This game has to be one of the greatest PS2 games.
It improves from Vice City from as there is no loading from city to city, a great improvement. There are tons and tons more vehicles than in vice city and some more weapons too. The story isn't as exciting as Vice City's but it comes close to matching it. The enrivonments in San Andreas is HUGE compared to Vice City. Probably twelve times or even more times the size of Vice City.
The gameplay is very addictive and will keep you playing for hours. The story is very well written; you will end up playing through over 100 missions and even side missions, this game should take you, if you finish it 100%, about over seventy hours!
You play as Carl Johnson, his mother has been murdered, his family has been torn apart, and he lives in a city tearing it self apart because of gang violence, drugs and corruption. He is one bad-ass son of a gun, he can fly jets, drive all cars, drive trains and boats. He can use any weapon.
The graphics in this game are average due to the lack of the Playstations power. Sometimes the framerate can get pretty bad too. When you are flying over the forests some trees will dissapear and then reapear causing you to dogde them. The lighting effects and models of everything are average also.
The voice and sound in this game is very good. I wasn't too impressed with the soundtrack though, I was expecting better. The voices in the game are very good, Samuel Jackson does the voice of a dirty cop and does very well. Overall, the sound could have been better with a better system other than the PS2.
Overall, the game a great game and if you own a Playstation 2, you need to have this game in your collection.