-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Let's look back: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
- Thread starter NeoGeoOwner
- Start date
Boulotaur2024
Member
Some shots I took a year ago :
Using HRT Pack 1.3 and Awkward ENBSeries V2 Beta (I toned down the saturation settings though)
Using HRT Pack 1.3 and Awkward ENBSeries V2 Beta (I toned down the saturation settings though)
legacyzero
Banned
CJ still a bustah
Still has the best cheats and the best mini games and extra activities.
Don't know why R* couldn't carry over some of the greatness.
Jet pack. Flying cars. Crazy mob mode. Eating at restaurants and getting fat. Working out at the gym. Gambling.
The world felt more realistic thanks to all the activities. The new GTA games have far less interactivity with the world.
Don't know why R* couldn't carry over some of the greatness.
Jet pack. Flying cars. Crazy mob mode. Eating at restaurants and getting fat. Working out at the gym. Gambling.
The world felt more realistic thanks to all the activities. The new GTA games have far less interactivity with the world.
I don't think relatability is the right word. I think plenty of us grew up with early 90s gangsta rap that don't relate to either culture. But the Scarface style of story is a fantasy of excess where CJs story was one of coming up from nothing. Both situations are ultimately bad, but I think more people want to be the kingpin with all of the wealth than the poor kid that just got out of jail in the ghetto (and yes, I know by the end of SA like every other GTA you're basically the richest man on earth, I just think in terms of instant appeal one has more to more people, even if in many ways San Andreas is probably more relatable to more people it's not always in a good way).
I think there's definitely some stuff you can infer about it, but at the end of the day it's just a matter of appeal, not relatability. There's a reason every episode of cribs people had Scarface on their TV, because that's the sort of dark dream to a lot of folks.
Speaking for me personally, it's what I said before - I thought SA suffered from system bloat, and the scope was bigger than I wanted from the game. Vice City feels smaller than 3 (even though it wasn't) due to its compact design yet every inch of the place was packed with things to do. I played through GTA3 in probably a week, Vice City I beat the day it released in one marathon gameplay session, and then San Andreas I played for two or three weeks and eventually just fatigued every time I had to drive cross country or do some shitty maintainence work. This is the same reason I disliked 4 greatly (COUSIN! COUSIN! shut the fuck up jesus).
My OCD about doing everything really fucked me over with the david Cross toy plane missions too. That last one was so fucking hard on the original PS2 release. I eventually beat it but it soured me a lot.
I heard this a lot when it came out and it still amuses me to this day. You are a "thug" in EVERY GTA game. Thats the point.
Anyway i liked GTAV a lot but the one thing that i was disappointed by was the lack of "San Fierro" and "Las Venturas" areas. If they do any GTA spin offs this gen i'd like to see them remade.
Blueingreen
Member
Does anyone have a link to that hilarious old racist Neogaf thread on the San Andreas reveal trailer, people werent happy about playing as a black guy. One guy couldn't relate because he can't watch black porn something ridiculous like that.
paragonpro
Banned
Number 3 for me, two is vice city and one is (unpopular opinion incoming warning) gta 4
That post is funny as hell looking back. Especially the comment about not selling well.
I really liked GTA 4. There were just a few things in it that kept it from being truly great. The spin offs improved on it a lot, especially TBOGT.
SliceSabre
Banned
I remember when I saw that trailer it was the first time I ever got hype about a video game trailer.
Game fucking delivered and then some after the disappointment that VC was to me after 3.
Game fucking delivered and then some after the disappointment that VC was to me after 3.
NHarmonic.
Member
My favorite GTA game, played it for hundreds of hours and when i managed to beat the story it was awesome.
I loved the atmosphere of some places, they're now kind of ingrained in my brain... (like the San Fierro Checkpoint)
I loved the atmosphere of some places, they're now kind of ingrained in my brain... (like the San Fierro Checkpoint)
The DLC for GTA5 needs to throw a dozen open world activities at players. Procedurally generated side quests to keep the game feeling alive and unpredictable. Open ended activities like home invasions, low rider competitions, more towing and 18 wheeler deliveries, a fucking jet pack, and turf wars. These things made SA a game with near infinite replayability.
I bought it on PC when it first came out, and then a couple of years later when I got a PS2, and no matter how many times I've tried I just can't get into it. Any time I play it I just get really bored and find it a chore to play.
I absolutely love Vice City though, one of my favourite games of all time, and really like 3 a lot, too.
I absolutely love Vice City though, one of my favourite games of all time, and really like 3 a lot, too.
