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Sores above greatness

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 25
Date: November 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Grand Theft Auto San Andreeas is, for many reasons the best GTA to come out.

Pros:
-Nice Graphics(Hands arent deformed claws anymore)
-Unlimited gameplay
-good sound effects
-A Destructive aresonal(And some new additions)
-Nice voice acting(Even Samuel L. Jackson did a part)
-Great controls
-Swimming(No more frakin drowning. Just don't be on the cops bad side or the coast gaurd will ice ya)
-Climbing(No more finding a diffrent route when running, when you can climb over walls)
-I love the aiming system! (You can aim regular style, or you can blast around Splinter Cell style without the stealth. Because of the aiming system I took out a helicopter with a shotgun. Pretty cool huh?)
-New looks(you can customize the way C.J. looks(Clothes and hair). The only game I spent as long costomizing characters was DOA Extreeme Vollyball)
-Revamped cars(You can cousomize your car with a lot of features on it, and you can get nitros to blast around town faster than midnight club 2)
-Riding bikes has never been so cool
-Breaking in houses is pretty cool
-Realistic(You have to eat, and exersize, to improve your stats. And improving your weapons can make you movie while shooting with weapons you couldn't use before)
-You can jack and control trains. Oh yea!
-With enough respect you can roll with a 4 man crew. Down for a 187?
-Not only is this game excellent on it's own, it has the absolute freedom a game could ever offer.
Cons:
-I still can't do jack without cheats
-Missions are pretty tough
-When you hold up a store you don't get money anymore. Dang!(Well like I care. I'm just trying so hard to find a bad thing in this game, and a game this good it's hard)
-I hate wreking my costmized car(All that time and money)
-A game that is definitly not for kids
Nutral:
-Music: Since I love ol' school hip-hop R&B and some good ol' James Brown, This wasdefinitly the right calling for me. But some will hate it or like it.(I hated the Vice City soundtrack)
-Being a gangsta: I got sick and tired of people saying they don't wanna be a black guy in the game in school, and on the internet. People have their opinions. I'm hispanic and none of it bothers me.
-Story:Since I got the game yesterday, I completed about maybe 11 or 12 missions, so I'm not deep enough in it yet to determine the story, altho it's allright so far.

All three cities in the first Grand Theft Auto have been completed and finished. GTA 3 is second best, GTA Vice city is my least favorite(It was still good), But San Andreas took home the gold and is a definite landmark in the GTA series. I hope this isn't the last GTA(But with the money rockstar is making off this, I doubt it). The GTA series on th PS2 is a exellent way to begin and end a trilogy(Wachowski Brothers take notes). This game is for those who love viocenc, freedom, cars, and the other GTA games. I you can't stand any of those, you're missing out my friend.

peace

ROCKSTAR... Still the leader of the video game revolution

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 22
Date: November 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I am one of the GTA addicts, who bought the game flat out (it's a big thing for me cause usually I rent first.) I've always been a devotee to GTA, and more importantly to Rockstar. they are hands down the most aggressive game label I've encountered. Every game they make is fearless in it's execution.
and now GTA: San Andreas solidifies that.
Now for those new to the GTA world, DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME FIRST! Start from scratch with GTA:3, through Vice City because you'll be needing all the skills you can muster to survive the tumluts of the state of San Andreas. If you're one of the ones whining about the Analog, THAT IS YOUR FAULT you should have been using the Analog from the start!!! The Analog is necessary for San Andreas because to really drive these vehicles it requires a subtle touch (which is ironic considering the game.)
In regards to the graphics, frankly the point is moot due to the fact that the game was meant to have cartoony undertones, but nevertheless the detail on the scenery is still finely tuned, and I am surprised they were able to cram it all on one disc, because San Andreas is not just 3 cities, it's also a series of small towns in between., not to mention as a surprising addition an Area 51 spoof Area 69. In the beginning the Cities are very difficult to navigate but this was true in all of the games, one thing I did before I started missions in each city was to go on tour and get an idea of the layout. (Also the fact that sometimes the picture got dark was tedious at first but I got used to it. It's just a necessary lighting effect for the sake of realism.) another thing which is quite exciting is the inventory of vehicles to drive, the BMX bike in all honesty is the least exciting, I mean come one you get to fly with a hoverpack, you can also skydive!!!

