Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Xbox)

(Rockstar Games)

The time has come for the Xbox to get one of the most anticipated titles of 2004, GTA: San Andreas, and with a new coat of paint this game provides us sans-Playstation gamers with one of the most unbelievably ambitious games ever.

For those who have been hiding under a rock, San Andreas is the fourth in the Grand Theft Auto legacy, and this game really takes the form and style of a game that plays like a movie. From the opening credits you get the feeling that you are watching the latest Hollywood movie – with its ridiculously in-depth cities, rich characters and story, and strikingly cool art. San Andreas is no less than a pioneering title for gaming.

But yes, this has all been and gone now since the PS2 brought this out mid-way through 2004, but the Xbox version cleans up the pixels – leaving everything else pretty much the same. At a first glance you might not be impressed by the graphics, but in comparison to the PS2 version it is a huge improvement, especially considering how massive this city is. I recommend stealing a plane from Los Santos International airport and flying overhead to see how detailed GTA has become – even better when it’s raining, and the plane’s radio is playing such classics as America ‘Horse with No Name.’

In case you aren’t aware of the story – you are Carl Johnson, returning home to Los Santos after his mother’s death, and straight away you are thrown into the gang warfare and corruption that encapsulates the city. You are put on ‘missions’ through San Andreas, meeting a large array of different characters along the way, and as you progress you can unlock more of the suburbs. Your opening experience is meeting some of your old friends/enemies, and then having to ride a bicycle from point to point to get away from the gunfire coming out of a drive by shooting – and your missions gradually become harder and more in-depth as you go on.. and of course you get better vehicles and better weapons along the way!

The sheer complexity of this game is mind-boggling. Not only do you get to roam a city like you can in say the Tony Hawk Underground series, but you have much more freedom, and the city is supremely larger in size and objects. Then there is the fact that you can edit your own character, much like the Sims genre, as you get to buy clothes and haircuts – and even buy food to keep up your stamina (or make you put on weight). You get such personal stats as Respect, Skill (weapons, driving etc), Muscle, and even Sex Appeal. It is as if Rockstar games grabbed excellent parts of successful games and blended them all with their own special ideas into an amazing concoction – arguably making it better and richer than anything that came before it. Oh, and who can forget the radio stations in the city that are simply brilliant!

Although the Xbox version was released almost an extra year after the PS2 game, I don’t recommend getting this if you have already spent months playing the original, as there isn’t enough to warrant a ‘re-purchase.’ You do get to add your own custom soundtracks, but the ones provided are so perfect with the game that this isn’t all that much an extra, and you do get to watch replays of your gameplay – but this really isn’t something you would do all that much. The biggest positive for Xbox owners would be the loading times – as this is much quicker than its predecessor.

If you haven’t played this game before, then this is a must-have title, as never before (well on the Xbox at least) has there been a game so all-encompassing. San Andreas is without a doubt one of the most amazing game experiences to ever be released – and the recent news of the next generation consoles makes you drool as to what Rockstar are going to be capable of next.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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