GTA San Andreas: Impressions from all you playas

[Perfect Stu]

GTA: SA raises the bar in so many different areas. It's tough to absorb the size of this beast when you first start playing. But, at about 7 hours in, I've began to tame the beast. And man...what a beast it is.

Visuals

-While not the most amazing textures or highest-poly character models, the game looks very good. Great lighting, a distinctful, fitting art style, and sheer variety of what you see around you is boggling.

Gameplay

-Better than any other GTA, period. Variety is fantastic...I've danced in night clubs, played pool, rode cars, lowriders, dune buggy's, BMX bikes, choppers and motorbikes. There have been motorbike chases, lowrider races, and train pursuits on a dirt bike. Drive-by's, gang beatings, and picking up hookers. Ive lifted crates of guns from a forklift into a stolen van. I also showed off my lowriding skills by hopping my car around on hydrolics, based on a minigame that is not unlike a simple version of DDR.

-One thing that has changed since past GTA games is character custimization. You can pick your clothes, you can build up muscle at the gym, and you can pack on the pounds by eating fast food (if you feel like it). NPC's will react to your appearance according to your appearance.

I feel that I've taken a decent chunk out of this game, but apparently I'm only 9% in. I havent seen either of the other two cities, or most of the countryside.

Ive looked around, and there's really nothing to complain about. You can look hard for glitches and imperfections, but you'll soon get caught up in the atmosphere of cruising down the beachside in your lowrider listening to "Aint Nuthin but a G Thang" or tearing down the highway at night on a chopper listening to "Free Bird".

Games dont get much better than this. And I'm less than a 10th of the way though it.

[Dylflon]

Yeah. I picked it up today and I'm not very far yet. I find the radar a bit frustrating. It's hard sometimes to see where you're going. Especially with a million icons cluttering it up.

[Typhoid]

The Icons confuse me.
I do have one compaint about this game, I will get usedf to it, but my complaint is with the driving. The camera is always changing, one second it copuld be behind you, the next second you turn the corner and your lookin at your hood.

I've gotten used to it now, and fixing this with the R3 button is standard now. No complaints.

I got the last copy of this in Future Shop today. I was happy.

Im only 4% in the game, but I've been playing for an hour.

I cant seem to get my respect up at all.

And another thing, is three a way to like, recruit gang members? Or do you ave to do a mission before this happens. Considering im only 4% in, im missing a VAST majority of everything.

[Perfect Stu]

I havent recruited gang members yet, but I HEAR there will be a focus on turf wars later on in the game...taking over other gangs territories, etc.

As for respect, mine is still very low and I'm 10% through. Stay patient, have fun with the missions, but most importantly, have fun with the city.

*edit*

oh, and you can make the radar much less cluttery in the options menu...and once you get familar with the landscape, you'll know where each place is (vaguely) anyways

[Joeiss]

My guy is quite muscular. He wears green shoes, beige pants, a black tank top and a green bandana over his hair. I use to wear a green hoody, but I had to switch to the tank top to show off my muscles. Also, when I got on killing sprees, I like to wear a green bandana over my face, you know, to look more gangstaaaa.

[Typhoid]

My guy is quite muscular. He wears green shoes, beige pants, a black tank top and a green bandana over his hair. I use to wear a green hoody, but I had to switch to the tank top to show off my muscles. Also, when I got on killing sprees, I like to wear a green bandana over my face, you know, to look more gangstaaaa.


Can you put a bandana on and off on the fly, or do you have to go back to the hosue first and change there?

And damnit, i wanna steal things from peoples houses!

And me and Dyaln decided (after playing this game) that now, on MSN conversations, instead of using a comma, you use "Nigga" or "Muthaf****". Try it, they both work, heres an example.

Hello mother nigga how are you today? Today is very nice out nigga there is no rain in the sky muthaf****.

See nigga flawless.

[Joeiss]

i use nigger anyways because im racist. plain and simple.


haha, jk. I do say nigger too often though... Just because there are no black people on my floor.. oh well nigga haha

[DarkMaster]

lmao they go eat fried chicken. awesome.

[Crono]

I just bought this game. Only did the first couple missions, fooled around for the rest of time. It is a sweet game though.

[TheGame]

I want this game... its killing me that I can't afford it yet :( Even to this day I still play GTA3 on Xbox... and I'm sure GTA:SA is much much better.

[Perfect Stu]

and I'm sure GTA:SA is much much better.

it is. it really, really is.

whatever, you'll save up eventually.

[Joeiss]

TheGame, your black too. And if you are the stereotypical black gangsta thug (which I know you're not, but lets pretend), then you'll love it!

[Dylflon]

I like how the game doesn't just give you vast sums of money. It's more realistic in that way. But still...respect doesn't pay the bills.

