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Product DetailsPlatform: PlayStation2 | Edition: Standard
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Product Description
Platform: PlayStation2 | Edition: Standard
Amazon.com
It may not be a splashy leap forward, but Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in its own deep, dark way does just as much to move and revolutionize video games as its two predecessors, Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. As in previous installments, here you play as a thug with problems you must steal and shoot your way out of, but the problems this time are disconcertingly more realistic. You play as Carl Johnson, known on the street as CJ, a likeable criminal type who has just returned to his hometown, Los Santos (a fictionalized Los Angeles), to find that his mother has been murdered and that the police have framed him for another murder. Reunions with his friends and a troubled relationship with his brother set off a sprawling, complex plot line, taking place at first in the immediate Los Santos area but eventually spilling into San Fierro (based on San Francisco) and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).
Gaming Gangsters
Vehicular Variety
It would be hard to surpass the variety of automobiles available in earlier games, and San Andreas wisely does not for the most part try to compete on that score. Instead, it's bicycles of all things that steal the show. The bikes' speed and flexibility are perfect for many of the missions, and there is something about cruising through the streets and basketball courts on a BMX that just feels right. If you play far enough into the game, you will also be rewarded with the chance to fly a number of aircraft, and flying is something Rockstar makes a greater effort to get right this time (welcome news for anyone who struggled with the planes and ‘copters of the earlier games).
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| You play as Carl Johnson, known on the street as CJ. |
This is an honest effort to create an engaging story about sympathetic characters caught up in a brutal environment that is on par with a movie or novel. |
Where Vice City took its cues, with tongue firmly in cheek, from the 1980s television series Miami Vice, San Andreas is a sincere homage to early 1990s innercity gangster films like Menace 2 Society and Boyz ‘N the Hood. This is an honest effort to create an engaging story about sympathetic characters caught up in a brutal environment that is on par with a movie or novel. If that effort hits a few flat notes (you would have to be totally desensitized not to wonder if it's OK to make entertainment out of driveby shootings), it may also mark the first step toward video games growing up. The first thing that fans of earlier GTA games will notice is the range of action is much wider now: Along with shooting, running, and driving, there's now swimming, eating, working out, shopping, and, yes, getting a haircut. All this means the game has a fairly steep learning curve. But, though the pick-up-and-play appeal of Grand Theft Auto III may be long gone, your access to the action becomes fairly transparent after a little practice. My only serious complaint is that, with the controller now crowded with such previously unheard-of functions like "Gang Active" and "Talk Positive," you can drive only with the left analog stick. A minor point, but it makes cars a lot more difficult to handle.
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| Bicycles take on a surprisingly central role. |
Vehicular Variety
It would be hard to surpass the variety of automobiles available in earlier games, and San Andreas wisely does not for the most part try to compete on that score. Instead, it's bicycles of all things that steal the show. The bikes' speed and flexibility are perfect for many of the missions, and there is something about cruising through the streets and basketball courts on a BMX that just feels right. If you play far enough into the game, you will also be rewarded with the chance to fly a number of aircraft, and flying is something Rockstar makes a greater effort to get right this time (welcome news for anyone who struggled with the planes and ‘copters of the earlier games).
Lackluster Graphics--but a Real Feel
Graphics--never a huge priority for Rockstar--actually take a step backward from the luscious, tropical look of Vice City. Textures are rendered with only a cursory attention to detail, and contours are often blocky. It scarcely matters, though, because no matter how San Andreas looks, it feels real. This is due in no small part to voice work by an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Ice T, James Woods, Peter Fonda, and Outkast's Big Boy and a stellar soundtrack with tunes by Soundgarden, 2Pac, Public Enemy, and even a few country classics from the likes of Willie Nelson. But it's not just realistic, San Andreas is also vast, encompassing three big urban centers and huge swaths of rural land (complete with shotgun-toting farmers) between them. This vastness does mean, however, that there can be a lot of tedious driving to get to the missions, which, along with some awkward sequencing of the cut scenes (they are in places stacked one on top of the other), means that there is a bit too much downtime. But never mind the quibbles. Ladies and gentlemen, we have another classic on our hands. --David Stoesz
Pros:
- Astonishingly vast game space
- Vivid character development
- Complex, engaging plot
- Enormous range of available actions
Cons:
- Occasionally awkward game design
- You can no longer steer cars with the directional buttons
- Steep learning curve
What's Your Strategy?