SprachBrooks
Member
I'm really torn between this or Vice City as being my favourite GTA –– probably Vice City, still this was so good. I remember being a school kid and sinking so much time into this and failing my exams, worth every minute. Cleaning toilets now, but thinking of how much fun I had with this game makes it all worth it...
Also, who – when they played GTA V – immediately tried to find Grove Street?
Also, who – when they played GTA V – immediately tried to find Grove Street?
banefirelord
Banned
Easily the best GTA and something like my fifth favorite game, period. So much mechanical and setting variety. Las Venturas is still GOAT GTA city.
KatamariOnTheRocks
Member
Loved San Andreas, it really is the best game in the series in the same way that Saints Row 2 is the best in it's series as they both offer the most content and side missions in their respective franchises. I feel like the worlds in SA and SR2 are so alive because of how well designed the cities are and I never have the issues of some open world games where the world feels flat and devoid of anything to do but main missions. I love all the side missions/activities you can do in those games as you can basically hop around the map doing different things giving the game a true feeling of life. Future GTA and SR games removed alot of the customization and side activities and definitely feel like lesser experiences as a result.
Agreed. Going back to remaking San Fierro and Las Venturas, my favorite mission in SA was the Casino heist. I'd love to knock off Casinos with a crew on GTA online or with the main characters in SP.
Arkam
Member
After playing VC to death (few hundred hours) I was so hyped for SA. While I did enjoy SA, it was a major let down for me. The world was huge, but lacked the forethought in design that made VC such a cohesive living city. Don't get me wrong I loved the massive mountain to ride off... But it reall served very little gameplay purpose.
Then there were the numerous annoying/maintenance activities like eating, working out,etc. They were fun for the first day and a major pain after.
Then there were the painful missions like the RC plane ones where the controls were essentially broken. Not sure how long it took to do those,which were not fun for a single second.
The gang turf wars... Idk how anyone enjoyed those. Was just a tiny random pockets of area (in one tiny corner of one part of the map) that randomly would get taken/attacked. You really had no direct control over it. Then when you had it, there was very little gameplay benefit. I think it just meant you could load up a car in the area with 3 so thugs who couldn't shoot the broadside of a barn.
Oh then there was the Hollywood film references (IMO the bread and butter to GTA story/world/mission) in VC they akreaDy scrapped the barrel pretty clean with homages to Heat, Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino and of course Scarface (and a dozen more of the greatest films on organized crime). Then came SA which was left to work with 90s street crime films that just don't compare and never actually felt part of the world/story.
All in all from my perspective SA felt like a bigger box filled with less toys I wanted to play with. Solid game for sure and worth playing, but for some it might feel like a mess compared to the brilliant worlds of Vice City and GTA V.
Then there were the numerous annoying/maintenance activities like eating, working out,etc. They were fun for the first day and a major pain after.
Then there were the painful missions like the RC plane ones where the controls were essentially broken. Not sure how long it took to do those,which were not fun for a single second.
The gang turf wars... Idk how anyone enjoyed those. Was just a tiny random pockets of area (in one tiny corner of one part of the map) that randomly would get taken/attacked. You really had no direct control over it. Then when you had it, there was very little gameplay benefit. I think it just meant you could load up a car in the area with 3 so thugs who couldn't shoot the broadside of a barn.
Oh then there was the Hollywood film references (IMO the bread and butter to GTA story/world/mission) in VC they akreaDy scrapped the barrel pretty clean with homages to Heat, Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino and of course Scarface (and a dozen more of the greatest films on organized crime). Then came SA which was left to work with 90s street crime films that just don't compare and never actually felt part of the world/story.
All in all from my perspective SA felt like a bigger box filled with less toys I wanted to play with. Solid game for sure and worth playing, but for some it might feel like a mess compared to the brilliant worlds of Vice City and GTA V.
bender
What time is it?
I think it's the best world they've built and the most interesting to explore or screw around in. I spent hours trying to drivean 18-wheeler up Mount Chiliad just to ramp it off the top, bail and parachute to safety. I spent so much time in that game making my own fun and that's probably the last time that's happened in a GTA game.
Arkam
Member
Not arguing or disagree (to each their own) but what about VC was disappointing after 3? Added flying (real flying) licensed music, Added VO work to main character, doubled down on the crazy talk radio, and so much more.
My only grip was that they didn't add swimming and lack of real verticality in the world.
kamineko
Does his best thinking in the flying car
My favorite GTA game, not even close, favorite radio stations, in my top ten all-time faves.
The game kept topping itself and surprising me.
The Las Venturas heist where people keep finding out about the secret, lol. Such good times. BMX biking all over the map. Once I blew a mission out in the country, drove a 4 wheeler off of a cliff, I was so close then blew it all. It was raining and Willie Nelson was singing "Crazy" on the radio. I was angry but busted out laughing anyway.
