It's difficult to remember a time in gaming before Grand Theft Auto, since it's been such an incredibly influential series. But when Grand Theft Auto III hit the scene in 2001, there was nothing out there like it...except for the game's relatively little-known 2D predecessors. GTA III was a remarkable game for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the most important of these was the game's urban setting. Here was a game that did the unthinkable: It proved that you didn't need some high-tech futuristic dystopia or some medieval fantasyland to make a memorable setting. A relatively mundane real-world urban environment could be even more exciting than any make-believe, fictional world. As well, this urban setting made it so that GTA III was easy to relate to. It all felt familiar, in a way. No logic leaps were required.

Not exactly the inner-city urban feel you'd expect from Grand Theft Auto, is it?

Since then, urban settings in games have become pretty played out, actually. It took a while for the Grand Theft Auto clones to hit the market, but they're here, and their effects undermine Grand Theft Auto's own authenticity. Fortunately, the next game in the GTA series is likely going to make yet another dramatic shift from what you've come to expect. The game's setting of the state of San Andreas, which will purportedly be five times larger than 2002's Vice City, will consist of three different cities (based on Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas)...as well as vast stretches of countryside separating them from one another.

"Countryside." Say it aloud, and listen to the lack of excitement in your voice. No, it doesn't sound exciting or interesting at all? Hardly any games take place out in the countryside. With good reason, right? Nothing happens out there. It's flat. It's boring. It's empty. There's nothing to do...right?

But we're talking about Grand Theft Auto here--the series that took everyday humdrum tedium and turned it into one of the greatest gameworlds ever. With this in mind, we recently paid a visit to Rockstar Games for a firsthand look at Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' new countryside environments and corresponding gameplay elements. We were skeptical, since we had trouble imagining how something like this could possibly stand as an exciting, new component of what's still going to be known as an urban-themed game. Yet we left the meeting more excited for San Andreas than ever. If you're having trouble imagining what the wild outdoors can do for Grand Theft Auto, we're here to set the record straight.

If the crime-infested cities of San Andreas call to mind movies like Boyz N the Hood and Menace II Society, the countryside will hearken back to Thelma & Louise and Deliverance. If you've never seen these movies, the point is, the game will retain its edge inside and outside of the metropolis. We got a chance to see a good chunk of San Andreas' countryside (which, in total, should be about 50 percent of San Andreas' entire landmass) and definitely got a good feel for the distinctively quaint-yet-dark style that the developers are going for here.

San Andreas' countryside is home to simple folk like this gentleman.

The countryside will be scattered with a dozen small towns, each with its own local populace. These are simpler folk, many of whom are clad in overalls or can be seen walking with their spouses hand in hand. The countryside includes all sorts of new vehicles you'd expect to see out in the boondocks but that would look out of place in the big city. We're talking RVs, ATVs, monster trucks, mountain bikes, tractors...even bulldozers.

The countryside will put San Andreas' stifling cityscapes into perspective. These cities don't exist in a vacuum; they're part of a bigger picture. And the bigger picture of San Andreas, the game, is this: Despite appearances, San Andreas is not just about early '90s thug life. The urban hip-hop thing's been done top to bottom already. Rockstar prides itself on staying ahead of the curve and being a leader in defining style and trends in gaming rather than being a follower. The all-encompassing style of San Andreas ought to put that reputation to the test. Learn more about the fringes of San Andreas next.