And to add to the brilliance of it's realism you have to maintenance your character because what you look like affects how people look at you, and it also affects your mission progression, and your abitlity to move in any given situation,

I can tell that Rockstar took a cue from "Manhunt" in regards to it's targeting system, and also stealth kills, because they're both present here, and I'm glad cause they have helped me survive on numerous occasions.

And as usual my favorite part of the GTA world is present here. the story. But a big surprise here is the route the story goes. It begins merely as a spat between two rival gangs until it evolves into something far more sinister, (Kinda like a season of 24, minusing the gang part.) But an even bigger joy are the characters you run into from both GTA 3 and Vice City. I leave that for you all to be surpised. That is actually another reason why I recommend the novices to play the predecessors first. Also the voice over work is as usual top notch, the actor playing CJ delivers a performance straight out of a John Singleton movie, and some of the celebrity apperances are equally enjoyable. (honorable mentions include Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Penn, Peter Fonda, David Cross, and James Woods to name a few, just expect to hear more.)

I could go on all day talking about this but I can't. However I will add that another perk is the innovative missions you have to embark on. They are as usual original and entertaining, sure you'll fail A LOT!!! (The flying levels are the most aggravating) but when you conquered them you're left with a sense of relief like you just climbed K2. but look at it like this, after you beat the game, when you replay it it'll be a breeze.

And I can definitely vouch that you WILL be playing it over again. Now I only sctratched the surface on all the stuff you can do in this game buti don't wanna give it all away just go play it!!!

Do NOT Listen To Anybody Below 5 Stars or MAVV...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: October 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game has now opened up a whole new breed of videogames. Grand Theft Auto III did it, Vice City continued it and now San Andreas is adding. This game is a combination of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, The Sims, Friday and Boyz in the Hood.

Okay, you don't need a story but this is a brief summary. You are a guy named CJ Johnson who moved to Libery City and came back to bury his dead mother, andhe decides to stay because he is framed for murdering a cop by two losers and to "help out the community". You are apart of a gang called the Grove Street OJ's.

So, you could do anything. This is somewhat an RPG, because you can improve your stats by going to the gym, swimming (finally), and riding bikes. This is no Final Fantasy crap RPG like that, it is a The Sims: Illegal Style along with the Rockstar touch.

So, what can you do? You can do anything in the past Grand Theft Auto games, with it a little tweaked and better. They made it more realistic. First your character. You can have him get a haircut from a barber, and I got a fro :). You can go to the gym, and use different machines like lifting weights, dumb-bells, the power bike to improve your stamina and the tredmill. Swimming loses your fat, and you can swim underwater. You can change clothes like in Def Jam Vendetta, by having different combinations.

For the other stuff, you got new weapons. You can use a spray can to "tag up turf", which is sort of like a hidden-package side mission. There is a fire extinguisher that you can use for both ways, a satchel explosive like from SOCOM, heat-seeking rocket launchers and new melee weapons like a cane, and a shovel. But the newest and coolest addition is the James Bond silenced pistol.

You can also play little side games. You can play basketball, videogames in your original house (the best is "They Came From Uranus"), recruit gang members and have them peform drive-by's. Did you ever waqnt to dance in the Malibu in Vice City instead of turning around in circles or doing the chainsaw dance? Now you can finally DANCE!!! This comes later int eh game, and I am pretty sure of it.

Instead of just being taxi, ambulance and fire missions, you can do extra stuff. The funnest is burglarly. You can go into people's houses and take away their stuff, and get some cash for it. Along with the original stuff like taxi, you can pimp (not sure about that), and be a trucker. Gambling is in the game in Las Vegas, and you can do anything in the casinos.

