By now you think you’ve heard everything that has been said about the Grand Theft Auto series.  You’ve heard about how the last two ground-breaking installments changed the face of video games or--for the most part--how it took us off the beaten path and freed us from a forced linear path.  Everything you heard about the series, however, just doesn’t come close to describing the overall grandness that is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.  So allow me to forgo my usual opening introduction and get right to the review of a game that’s a work of lawbreaking brilliance.

Drawing inspiration from movies like “Boys ‘N the Hood” or “Menace II Society,” San Andreas weaves an epic gangster tale of a young man named Carl Johnson (CJ to everyone) who comes home to Los Santos in the golden state of San Andreas after serving a five year sentence in Liberty City.  Having left his friends and family after the violent death of his brother, CJ returns to bury his mother who was recently killed under unknown circumstances and is quickly framed for the death of a cop by crooked uniformed cops Officer Tenpenny and Officer Pulaski.  To make matters worse, his old neighborhood is falling apart thanks to rival gangs like the Rollin Heights Ballas and his brother Sweet and long-time friend Ryder aren’t exactly welcoming him back with open arms.  CJ’s attempt to climb the criminal ladder and bring power to his old gang will take him through three major cities that make up the enormous State.

San Andreas, you’ll quickly come to discover by looking at the in-game map, is composed of three major cities (Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas) plus the surrounding woods, mountains and small towns in-between.  The city of Los Santos is obviously inspired by the city of Los Angeles and for those who live there you’ll see many familiar landmarks, areas and the Mexican-American influence that makes up the city.  You’ll also see other familiar things such as police chases, gang fights and people armed to the teeth.  Las Venturas is the glitzy mirror image of Las Vegas complete with the huge flashy casinos sin city is famous for such as The Clown Pocket Casino (Circus Circus, anyone?) and The Visage (AKA the Mirage).  San Fierro is obviously the colorful city of San Francisco with its accurately hilly streets and the last remnants of what was once the hippie culture.  The good news, while you have to work through the game’s missions to see these massive cities, you’ll find that there are no load times when traveling from city to city.  Just about the only load times I experienced were when CJ entered building and even that loaded pretty quickly.

The early 1990s setting places CJ in a time when the gang violence was at an almost uncontrollable high.  CJ’s Grove Street gang find themselves constantly being attacked by their main rivals the Ballas and this rivalry is present throughout the game (not only will they shoot at you constantly but as you progress they’ll even attempt to take over your territory so you’ll be constantly defending it). The game begins in Los Santos where gamers will quickly come to see that San Andreas might seem like another Grand Theft Auto game but looks can certainly be deceiving.  While all the wonderfully familiar gameplay mechanics are present and the freedom to stray from the main story and explore your expansive surroundings is still a major part of this game, there are literally hundreds of new things to see and do in San Andreas.   Think I’m exaggerating?  Well allow me to point out many of the things you can do and see while you’re visiting this lovely yet dangerous State.

Vice City introduced interior locations, although many of them just served as save points that generated money for Tommy Vercetti.  In San Andreas you’ll still be able to purchase homes to use as save points and businesses (such as a car dealership and a condominium complex in San Fierro to name just a few) but now you’ll have many of them to chose from in all three major cities and small towns.  Yet there are interiors that CJ won’t be able to purchase but that won’t stop him from sneaking in and participate in a little home invasion robberies.  Home invasion robberies require stealth and thus introduces CJ’s ability to perform stealth kills much like another Rockstar’s stealthy action game Manhunt but in this case stealth is used to eliminate bodyguards (for when you break into a rapper’s mansion) or to keep from the proprietors from waking up and discovering you. 

The other interiors are geared towards another aspect of the game such as redesigning CJ’s physical attributes.  While Vice City showcased different outfits for the main character, CJ is able to purchase a surprising amount of clothes and extras such as hats, sunglasses and jewelry.  There are also barbershops that offer a variety of different hairstyles and tattoo parlors that offer tattoos for different parts of CJ’s body. There are also various different eating establishments in town (pizza places, burger joints and Cluckin’ Bell) that offer both healthy and unhealthy choices.  CJ’s eating habits affect his physical appearance by either making him either obese or nicely fit.  You can even hit the gym to put muscles on him and learn different fighting skills.  These RPG-styled upgrades just don’t apply to his physical appearance but also affect his stamina, his weapon handling, and his driving skills and sex appeal.  Why upgrade CJ’s sex appeal, you might ask?  The game introduces girlfriends that you must wine and dine and show them a good time.  Your first girlfriend Denise’s idea of a good time is drive-by shootings (proving that the couple that shoots gangsters together stays together).  Girlfriends also involve a series first . . . multiplayer action but we’ll have more on that a little later.