Get mission strategies and detailed maps to achieve every objective with the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Official Strategy Guide.
Product Description
Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas... a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. Where film stars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gang-bangers. Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets. Liberty City. Vice City. Now San Andreas, a new chapter in the legendary series. Grand Theft Auto returns to the PlayStation 2 this October.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
256 of 282 people found the following review helpful
By Scott Woods
Platform for Display:PlayStation2|Edition:Standard
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is more like a 4.5.
I've mostly just scratched the surface with this game so far, but it's pretty darn impressive.
It retains much of the engine of the previous two versions, so it isn't as mind-blowing as its earlier incarnations; this is mostly tweaks on a good thing that make it even better.
The list of things that you can do in the game is incredibly expansive, and you'll find yourself in some interesting positions thanks to additions like being able to swim, eat, work out, learn how to fight and shop for clothes. Even the first city is pretty huge and detailed, with lots of nooks and crannies to explore.
Graphically, it's about the same as what you're used to, and the character animations and skins are probably less than what they were in Vice City, but the game compensates by being so large, so much more involving, and offering so many more options to address your style of play. If you're the meticulous type who likes to look good and have people notice your new shoes, you can create a path that maintains such a lifestyle. By contrast, if you're a hoodie who likes to bum around and spend their time down at the local bar playing pool and video games, you can do that too (literally: I lost $50 on a pool game that I got to PLAY, but set the high score on a game down at the carry-out around the corner THAT I ALSO GOT TO PLAY).
Every version of this game has used racist and sexist imagery to varying degrees, so if you're suddenly offended by the material in this game, you're about 5 years late. At the same time, this game does up the ante on the negativity vibe, so to speak, and will -justifiably - raise questions about how offensive a game should be. For once, I'm not taken aback by the violence; this is pretty much par for the course for the series, and it isn't amplified significantly here graphically or otherwise. But I haven't been called a n!gger so much in my life, and I'm black.
So the gameplay is top-notch, the graphics about what you're used to, the replay value fairly high, and you really could make an almost Sims-like life in there.
I've mostly just scratched the surface with this game so far, but it's pretty darn impressive.
It retains much of the engine of the previous two versions, so it isn't as mind-blowing as its earlier incarnations; this is mostly tweaks on a good thing that make it even better.
The list of things that you can do in the game is incredibly expansive, and you'll find yourself in some interesting positions thanks to additions like being able to swim, eat, work out, learn how to fight and shop for clothes. Even the first city is pretty huge and detailed, with lots of nooks and crannies to explore.
Graphically, it's about the same as what you're used to, and the character animations and skins are probably less than what they were in Vice City, but the game compensates by being so large, so much more involving, and offering so many more options to address your style of play. If you're the meticulous type who likes to look good and have people notice your new shoes, you can create a path that maintains such a lifestyle. By contrast, if you're a hoodie who likes to bum around and spend their time down at the local bar playing pool and video games, you can do that too (literally: I lost $50 on a pool game that I got to PLAY, but set the high score on a game down at the carry-out around the corner THAT I ALSO GOT TO PLAY).
Every version of this game has used racist and sexist imagery to varying degrees, so if you're suddenly offended by the material in this game, you're about 5 years late. At the same time, this game does up the ante on the negativity vibe, so to speak, and will -justifiably - raise questions about how offensive a game should be. For once, I'm not taken aback by the violence; this is pretty much par for the course for the series, and it isn't amplified significantly here graphically or otherwise. But I haven't been called a n!gger so much in my life, and I'm black.
So the gameplay is top-notch, the graphics about what you're used to, the replay value fairly high, and you really could make an almost Sims-like life in there.