This is just the little things you can do. The missions are great, and there are codes, so don't listen to some of these other people. All the weapon sounds were tweaked, and it sounds better. There are 3 times the amount of cars then in Vice City, and you can do low-rider missions, and a lot of cars trigger different things. You can go into most stores, and you can actually hold up stores without cops storming in. Little things added like shooting in the air and scaring people and other combinations of things like with the melee weapons makes this game much different then any other game out there.

But, people, including MAVV, are trying to invade our living rooms. The language went up, but the violence is getting less and less. That doesn't mean it isn't like Vice City, but to nervous parents, this game can be fun for you. This game ain't racist, either. If you don;t want your kids to play violent games, don't let them, but don't drag other people into it. People should just mind their own business.

GTA: San Andreas

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: August 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

All right, I'm here to confirm a few things about San Andreas. First of all, you CAN and WILL swim. You can even dive under water! You see, you have a "Breath-O-Meter" which shows your oxygen level when you dive. And you also have a stamina meter telling how long you can stay afloat, this decreases with how you swim (e.g. you breast-stroke No stamina usage, you "crawl-swim" stamina goes Way down). Oh, and if you run your car into the water, you have a little while to excape, or you can sink with it. Second, you HAVE to eat, or else you'll die. You must eat when the game sends out a "help" signal saying CJ is hungry. Now you can either eat, or continue what you were doing. If you decide to continue, you energy bar will decrease and you will get a little skinnier. This is not good! You will get weaker and your punches will not do much damage, (unless you work out a lot, then you can hit like a tank). This also goes oppositly, if you eat too much you will get fat, or throw up. Oh, don't get overly buff, you will be powerful, yet slow, m'kay? Third, jacking cars is harder! The people will put ukp a fight, so you will have to "persuade" him or her to get out, either by pistol whippin' 'em, bashing their head into the dashboard, or a variety of other painful ways. Fifth, you can rob houses (finally!). You normally should start with poor, fairly defensless houses, and work your way up. It takes a lot of time to know when to rob, you should stalk your victim first, know when he goes to bed, goes out. Then, jack almost all he's got! (FYI: you can only rob at night, duh, and you must be in a truck. You can sell the stuff you steal, like tvs, stereos, etc. to your local fence.) Finally, your character is a black guy named Carl "CJ" Jonhson. Who has a variety of weapons, from silenced pistols, to military assault rifles. And he can attack people from behing after hiding in the shadows (just like manhunt). And aiming is also like Manhunt's, with a few twists, as in if you aim a one guy for a long time you have more of a chance to get a head shot.

(...)

Silliness

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 20 / 26
Date: July 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I went 3 pages deep into the so-called reviews before I'd had enough. What a waste of Amazon's disk space. Reviews should not be allowed until a product is released. It's not a discussion board.

That's my 2K worth...

Come on guys, lets be realistic.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 50 / 89
Date: October 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

To that Mothers Against Videogame Violence and all the other people that give this game 1 star, shut your piehole. Games like GTA are for MATURE audiences, not little kids. Thats why it has a "M" rating, because its not for your little 8 year-old rugrats. Plus, there are far more things out there on TV and movies, but i bet you only let your kids watch movies about unicorns or rainbows right? I bet you let them watch the news. I have stopped watching the news because of what they show you. Your paralyzing your kids by clouding them from actual reality by covering their eyes from games like this. When they get to the real world, its not going to be like Sesame Street and Disney movies, its going to be death, killing, and brutality. Its happening right now in Iraq. Honestly, if by playing games like this and Mortal Kombat or whatever, and your kid goes and actually portrays acts displayed in the game, then you shamed every parent in the United States. Its not the game's fault, its YOUR fault. If a game would make them go something like that, then they were either a.) messed up way before this game even came out, or b.) you suck as a parent, and c.) Sesame Street and Barney is going to mess them up way more than this game. So people of the world, buy this game if you want to have fun.

