Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a Rockstar North developed GTA III era game, and so has references to storylines and characters from both Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It is the only game so far set in the fictional state of San Andreas, consisting of three cities: Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas, and includes vast expanses of countryside, forests, and a desert as well as a mountain. The game is set in 1992, and centers around the return of Carl Johnson (also known as CJ) to his gang (the Grove Street Families), and their subsequent return to power.

Storyline
Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in his hometown, Los Santos, San Andreas. Now, it's the early 90s, and he's got to get back home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for the homicide of a police officer. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and take control of the streets.

Gameplay
San Andreas is structured similarly to the previous two games in the series. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, affording the player a large, open environment in which to move around. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming (the first GTA game in which&#160;diving is possible), limited climbing and jumping, as well as using weapons and various forms of hand to hand combat. Players can operate a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, airplanes, helicopters, trains, tanks, motorcycles and bicycles. Players may also import vehicles rather than steal them. CJ is Grand Theft Auto's most customizable protagonist due to the possibility in-game to change his clothes, tattoos and hairstyle.

Game Information

 * 100% Completion — Detailed information on how to complete the game 100%.
 * Assets — Assets are places where you can periodically go to collect a predetermined amount of money.
 * Businesses — There are many different types of businesses featured.
 * Carl "CJ" Johnson - The protagonist of the game.
 * Cheats — Cheat codes are available for the PS2, Xbox, and PC versions!
 * Collectibles — Information about the types of items that can be collected.
 * Controls — The controls are different for PS2, Xbox, and PC versions of the game.
 * Criminal ratings — A list of the different criminal ratings in San Andreas and how many points you need to reach them.
 * Gameplay Features — Gameplay mechanics and features in San Andreas.
 * Gang Warfare — Gang Warfare is a tactical section of gameplay which involves taking over enemy gang territories.
 * Girlfriends — Information on all six girlfriends in San Andreas.
 * Main Story Missions — Walkthroughs for all of the main story missions.
 * Mods — Third-party mods add different elements to the game.
 * Myths/Legends — Detailed information on all the rumors, myths, legends, and glitches in the game.
 * Secrets/Easter Eggs - A list of secrets, easter eggs, and hidden trivia references in the game
 * People — The people who make the gameworld immersive.
 * Plot — The whole plot that makes the gameworld story understandable.
 * Radio Stations — The radio stations heard in-game.
 * Restaurants — See the food-chains in San Andreas.
 * Restricted Areas — Restricted areas such as Area 69 and The Easter Basin Naval Base.
 * Safehouses — All of the accessible safehouses and how to obtain them.
 * Places — Many different locations are within San Andreas, you might want to visit them all.
 * Schools — Information about the types of schooling offered such as the Pilot School.
 * Statistics — Different statistics are used to track your progress.
 * Trailers — Trailers showcasing this game.
 * Vehicle Missions — Missions are available for specific vehicles.
 * Vehicles — A list of the numerous vehicles found in the game
 * Weapons — A list of the various weapons found in the game.

Tips and Tricks

 * The Helicopter Sniping Trick
 * Get Rich Quick Betting Trick

Reception
Prior to its release for the PlayStation 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was one of the most highly anticipated video games of 2004, along with Halo 2. San Andreas met most of these expectations, as it was praised as one of the PlayStation 2's best games, with an average review score on 95%, according to Metacritic, tying for the fifth highest ranked game in PlayStation 2 history. IGN rated the game a 9.9/10 (the highest score it has ever awarded to a PlayStation 2 game), calling it "the defining piece of software" for the PlayStation 2. GameSpot rated the game 9.6/10, giving it an Editor's Choice award. San Andreas also received an A rating from the 1UP.com network and a 10/10 score from Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. As of March 26, 2008, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has sold 21.5 million units according to Take-Two Interactive. The Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition list it as the most successful game on the Playstation 2, with 17.33 million copies sold for that console alone, from a total of 21.5 million in all formats.


 * PS2 - 17.4 million
 * PC - 2.3 million
 * Xbox - 1.9 million

Controversy
The game has received widespread acclaim for its technical achievements and free gameplay. However, it also received widespread criticism - initially due to its "gangster" elements, which include drugs, prostitution, and murder; but later due to the discovery of disabled interactive sex scenes, nicknamed Hot Coffee, which could be re-enabled using third-party mods. This led to the re-rating by the ESRB of the game from Mature to Adults-Only until a second version, with the sex scenes fully removed, was released.

San Andreas was also the first GTA game to feature the use of "fuck", which also caused a stir.

Official Site

 * Rockstar Games '  Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas website

Useful Links

 * GTA San Andreas Trailer 3 on YouTube

de:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas es:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas nl:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas pl:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ru:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas fi:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas