Rockstar is well known for their hit series Grand Theft Auto game series. Genre-defining and hugely popular, one of the most popular entries in the series was the legendary Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. But how good was it?
San Andreas was released back in 2004, so to no surprise, it doesn’t include many of the features that you can find on the latest GTA 5 and upcoming GTA 6. There were no regular updates to the game like we have seen with GTA 5, for example where they brought out a casino in the game, allowing players to gamble on sports games and casino games.
This in itself was actually seen as slightly controversial to some, as they felt it was encouraging children to gamble. However, what needs to be remembered is casinos and GTA are both 18+, so it’s advised not to play at either unless you are over the age of 18. We manually looked through a casino in India at LuckyDice and they made it very clear that you need to be 18 or above to play at their online casinos.
San Andreas also doesn’t have the exceptional graphics we see nowadays, but nonetheless, it was groundbreaking. Let’s take a look at some of the things that made it such a hit.
The crazy details
San Andreas was one of the first GTA games to go almost granular in the number of details. Rockstar added an insane amount of small details that make the game feel much better than its predecessor.
These details included things like being able to start wildfires, visible heat waves when it’s really hot, your character gaining weight or muscle, bloody footprints, being able to have your picture taken by NPC’s and so much more.
This level of detail was a whole new thing for a Playstation 2 game and was one of the many aspects that cemented GTA San Andreas as one of the greatest in the series.
Los Santos was absolutely packed with things to enjoy
There’s nothing worse than having a huge open-world game that looks pretty but has nothing to do. GTA San Andreas solved this in the most spectacular way – by having the city is its own living, thriving place.
The area was divided into 3 counties, each with its own unique look and feel. Within these districts, there were absolutely bucket loads to do – from stealing taxis and becoming a taxi driver to hunting criminals as a police officer to even becoming a full-time robber. It was all possible.
On top of these mini-vocations, There were dating mini-games, a gym-based quick-time event, passive stats to boost, collectibles, and more. For its time, GTA San Andreas really was ahead of its peers.
San Andreas had a riveting storyline
You met a staggering range of characters in GTA San Andreas during the main storyline, with some of the absolutely unforgettable. You had your motley crew of Grove Street gangsters, corrupt cops, mafia bosses, and everything in between.
The story itself had a wide range of captivating and exciting missions to complete. This included huge shootouts with the police, first-person shooter sections, following people around, and more. The range and diversity of these missions kept things fresh and never boring.
A phenomenal cast of characters
Besides all of the above, the cast of voice actors still remains to this day one of the best in any game. You’ve got the likes of actual celebrities voicing different NPCs. These include Samuel L. Jackson voicing Officer Tenpenny, which was a great casting. Jackson uses his unique acting ability to really bring out the maniacal aspects of Tenpenny, allowing his character to go from joking to deadly serious in the same sentence.
Plenty of secrets and Easter eggs
Finally, San Andreas had a massive amount of secrets for players to find separate from the collectibles, side games, and main missions. Maybe you want to go looking for a UFO? Or how about a hunt for the illusive Ratman? Or a spot of ghost hunting? There’s so much extra added to the game that you’ll never be bored.
In typical Rockstar fashion, there are also little easter eggs you can find. We won’t spoil these for you, but you’re sure to have a laugh when you find them or have a little smirk when you find a little callback to one of the other Grand Theft Auto Games.
Conclusion
GTA San Andreas is one of the best-selling Grand Theft Auto Games of all time and was a groundbreaking game when it was released. Thanks to the incredible amount of features and activities to do, there are still plenty of people who boot up their PlayStation 2 and play it, deeming it as not just one of the best games in the GTA series, but of all time.