Awesome Game, But Parents Beware!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 14
Date: October 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is by far the most amazing videogame I have ever seen or played. It raises the bar of excellence, size, scope, fun and involving game play so incredibly high that I doubt any other game will come close to it for a very long time.

But parents beware! This game is rated Mature for good reason. It is extremely adult oriented with excessive language and violence that make even GTA III and Vice City seem tame in comparison. The F-bomb is dropped every few moments, and African Americans are frequently called the N-word. Profanities of all kinds are prevalent and constant throughout the game. All of the violent and sexual adult content of the previous games is back, but ramped up to new levels of intensity. The prostitues are back, but this time the main character not only employs their services, but also acts as pimp, delivering the hookers to others. The improved graphics and motion-capture add a great sense of realism to the violence. Make no mistake: THIS IS AN ADULT GAME AND SHOULD NOT BE PURCHASED FOR CHILDREN!

Having said that, let me say again what a great, fun game GTA: San Andreas is. It is a marvelous advance in the world of videogames, and as an adult, I find it to be a very deep, involving form of escapist entertainment. No doubt, we'll all be hearing from the politicians and others who want to censor forms of entertainment they find offensive. And this new game, like the previous entries in the series, will likely become a center of controversy. We'll hear the same old arguments about how this and other violent videogames are the source of all evil in the world. I'm sorry, but that is just so simplistic and untrue. Videogames are entertainment, plain and simple, just like movies, books, music and television. And certain videogames, just like certain movies, books or TV programs, are not intended for children. Responsible parents should not allow their children to play GTA: San Andreas, any more than they would allow them to watch Pulp Fiction or The Sopranos. But just like other forms of mature entertainment, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has every right to exist for an audience mature enough to understand and enjoy it.

Enough of my soapbox editorializing. If you are an older teen or an adult, get this game, play it and enjoy it. It really is an amazing achievement. If you are a parent whose younger teen or child wants this game, find another more appropriate title. There are a lot of good ones out this fall.

SO MUCH NEW STUFF!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 22 / 31
Date: September 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

ok, first of all, who gives a crap if cj(carl johnson)is black?Im white, and i could care less! anyway, ther is so much new stuff i cant even handle it. There is a LOT, so get comfortable. here it all is:

Ablity to eat:if u dont eat, cj will become weaker. If you eat TOO much, you will get fat. I've also heard that if u eat too much at once, cj will throw up. There is a burger place, a donut place, well stacked pizza,a chicken place, and many street venders.

New Cars: San andreas will have probably hundreds of vehicles. these include bmx and mountain bikes, ride on lawnmowers, atvs, monster trucks, big rigs with detachable trailers from cargo to fuel, RVs, lowriders resembling a caddilac, and many more. You can also ride the trains in los santos(think gta 3). There is also freeway inter states.

New Terrain: San andreas is not a city, but a massive STATE, complete with praries, deserts, forests, and even a half mile high mountain!

Locations: There are three main cities in san andreas. They are:
Los Santos: Rockstars version of los angeles. cj's hometown, there is orange grove(locals call it the grove), Rodeo which is supposed to be bev. hills, vinewood which is supposed to be hollywood, and other suberbs wich i cant remember rite now. There is also a beach comlete with evening beach parties, and even an amusment park on a pier.
San Fierro: A rockstar san fransisco. I cant remember any suberbs rite now, but i do remember that it has the major san andreas airport.Plus A big red bridge(rockstar golden gate).
Las Venturres: Rockstars las vegas. Little is know about this city, but you can create your own casino, and even run it.

Swimming: FINNALY!! CJ CAN SWIM!! But if you stay in acar in the water too long, you can drown. There is 3 types of swimming: the breaststroke, freestyle and swimming under water. Yes, you can go under and see fish. Dont stay under too long, though. you could die.

