back AND through missions. Even the pedestrians, and not just the hookers, often carry guns, knives and other weapons, and you don't have to car-jack them for them to attack you!
Your friend Cesar's gang, Varrios los Aztecas, help you, but if you hang round them long enough, they'll shoot you just because you're not one of them. Eventually, he enlists you to help "clean up HIS hood", just as he has helped you through the game.
The weapons here are FANTASTIC! Many forums have posts about which ones are peoples favorites. Though it's tough to say, the "Desert (one shot!) Eagle" is one of my first picks, but in this game, you can even kill somebody with the flower bouquet you were bringing to your girlfriend!
Furthermore, after a few trials and errors, you get to pilot the equivalent of a Harrier jet and engage a fighter pilot with SAM's! Targeting is much improved over previous GTA's, at least on the PS2, so it's entirely possible to take out a warehouse full of Mafiosi with Tec 9's if you're good enough (if not, go practice at Ammunation!).
Another fun addition is the use of parachutes. Though you need to use them in at least three missions, they are fun for all occasions. You can base-jump off of skyscrapers in all three cities, but after you get to 100% with your required dates, and are sick of their whining, take one out in a helicopter....when she starts in, YOU can jump out, and often watch her plunge, sometimes to her death, sometimes just to taking points away for "abandoning" her! Great fun.
One thing about this game that I did NOT experience much in Vice City, was the desire to re-visit cool locations, like the desert, or even to start new games over and over, after finishing the main mission. This is the mark of a truly great game: when you just want it to go on and on! They could easily make this game twice the size and twice as long...and people would wait years to get their hands on it!
As CJ would say: "Welcome to America!"
P.S. Regarding the issue of video game violence, I often play this game, just to RELEASE pent-up aggression! -
Great RPG, Great Graphics, Great bonus features for PC
by emt4three on January 8, 2007
Pros: ability to add tracks to the radio and enjoy your own music style. Also, the graphics are great. However most people find that their PC MUST have the recommended Specs.
Cons: Due to the recommended specs, the game can slow down or become jittery...
Summary: all around this GTA is by far the best one created by Rock-star yet...
Summary: all around this GTA is by far the best one created by Rock-star yet...
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This game is the best have any of u outher people played it
by death261 on April 5, 2006
Pros: its got some good features like the user track radio were u put ur own music
Cons: it dosnt have the best graffics but it GTA SAN ANDREAS people these games are the best
Summary: So in my opinion GTA SAN ANDREAS IS THE BEST GAME EVER CREATED
Summary: So in my opinion GTA SAN ANDREAS IS THE BEST GAME EVER CREATED
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Great game.
by amdenthusiast on August 9, 2005
Pros: Graphics , 95 Missions
Cons: Still seems like previous GTA Titles
Summary: The game still continues on from GTA to GTA 2 to GTA III to GTA:Vice City then on to GTA;San Andreas (London should be somewhere in there). San ...
Summary: The game still continues on from GTA to GTA 2 to GTA III to GTA:Vice City then on to GTA;San Andreas (London should be somewhere in there). San Andreas is a game where you play as Carl Johnson AKA. CJ. You are just returning from Liberty City back to hometown Los Santos. There you get missions from your friends like Sweet , Ryder , Big Smoke , The Truth , the Triads , Cesar Vialpando , Crash/Tenpenny and many more.
You may also steal cars , rob houses , use weapons and more.
TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON THE LAST MISSION SCROLL TO THE END OF THE WRITING.
NOTE: IN No WAY DOES ROCKSTAR GAMES WANT ANYONE TO PERFORM THEFT , ROBBING , KILLING OR ANY ACTIONS WITHIN THE GAME.
THERE ARE MODS TOOOO!BUT WATCH OUT BECAUSE INVOLVE ADULT MATTER.
ROCKSTAR GAMES SUED:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8728577/
Other issues related:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8515870/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8641997/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8757077/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8045722/
END: YOU PUT AN END TO BIG SMOKE AND YOU SAVE YOUR BROTHER WHEN HE HANGS ON TO A FIRETRUCK AND THE YOU CHASE TENPENNY TO THE "GROVE STREET" WHERE HE FALLS OFF THE BRIDGE AND DIES. THE CREDITS SCROLL UP. THEN CATALINA CALLS YOU AND GIVES YOU A S## SESSION THAT`S HAPPENING. -
Still getting better
by jgilflamer on June 28, 2005
Pros: The whole idea of this game is fantastic and can get you involved for hours playing it.
Cons: The graphics & sound has some clitches (PC version)
Summary: This is the best in the GTA series, allowing you more interaction options than ever before. While the graphics still are not what they should be, and it might also ...
Summary: This is the best in the GTA series, allowing you more interaction options than ever before. While the graphics still are not what they should be, and it might also need some pathces, this game is the best out there. What a way to waste a whole day!
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This is the WORST pc game I have ever played!
by Gtkid2002 on August 26, 2006
Pros: Its Grand Theft Auto, Decent graphics, okay AI,
Cons: Horrible textures, Crappy framerate, Sparks on a bicycle? Sounds dont match, sounds play before you do somthing like crash
Summary: Dont waste your 20 bucks on this game. Go buy somthing like halo or need for speed. This is a gta game which is why I have it, but it ...
Summary: Dont waste your 20 bucks on this game. Go buy somthing like halo or need for speed. This is a gta game which is why I have it, but it is the WORST game I have ever played! Gta 3 has better framerates, detail, AI, and ect, than this crap game. Nothing is really original besides some new features, Everything has been copied from a previous gta. the grass, bushes, and trees are the worst I have ever seen! the gras is been crappily done on the ps2 version and the pc version. 3D? Heck no! You can't get it to read from your hard drive, it requires a dvd drive, Other than the fact that this is a gta game, dont waste your time. The controls have to be set and they also somtimes just randomly set themselves. My computer has a lot more than the required graphics ,cpu, and hard drive, and it runs worse than Halo! Rockstar games really let me and my friends down on this. Tell em to come back with an updated, better, at least DECENT gta game. Untill then, I hate this game!
0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
- Part number: 21889
Product Basic Spec
- Platform PC
- ESRB rating Mature - Blood and Gore,Strong Language,Use of Drugs,Intense Violence,Strong Sexual Content
- Genre Action
- Number of players 1 Player
- Difficulty Medium
- Learning curve About 1 hour
- DirectX version v9.0c
- Operating system Windows 2000/XP
- Customization Custom Soundtracks
Game
- Developer Rockstar North
- ESRB Mature
- ESRB descriptors Blood and Gore,Strong Language,Use of Drugs,Intense Violence,Strong Sexual Content
Manufacturer info
- Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.take2games.com/
- Address:
575 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
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