The crazy RPG-lite stats.... sex appeal included. Loved dual-wielding pistols
The game kept topping itself and surprising me.
The Las Venturas heist where people keep finding out about the secret, lol. Such good times. BMX biking all over the map. Once I blew a mission out in the country, drove a 4 wheeler off of a cliff, I was so close then blew it all. It was raining and Willie Nelson was singing "Crazy" on the radio. I was angry but busted out laughing anyway.
The crazy RPG-lite stats.... sex appeal included. Loved dual-wielding pistols
I owned the pc version since it came out, but only just beat it 2013.
Game was beyond broken and I really didn't like the setting.
But when I finally played it, it was really fun.
Don't know if I like it more or less than vc.
Btw. The last gta I've ever played.
Despite it being my favorite series back than.
And after 10 hours of gta 5 on Ps3 shortly after beating sa in 2013, I have still no interest in the pc version.
Game was beyond broken and I really didn't like the setting.
But when I finally played it, it was really fun.
Don't know if I like it more or less than vc.
Btw. The last gta I've ever played.
Despite it being my favorite series back than.
And after 10 hours of gta 5 on Ps3 shortly after beating sa in 2013, I have still no interest in the pc version.
Unaha-Closp
Member
I 100% completed it TWICE because I loaned my PS2 to a friend - not thinking he would delete any saves or anything like that - and then when I got it back the first 100% file was gone. Being young at the time, all full of spunk and vigour, I did it all again. I have not spoken to him much since I will add 
I loved this game but have tried playing it again recently and modern games have spoiled me I guess as I only get so far in (to San Fierro) before I stop to play other games. Probably is my Favourite GTA game by a wide margin though.
I loved this game but have tried playing it again recently and modern games have spoiled me I guess as I only get so far in (to San Fierro) before I stop to play other games. Probably is my Favourite GTA game by a wide margin though.protomouse
Member
Imagine Vice City on the SA engine.
Angryharlot
Banned
I have been trying to get through that on my PS2. This must be the game where Rockstar fell in love with scripted chase sequences. I have been playing these games since the top-down days. Fuck those mission styles.
Next to forced walking to receive exposition, The scripted chase sequence has become the new forced stealth sequence in a non-stealth game trope for me. I have a foot out the door, ready to say fuck it once it is dropped in front of me.
Next to forced walking to receive exposition, The scripted chase sequence has become the new forced stealth sequence in a non-stealth game trope for me. I have a foot out the door, ready to say fuck it once it is dropped in front of me.
They said they can't not that it was a bad game. Calm down.
Vice City is still my favorite also. The map in San Andreas was too damn big. Definitely preferred it in GTAV.
Deified Data
Banned
Loved everthing about this game except for the RPG-lite skill progression. I always felt compelled when I started a new game to max out my firearm skills and physique before I advanced the story, just so I could feel on par with past GTA protagonists.
Felix Lighter
Member
I think San Andreas had the best characters in Grand Theft Auto. The quality of Los Santos was way ahead of the other 2 cities in the game, which is unfortunate. At least they had the player come back before the end of the game.
Stormblessed
Member
I have the map of GTA3's Portland basically burned into my brain, but San Andreas was so big I never really learned my way around it. Before my PS2 was put away, one of my favourite things to do was jump in and explore some area of SA that I wasn't familiar with. I don't think I've clicked with any open world game the same way since. I have it on PC now, but getting back into these games - with their slow starts - can be quite hard.
Are people still really doing that "Ugh...black characters, can't relate" stuff a decade later? I figured at least people would be too embarrassed to say that stuff since the original thread gets brought up every time SA gets mentioned and people look as foolish as can be.
I think you are putting words into their mouth.
Way to put words into his mouth.
I absolutely loved San Andreas. It added so many fun features like car customization, the gang wars, dating, eating and even character customization. I enjoyed the theme and setting, the 90s music. Right up there behind Vice City.
It's hilarious that people try to tiptoe around the fact that, for them, "thug" = black, even though, as you said, every single GTA protagonist is a thug.
No, he said "thug life" which is pretty well generalized as that particular style. Hell, google thug life meme videos and stuff even. This isn't using the word 'thug' singularly in textbook definition.
You could have a 'thug life' style of game with any race protagonist, just like you could have an italian mafia thug style game where you were black (Imagine being Lance in Vice City for instance) and it would not be 'thug life'
Please, the thug life videos are just little kids cursing or people looking like they don't care about what's going on around them, it has nothing to do with the themes in San Andreas.