115 of 137 people found the following review helpful
By Jack Barrett
Platform for Display:PlayStation2|Edition:Standard
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Once again Rockstar games has managed to add another landmark game in their already impressive aresnal. GTA San Andreas is the best game I have ever played. The whole city is so realistic you can practically smell the hot pavement cooking in the afternoon sun. The characters all seem to have been lifted off Boyz in the Hood or New Jack City but that doesnt matter, because the storyline is still intresting enough to keep you revited. The sheer variety of things to do is mind boggling, cut your hair, work out, get some tattoos, buy some clothes, get drunk, play video games..that is just a few of the things that keep you busy. This time around Rockstar seems to have added elements of role playing games into the mix. There are several meters determing strenght, endurance, skill and health. This meters can be worked on and filled up until you become the ultimate gangsta killing machine. The terrain is a lot more intresting this time too, more hills, more valleys, forests, mountains, lakes, rivers! I just enjoy driving around from the mountains down to the city, which is fun in itself. The people up in the mountains are heavily southern accented which is pretty funny. Anyways this is definiely worth the $50!!
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Platform for Display:PlayStation2|Edition:Standard
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
To start out simply: Whatever your viewpoints on the value of this game, the problems with it, and the sometimes lack of inhibitions dealing with language and other factors, you almost have to admit that besides certain RPGs, Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas is one of the most engrossing and grandiose games that has ever been released.
There are many arguments here dealing with problems with the gameplay, or problems with the story. I'd like to get those out first, because then I can focus on the positives.
To start out, because the world of san andreas is so large, you may find yourself taking ten minutes to get from where your mission ended, to where you can start again. Even for the most Die-hard fan, this long trek can sometimes seem alittle tedious. Many of the Racing missions in this game cause you to travel across half the map to get to the finish. While this can be a good thing, if you screw up, you may have a problem finding your way back.
Car handling feels alittle "slippier" than in Vice City. If anything, the controls feel more similar to Liberty City but not wholly the same.
There are many parts in the story that include references to drugs (and the actual taking of these substances), sexual innuendo, Language, and violence. While these things can add up to a truly classic story (take scarface as an example) sometimes the story here overdoes itself. The game holds nothing back, and it uses language realistically. It doesn't sugarcoat everything, which seems to be the tendency of current american media.
There are minor graphical glitches (such as a unstable framerate when things get crazy) and sometimes you'll find yourself in a sea of building where only flat land existed a second or two before (due mainly in part to the speed which you travel at). There aren't too many of these though, so most problems dealing with this issue aren't all that bad.
Now, the good parts of this game are so numerous, i'd be hard to list everything. Im not going to tell you that this game is the best game ever, no matter what you think. This is merely my honest opinion of it.
One of the coolest features that has arisen from this game is the motion blur when your speed is up. This is such a small thing, but it makes such a difference for me. Not only does this occur in cars, but when you are falling a large distance this also occurs. Try going to the top of Chiliad, and jumping off. See if your feet don't tingle at the prospect of hitting the ground (which is still unrealistic if you are currently in a vehicle.) It can be a really interesting thing.
Another cool feature is that of gang wars. How to initiate a gang war attack on another gangs territory is to shoot and kill two to four gang members simultaneously (within 2 to 3 seconds of each kill, kill the next member). This will cause repeating waves of gang members to attack you. Without support, this can be a hard task indeed, but you can still accomplish this on your own due to the health and armor that the game feeds you. Still, even with the latest weapons, armor, and support it won't be a walk in the park to take things over.
The last feature that i'll speak on is the different odd jobs that you can perform. The most interesting (actually, the most original) is probably the ability to be a pimp. Imagine my suprise as I hopped into an old style hermes-like car, and the screen gave me a classic "push R3 to start" the pimp missions. I never actually tried these, but as an example this is something I hadn't heard about. Other Odd jobs like stealing things from houses at night, and lowrider challenges dot the world with things to do even if your not participating in the story at the time.
This game has almost infinate replay value. You experience will be different almost every time you play depending on what you are doing with the game.
Overall, this game is very large. It does have some downfalls, but it is generally a true first-rate game, and im sure that it will someday make it's way into the playstation classics category.
There are many arguments here dealing with problems with the gameplay, or problems with the story. I'd like to get those out first, because then I can focus on the positives.
To start out, because the world of san andreas is so large, you may find yourself taking ten minutes to get from where your mission ended, to where you can start again. Even for the most Die-hard fan, this long trek can sometimes seem alittle tedious. Many of the Racing missions in this game cause you to travel across half the map to get to the finish. While this can be a good thing, if you screw up, you may have a problem finding your way back.
Car handling feels alittle "slippier" than in Vice City. If anything, the controls feel more similar to Liberty City but not wholly the same.