While CJ can hit the dance clubs for some Parappa the Rapper-styled dancing, hit the 24/7 convenience store to drink soda or play arcade games (there are arcade cabinets with an assortment of games inspired by classic 80s styled games like Astroids and Defender) or play a game of pool (which is an addictive pass-time in this game, by the way) at the local bar, the main story is used to propel the story forward.  You’ll start by performing a few dangerous gang-related tasks for your own gang such as helping your friend Ryder steal weapons from a military warehouse to helping your untalented rapper friend OG Loc steal DJ equipment.  Then you’ll be running errands for Officer Tenpenny, which eventually changes the story enough that CJ will be introduced to various criminal underworld figures such as Wu Zi Mu, Mike Toreno and Italian mobsters in Las Venturas.  Throughout the game you’ll even come across recognizable characters from Grand Theft Auto III (including the Nameless lead character and Salvatore Leone) and Vice City (lawyer Ken Rosenberg).

Many of the vehicles from both GTA games also make a comeback such as the super-fast Banshee to the noisy dirt bikes but now you can redesign your favorite vehicles in different auto body shops that will not only install nitro boost but also design a unique paint job.  The vehicle handling feels a lot better now that CJ can upgrade his driving skills to the point that you won’t see many accidents if you raise the driving skill meter.  You can master different vehicle types as well, such as the motor cycle and boats.  On a side note, if your boat does happen to suffer enough damage that it becomes unusable, CJ can actually swim.  As for helicopters and planes, CJ can climb in and take off but he won’t get very far unless he learns how so he can get himself a pilots license.  While flying a plane, if things seem to look bad for him, CJ can strap on a parachute and jump off.

The targeting system has been redesigned so that CJ can now target a lot more quickly and a lot more accurately if you upgrade your weapons skills (you can upgrade everything from your pistol skills to your sub machine gun skills by hitting your targets or competing in shooting competitions in certain Ammu-Nation shops).  Adding to this, though, CJ is also able to move the shooting reticule so he’s not forced to shoot wildly like in the GTA III and Vice City.  This makes the main character a for more effective shooter although sometimes his quick targeting might not target the opponent that poses the most threat and often times you’ll target a pedestrian instead of the thug who is shooting at you.  Still you are able to duck and shoot and even perform rolls and this helps keep you from being an easy target to hit. 

For those baffled by the back of the game’s package, there is a 1-2-player option.  The game’s multiplayer mode consists of the classic rampages seen in the last two GTA titles as well as a sort of co-op mode that has you and a friend getting into a single vehicle to cause chaos in the streets (one player can drive and another can do the shooting).  There’s no split-screen so you’ll be sharing the same screen but the destructing certainly feels a lot better when there’s a friend helping you.  To activate the multiplayer mode, you’ll have to find Rampage icons scattered throughout the three cities or head to any of your girlfriend’s houses (yes, the second player is usually one of CJ’s girlfriends).  Not only is this a welcome addition to the series but it’s just far too much fun.

There are also various competitions CJ is able to compete in throughout the game.  Los Santos is home to a major racetrack and the local gyms also advertise everything from a weekend fighting competition to a triathlon.  He can even compete in a mountain bike challenge (that’s right, CJ can hop on a bicycle) although it helps if he has his bike skills upgraded enough to keep pedaling.  Replacing the hidden packages CJ can pick up a can of spray paint and tag over your rival’s graffiti.  You can also go on the now classic ambulance, taxi, police and firefighter missions (although there are new ones like the pimping missions and truck driving missions for RS Haul).  You can even gamble in the Las Venturas casinos, playing table games or even roulette.  There are literally hundreds of unique little secrets scattered throughout but I won’t spoil them by revealing them--half the fun is finding them all on your own.

Visually the game is still as impressive as Vice City with much detail falling upon the environments. The cities that inspire Los Santos, Las Venturas and San Fierro are evident throughout and that’s quite a feat in itself.   Still there are some noticeable graphical details such as the damage done to vehicles you’re driving (fenders twist in odd angles and leave a trail of a sparks when it’s being dragged along the road).  The character models are great and watching the physical changes you yourself can make on CJ is amazing.  The streets of all the major cities (plus all the surrounding little towns and the surrounding wilderness and desert) are alive with people that go along their business.  You’ll watch as gangs fight each another in Los Santos and you’ll even witness the police stop and shoot criminals that decide to fight back.  The weather in this State always changes rapidly and the storms and dry heat look fantastic.  Even the motion blur effect when you’re driving at full speed is simply amazing.

