One
aggravation in the game is that it doesn't allow you to immediately
restart a mission that you may have failed. No, you'll have to double
back to the mission start point, and begin from there all over again.
It's no wonder CJ is so full of rage and anger that he's only too happy
to release with a vengeance on the residents of San Andreas.
GTA:
San Andreas features so many types of gameplay. Is it a driving-shooter?
A fighting-action game? While no one will ever say that San Andreas is
the best driving game, or the best shooting game, or even the best
action game, GTA: San Andreas is clearly one of the best games that just
happens to combine elements from a broad spectrum of gaming genres.
Visually,
the Xbox version of GTA: San Andreas is much prettier than its grittier
PS2 counterpart for obvious hardware reasons. The PC version can supply
a much more impressive visual performance than even the Xbox, but only
with the proper bells and whistles in the hardware and graphics card
arena. Still, no matter the platform, the GTA
engine is starting to show
its age, not holding up to the current standard of graphical prowess on
either console or a PC. It's easily forgivable though, because with a
worldscape so large that you are able to explore, it's debatable how
developers could create a much improved game to look at without the cost
of less room to roam.
Musically,
GTA: San Andreas again outdoes the DJ with an enormous amount of tunes
from a wide variety of tastes (rock, R&B, alternative, country, even
talk radio) but with a definite heavy gangsta rap influence. Just like
previous GTA installments,
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you can change the radio
stations of any
vehicle to whatever you want, with tons of humorous and risqué dialogue
from the radio station "DJs" and commercials. Personally, I
enjoyed the GTA: Vice City soundtrack more, but if you like rap, GTA:
San Andreas may be more your musical flava.
The
graphics engine is finally showing its age. And GTA: San Andreas isn't
the best driving game. Nor is it the best shooting-action game either.
But the sum of all the parts put together under the 'hood of San Andreas
along with the usual well-structured story, superb voice acting, and
excellent soundtrack make for one of the most incredibly engrossing
adventures on any system. Just make sure you're prepared for all the
strong-language (especially the "n" word), gangsta-related
killing and general "boyz in the bad 'hood" gameplay. If
you're easily offended or are under the age of 18, you should not be
playing GTA: San Andreas. Just don't get in the way of all us other Xbox
gamers roaming the streets of San Andreas, or we're liable to cap you
with our virtual gats.