CJ's Style: You can now customize you charecter. You can choose his hair, clothes, aand even tattoos. Yes, cj can get ink now. The Best baber shop is in los santos, the owner has been the local news source for years, and a buddy of yours. There are a number of clothes stores selling anything from tuxes,b ball outfits, and ski masks(hmm...) There are many styles of hair, includingcorn rows and afros.

Robberies: Low on cash? you can rob a house and sell the stuff you jack. You can only rob at night, so the owner of the house MIGHT be asleep. Be quiet! If you wake him, he'll call the fuzz. It is also a good idea to wear a ski mask or something. there is a noise meter when you enter the house. Oh yeah, you can steal the house, too.

Pedestrian AI: The peds say lots of stuff, good and bad. If youre too overweight, they'll call you a fat b*stard. If you get a bad haircut, they'll mock and laugh.

Cop AI: The fuzz are a little smarter, too. the cops can drive cop cars and motercycles. When the chopper has you in the spotlight, its harder to drive.

The Mountain: Mount Chiliad is a massive peak with multiple trails to the top, where you can see for miles.

Staying Lean and Mean: When cj gets fat, there is many things he can do to get skinnier, and muscular. There are many gyms and a dojo. cj can also get thin by biking to the top of mount chiliad.

Gangs: There are many gangs in the cities, and you can either become one if the, ore make your own gang that follows you around and protects you.

New Targeting System: Now the gun aims at threats first. If there is no threats in the area, it points to the nearest person. If there is no people around, it goes to free aim. there is also a button that goes straight to free aim, even with people around.

Weapons: Little weapons have been confirmed, but there was some:
Double uzi 9mm
colt .45
9mm
ak 47
colt m16

See? I dont even know if you read this far. Its a lot, ain't it?

When a 30 year-old woman gets into gang banging

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: November 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

you know you've got something amazing going on. The real power of this game is its ability to transcend the suspension of disbelief to the point where the player identifies with the antihero, Carl Johnson. Morality goes out the window and you start to plot which block you're going to take over for your street gang next. Vice City, moreso than GTA III had a similar effect, but Tommy Vercetti was more of an outsider coming in, whereas CJ is returning home, and thus immersed in the culture of the game. Be careful if you don't have a lot of free time, because you may find yourself calling in sick.

Pros:
*It's harder than the previous GTAs, which makes for a better challenge.
*Abilities improve with play; a rewarding and less monotonous approach
*SIZE: this sucker is huge. It allows for such an individual approach to gaming. You can go at your own pace and invest as much attention to detail as you like
*You can swim, although you may not find anywhere to get out
*For boys who had to play with their sister's barbies in secret, you can come right out and dress up your man with fancy track suits and blond corn rows
*The AI police are more on the ball, similar to Getaway, which also makes for a better challenge
*DIVERSITY:from characters to landscape to vehicles to minigames, it's all there.
*A lot more I could bore you with

CONS:
*OK, the graphics aren't the best out there. But it's well worth it for content
*weapons can be a little hard to aim at times
*SAVE POINTS are often too far from a mission, which can make that pesky off-road race more than tedious
*for those who don't like to press a lot of buttons, it can be hard on geriatric hands
*that's about it. I don't even want to think about the ethical and societal implications of playing this kind of violent fantasy

Overall, the best game I've ever played. Hands down.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: November 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Here's what I did yesterday while playing this game: I won a dance competition on the beach and stole the DJ's van; I went to the Inside Track Betting and turned $1400 into $160,000, which I used to buy a house in the Hollywood hills; I shot pool; I perfected my ramp-riding skills on a BMX bike; I stole weapons from the National Guard; I bought a leopard-skin cowboy hat and wore it while I raced through traffic on a stolen police motorcycle and tried to outrun a sniper in a helicopter and "Amos Moses" played on the radio. That's one hell of a game right there.

The thing is, as everyone has said, HUGE, and there's almost too much to do and too much great music. It's not for kids, it's not for players who don't understand irony, it's not for people who don't grasp the fun to be had from blowing up stuff real good. Everybody else? Settle back, you're going to be in San Andreas a while.

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