There are many parts in the story that include references to drugs (and the actual taking of these substances), sexual innuendo, Language, and violence. While these things can add up to a truly classic story (take scarface as an example) sometimes the story here overdoes itself. The game holds nothing back, and it uses language realistically. It doesn't sugarcoat everything, which seems to be the tendency of current american media.
There are minor graphical glitches (such as a unstable framerate when things get crazy) and sometimes you'll find yourself in a sea of building where only flat land existed a second or two before (due mainly in part to the speed which you travel at). There aren't too many of these though, so most problems dealing with this issue aren't all that bad.
Now, the good parts of this game are so numerous, i'd be hard to list everything. Im not going to tell you that this game is the best game ever, no matter what you think. This is merely my honest opinion of it.
One of the coolest features that has arisen from this game is the motion blur when your speed is up. This is such a small thing, but it makes such a difference for me. Not only does this occur in cars, but when you are falling a large distance this also occurs. Try going to the top of Chiliad, and jumping off. See if your feet don't tingle at the prospect of hitting the ground (which is still unrealistic if you are currently in a vehicle.) It can be a really interesting thing.
Another cool feature is that of gang wars. How to initiate a gang war attack on another gangs territory is to shoot and kill two to four gang members simultaneously (within 2 to 3 seconds of each kill, kill the next member). This will cause repeating waves of gang members to attack you. Without support, this can be a hard task indeed, but you can still accomplish this on your own due to the health and armor that the game feeds you. Still, even with the latest weapons, armor, and support it won't be a walk in the park to take things over.
The last feature that i'll speak on is the different odd jobs that you can perform. The most interesting (actually, the most original) is probably the ability to be a pimp. Imagine my suprise as I hopped into an old style hermes-like car, and the screen gave me a classic "push R3 to start" the pimp missions. I never actually tried these, but as an example this is something I hadn't heard about. Other Odd jobs like stealing things from houses at night, and lowrider challenges dot the world with things to do even if your not participating in the story at the time.
This game has almost infinate replay value. You experience will be different almost every time you play depending on what you are doing with the game.
Overall, this game is very large. It does have some downfalls, but it is generally a true first-rate game, and im sure that it will someday make it's way into the playstation classics category.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Challenge
This game is challenging at times,
Time limits apply to some things,
Don't get me wrong there is fun in this game as well,
Getting your air plane license is one of... Read more
Time limits apply to some things,
Don't get me wrong there is fun in this game as well,
Getting your air plane license is one of... Read more
Published 3 days ago by Simon
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent
when i received this game it had it original case it didnt have the booklet but that wasnt important because i already had a booklet. Read more
Published 19 days ago by liz
5.0 out of 5 stars
awsome
this game is so fun i cant stop playing it! you can do so many things you cant do in gta 4 i prefer this game than any gta.
Published 19 days ago by felix
4.0 out of 5 stars
fast shipping
always loved thi game,only few weeks later i seem to always have to replace it as it will stop working,but for the price,cant complain-i orderd it and got it 3days later,so timing... Read more
Published 19 days ago by stella
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice violent game to teach the kids what happens to fellow black men...
Love the game it has poor graphics but heck what can you expect from a antique ps2 game and such
Published 28 days ago by Israel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Game Franchise
One of the greatest games in the Grand Theft Auto game franchise. Game play is a little iffy but the game's map is huge and this game has many improvements from the others.
Published 1 month ago by Raymond B. Beisner
4.0 out of 5 stars
Addictive game
This game was one of my favorites. I had to buy it just to do the missions and take my frustrations out on gang members around Los Santos, lol.
Published 1 month ago by Tinman
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bad. Poor delivery
It arrived on time, but the disc was practically useless. I put it in my ps2 but the extreme amount of lag and glitching made me stop playing. This product is useless
Published 1 month ago by Bryce
5.0 out of 5 stars
Playstation game
This was bought as a gift for my son. He loves playing the different Grand Theft Auto games for hours.
Published 1 month ago by Melinda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great game like all the reviews!
This is truly a great game! This is one of the best PS2 games ever released. I recommend this and Vice City to anyone who has a PS2 and doesn't own a GTA game.
Published 2 months ago by waywests
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Platform: PlayStation2 | Edition: Standard
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