Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an extraordinary game that any fans of the previous games are sure to enjoy.
Pros: Lots of things to do prevents boredom, instead of getting a city to roam around in, you* get a STATE, you can swim now, more side missions, gritty urban setting, wide variety in the liscensed music offers something for everyone, Xbox version offers slightly sharper detail, more cheat codes.
Cons: Multiplayer aspect feels half-baked, many of the character models have the trademark GTA blocky-ness.
Gameplay: You play as CJ, a gangbanger returning home after his mother's murder. CJ comes home to find himself framed, and his former home rotting from the inside out. Soon enough, he finds himself climbing up the gangster ladder up getting more respect as he goes.
The controls for GTA: San Andreas are tight, as expected from a GTA game. I never had a moment where I was tripping over my own thumbs trying to play the game. Controlling planes however, is INEXPLICABLY difficult!! It's not inverted too well, and you blow up incredibly easily. Thankfully, you won't have to pilot these planes too much, and when you do it is do-able, but a bit frustrating too. Every GTA game since GTA III has had some sort of great addition that makes it a lot better than the previous game. For Vice City, it was motorcycles, helicopters, and other little additions that made the game great. For San Andreas, you can now swim. Yes, that means no more instant deaths when you go into the water. Swimming is one of the great additions to the game, and what makes it better is that it isn't a needless addition, because the game incorporates it into several events in the state of San Andreas. One of which is the triatholon. An Iron-Man race of sorts in which you compete in swimming, biking, and running in order to win a cash prize. You can't just jump into a triatholon event without the proper training of course! San Andreas also has a Sims-like feature that monitors your body fat, muscle, respect, and sex appeal. If you don't make a few visits to the gym every now and then, you will gain weight. If you try to starve yourself, you will lose energy. Rockstar did a thorough job of making sure you don't try to cut corners with the sim aspect of the game. This element actually works quite well, surprisingly enough. It's fun to see CJ turn out the way you want him to. You can even run the risk of having a heart attack.
The characters in the game each have their own personality, and the game has this way of making the situation seem dire, but at the same time being able to interject humor into the situation. It's basically just what you'd expect from a GTA game! Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: The GTA series isn't known for breathtaking good looks, and San Andreas is no exception. The character models are blocky, hook-hands in all. Though I do think that when compared head to head, the Xbox version does looks slightly sharper than the PS2 version. The game is far from ugly though. Even though the character models are blocky, they are adequate. When you look at such a huge enviornment that Rockstar has created with this game, and you get a good feel of the gritty urban atmosphere that the game creates. You know what you're getting here when you pick up a GTA game. You don't expect great graphics, but great gameplay. San Andreas is no different.
That is why I give graphics an 8/10.
Sound: The soundtrack. The infamous GTA soundtrack. Since the game is set in the early 90's, there are a lot of hits from back then. Each radio station has it's own personality and style of humor. Like I said before, there is something for everyone in terms of music. No other game has done it quite like San Andreas. The voice acting is great too. Samuel L. Jackson plays the cop that frames CJ, and does a good job of it too. The voices of the other characters are very well done too. Rockstar has been down this road before, and they've delivered a great audio experience. What else is there to say: I give audio a 10/10. Hands down.
Value: You're getting a lot here. Considering that by now it's only $20, you are getting quite the bargain with this game. Get stuck on a mission? No problem, simply roam around the state of San Andreas to your heart's content, mess around with the cheat codes (there's plenty of them). With everything that's been improved upon, you really can't get more near-perfect than San Andreas does. Bottom Line: San Andreas is a GTA fan's dream. Rockstar made this entry the most unique, improved, and impressive experience one can get from a game. Don't let all the negative press fool you, as this is one of the best games for the Xbox, PS2, or PC. Simple as that.