The recent Grand Theft Auto games are quite an achievement when it comes to sound effects, voice acting and--of course--the music.  You’ll find an incredible amount of detailed sound effects that are now directional (meaning you’ll be able to know exactly which direction the loud popping sounds of pistol fire comes from when it enemies start firing).  Aside from the hundreds of pedestrian voices and the vicious honking LA, I mean, Los Santos traffic you’ll be immersed in the sounds of the ocean, seagulls and the sounds of the Los Fierro cable cars.  The voice acting is top notch thanks to some great performances by some known talent (Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Penn, Peter Fonda and James Woods as Mike Toreno) and the wonderfully written dialogue.  Rapper Young Malay fills in as the voice of CJ and he easily steals the show as does the radio stations filled with recognizable tunes.  While it’s mainly rap (both old-school and the newly re-invented gangsta rap of that era) you’ll find a classic rock, country and alternative radio station (that mixes it up with Jane’s Addiction and Depeche Mode).  As always, the commercials, talk shows and DJs are hilarious to listen to and even more so in this game.

There is just no denying it, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the best time you’ll have with your PS2 for the many months to come.  It’s a grand epic of a game that simply has to be experienced for you to feel its visceral, startling and addictive allure.  If this seems like too high a praise to give one title all you have to do is pop it into your PS2 and you’ll see for yourself how there are some games out there that do indeed live up to all the hype.  Do yourself a favor and pick this one up, it deserves a place in your library of titles. 

Gameplay: 10
The word “massive” doesn’t begin to describe the entire state of San Andreas and exploring it without any load times is like the cherry on top of an overly sweetened cake.  Driving has been tightened to perfection and the changes to the targeting system makes popping caps on fools so much better.  How CJ looks and reacts to things around him is entirely up to you.  There are also literally hundreds of mini-games from playing pool to hitting the local 24/7 to play late 80s inspired video games.  There’s just so much to do that your head will explode trying to decide what to do next. 

Graphics: 8.5
Those that appreciate the wonderfully detailed environments and the slight graphical refinements of Vice City will certainly find San Andreas a beautiful-looking game.  The weather effects are quite stunning and you’ll be blown away by the number of visual details that surround you and the people that make up each city and small town.  The cars look sharper and more detailed so the damage done to them really looks realistic in this one.

Sound: 10
San Andreas is an achievement in sound and will, most likely, win awards due to its amazing cast of voice actors that deliver the cleverly written dialogue perfectly, music and sound effects.  The soundtrack is true to the era and you don’t even have to be a fan of hip-hop and old-school rap because the wide assortment of radio stations offer classic rock and 90s alternative.  The sound effects are still great (guns pop and echo loudly) and so are the hilarious comments heard from the many pedestrians.

Difficulty: Medium
The level of difficulty, like both Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City, vary from mission to mission.  You’ll find yourself smiling at how easy yet satisfying one mission is and curse to yourself when you’re out to complete a delicate mission with multiple objectives.  Some missions require you to be quick behind the wheel and others will have you yanking out your hair because you’re required to push the correct sequence of buttons (e.g. the DJ and low rider mission early in the game).  It’s a good thing CJ can upgrade everything from his stamina to his driving skills to mastering individual weapons.

Concept: 10
Anyone who knows Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco will be immensely impressed by how accurate the portrayal of each city is and many recognizable landmarks you’ll find throughout your travels.  The number of mini-games will surely keep you busy for months to come and the main missions--backed up by a great story filled with marvelous characters--just seems epic in scale.  What’s not to love about a game that can have you competing in a mountain bike challenge, pulling off home invasion robberies, wooing girlfriends and hitting the major casinos all in the same week? 

Multiplayer: 8.5
Multiplayer is a first for the series and although it doesn’t take the game online (like a lot of us wish it would), some extremely entertaining two-player mini-games and rampages are scattered throughout San Andreas.  Some are timed mini-games while others have you and a friend (usually taking up the role of a girlfriend like Denise) going on destructive driving and shooting sprees until one of you is dead or busted by the police.  It’s a great addition to the Grand Theft Auto games and one we wish to see again in the next installment.

Overall: 9.9

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas goes well beyond the innovative marvel that was the third and fourth outing of this series to make this the defining Grand Theft Auto game.  San Andreas is everything we’ve ever hoped and wished the series would be and it will not disappoint you in the very least.  This might very well be the game that will have you glad you bought a PlayStation 2.