Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas review

Set in a 1990s West Coast gangster's paradise, the latest episode in the violent, morally bankrupt Grand Theft Auto saga is here. Faced with the task of improving on two of the shiniest jewels in the PlayStation 2's lineup, developer Rockstar has done the seemingly impossible. There's so much crammed into San Andreas it's a wonder they can fit it all in the 'box (never mind the 'station). It's going to take some beating.Unlike Vice City's somewhat flat and faceless setting, San Andreas' three cities all have strong identities. Each one - the LA-like Los Santos, the neon gambler's delight of Las Venturas, and the Frisco-clone San Fierro - is huge (not far off the size of the cities in previous GTA games). The countryside between them is also included, together with hick towns and a full complement of missions. Even in a strictly geographical sense, this game is vast. Somehow, Rockstar has managed to add more detail to Vice City's engine, remove the intrusive jagged edges that plagued the previous games, and improve the framerate - all at the same time. Sometimes distant objects can pop into view without warning, and the rain effect looks more like Manhunt's fuzzy video-camera filter, but other than that, San Andreas is stunning. Rockstar have impressed so much that the only noticeable Xbox additions are the smoothing of the rough edges - the graphics are a bit crisper and there is slightly less pop-up. The customised soundtracks and modified controls form the biggest difference between the two versions.Perhaps the game's strongest feature is its lead character, CJ. Rockstar's stars have evolved from GTA3's voiceless thug, through Vice City's Scarface-like Vercetti, to a fully fleshed-out, deep, and interesting protagonist. Voiced by the outstanding Young Maylay (who, on this evidence, is destined for great things), he overcomes the difficult task of making a hardened, unscrupulous criminal substantive and, yes, loveable. What makes the character doubly appealing is your ability to customise him. Making use of the many tattoo parlours, clothing stores, barbershops and gyms scattered around San Andreas, you can kit CJ out in the latest threads, buff his muscles up to heavyweight proportions, and give him a hairstyle to really turn some heads.His supporting cast tend to be more one-dimensional, but they're just as well acted: Samuel L. Jackson's bad-cop routine is delightful and Chris Rock's sexually ambiguous failing rapper is hilarious - there's never been a game as star-studded or convincingly characterised as this one (except, possibly, for Vice City). There are still no kids around, but just a moment or two's thought should make you realise why that is.Now that society has somehow weathered the release of two GTA games without descending into anarchy, San Andreas doesn't seem so eager to shock. The dialogue is realistically profane, but it's apt and unforced. Drugs, both hard and soft, are everywhere. Gratuitousness is a charge that could be levelled at the preceding games - and at some aspects of San Andreas - but the language, drugs and violence are necessary.Working your way through the plot for yourself is one of the most enjoyable things about this game, so we'll spare you too many details. Suffice it to say that the game starts with CJ returning to his childhood home following the murder of his "Moms", and rejoining his local gang. Although the main plot threads are linear, you'll nearly always have three or more missions to choose from at any time, and there are hundreds in total. Get bored, and you can take your girlfriend on a date, start a turf war with a rival gang, burgle houses, or any number of other possibilities, which open themselves up to you progressively, so as not to overwhelm you with options.San Andreas mimics countless other game styles, including Dance Dance Revolution-like rhythm mini-games, car races, Japanese dating sims, basketball, occasional (and brilliant) on-rails shooter moments, car modding, stealth burglary missions, two-player co-operative destruction rampages - and that's just a few examples. That Rockstar was able to cram so much more into their game defies belief. They may very soon have to change the name of their series, as the simple notion of car-thievery becomes less and less pronounced!On the PS2 pad, the control layout is largely unchanged. On the Xbox, however, the black and white buttons are assigned to side views, which make for some difficult drivebys. With practice, though, it's not as awkward as it sounds. CJ does have his share of completely new moves too: He can scale walls and fences, there's a new manual aiming mode for most weapons, and he (unlike earlier protagonists) can swim, at last. The lock-on system for fighting has been tightened up, but there's still the occasional moment when CJ ends up facing the wrong way, being shot in the back. Not very "gangster".Other elements have been improved greatly, however, mostly to their logically progressive ends. The map screen now allows you to place a reference point anywhere, which makes finding your way to specific locations a breeze (something that should have been implemented long ago); the aforementioned swimming makes traversing between islands all the smoother; and aeroplanes now reach absolutely dizzying heights, the likes of which will make you weak at the knees. It's everything GTA fans have wanted to see right from the start. Not only have Rockstar listened to feedback, they've gone far beyond and given us more than we could possibly chew.Like Vice City, San Andreas owes much of its atmosphere to its epoch-defining soundtrack. 2 Pac, Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Slick Rick and Eric B, and Rakim, among many others, provide the game's rap and hip-hop tunes; but if you're not a rap fan, there's plenty of 90s soul, house, rock, and country to keep your foot tapping. Even the commercials and DJs continue the series' fine tradition of satirical, irreverent wit - the soundtrack is impossible to fault.How can Rockstar follow this? San Andreas is a masterpiece; the outstanding gameplay from the first two games has been extended, tweaked and applied to a fresh, original and fascinating setting. There's more than enough meat to keep you going for months, and the sheer variety of gameplay is bewildering. Whether you're an OG, a buster, or a balla, San Andreas is an essential purchase.