[Perfect Stu]

I like how the game doesn't just give you vast sums of money. It's more realistic in that way. But still...respect doesn't pay the bills.

yeah you gotta find the rich neighbourhoods and run over a handful of people every now and then just to buy some threads. I love it...you cant settle, you always gotta diversify

[Typhoid]

yeah you gotta find the rich neighbourhoods and run over a handful of people every now and then just to buy some threads. I love it...you cant settle, you always gotta diversify


I went around yesterday in this one plaza by the Hospital and killed like, 30 people, and got $4000.

Yipee.

[Dylflon]

Wow. The money really starts rolling in once you start taking turf.

When you get turf, money accumulates in front of your house. It's great!

Money, money, money. MONEY!

[DarkMaster]

Find and kill the drug dealers, they drop between $2000-$5000. They wear black and sell crack to people, be on the look out.

[Perfect Stu]

gang wars are money pots, with people dropping like flies...not to mention a fine variety of weaponry.

right now my game save is just past the mission with the 'family' meeting in the hotel (great mission, loved it) and I'm carrying a shovel, a pistol, a mini sub machine gun, an AK-47, a shotgun and grenades. I'm trying to build up my territory, later tonight I'll hopefully take out 2 more 'hoods'.

[Dylflon]

I know we haven't had a problem yet, but mission-wise let's keep spoliers to a minimum.

[GameMaster]

Performance-wise, was GTA III better on the PC or PS2? If it's better on the PS2, maybe I should give in and buy one of those cool, new, slim PS2s so that I too, can play San Andreas.

[Dylflon]

It says I can recruit gang members now. How the crap do I do that?

[Perfect Stu]

It says I can recruit gang members now. How the crap do I do that?

I havent recruited any gang members yet...other than grab a few to hop in my lowrider to take over some turf

what part of the game are you at? have you gotten to Mt. Chiliad yet?

*edit*

and guys, there are about 3 missions in Los Santos that eclipse any I've played in GTA3 or Vice City...if GTA3 deserves a 9.5 out of 10, this game is definately as close to 10 as you can get.

[Typhoid]

Im at about 10% and i still cant do turf wars or anything...im still secluded to the bottom right corner, well not secluded, but its the only highlighted area.

Whos missions did you guys do to get to do the turf wars and stuff?


PS: After doing OG Locs missions, i think he is the best character i've seen in a while. The hardcore gangsta rappa who cant rhyme and works mopping floors in a burger joint.

[Joeiss]

OG Log is hillarious. He reminds me of a bunch of my friends.
"I'm gangstaaaaa"

[GT News]

OG Log is hillarious. He reminds me of a bunch of my friends.
"I'm gangstaaaaa"

And hillarious is OG Log.
I get it.
reminds him or her of a bunch of his or her friends.I don't know anyone named gangstaaaaa.

[GiMpY-wAnNaBe]

And hillarious is OG Log.
I get it.
reminds him or her of a bunch of his or her friends.I don't know anyone named gangstaaaaa.
good ol' foofoobot.

and to Gamemaster's Inquiry, the PC version of GTAIII was generally better, if you ahd a good computer. it ran at a solid 50 FPS on my computer with maximum settings, and it looked great, I'd think San Andreas will be about the same. Things look sharper on computer as well as the signs are MUCH MUCH MUCH more readable, and a lot of them are halarious.

[Acebot44]

Here's (http://hem.bredband.net/708145/tags.html) a map of all the tag locations.

[Perfect Stu]

Anyone else get to San Fierro yet? I JUST got there and saved, havent done any missions in the city yet...havent even explored.

There is lots of humour in the county-based missions, this game just gets better and better.

[Acebot44]

I got to San Fierro almost right after I finished the First Chiliad mission. I've exposed the whole map of that Island but it doesnt looks as exciting as the first :(

[Typhoid]

I am still confined to basically where you start. Im like, 10% in. I have a smidgen of "new" map, but its just beach and grass.

I have all of the "hoods" except for a couple of the Yellow ones. I have almost all (i think except for 1) of the safehouses that are purchasable so far for me. And right now i have about $76,000, something like that.

Where is the airplane flying school so i can go into the airport and fly?

[Acebot44]

The schools happen sometime during the story.

You don't need it though. Drive up to the building the guy who tells you you need a license is sitting in and jump on your car then onto the roof then into the airport. Two planes inside there.

[Typhoid]

Hmmmm.....I have no Missions left in Los Santos, except for like...the street racing one...or ones...damn...Im guessing I either have to do the lowrider missions or get all of the hoods to get to San Fiero.

Please fill me in..because I'm confused.



Hopping the fence and flying a plane to Mount Chiliad before you can even get to San Fiero is dangerous...i got shot down by jet fighters...damn them, shooting down an innocent passanger plane.


EDIT: I realised, after flying to as far as i could get before getting missiled down, that there are NO load times.

What? Huh?

Why ould they not do this for Vice City? Vice City was roughly the size of San Fiero, or Las Venturas, or Los Santos, so why did they need 3 load times for that, and none for this?

I am cow tittedly confused here.

[Perfect Stu]

more advanced streaming technology, what's not to understand?

[DeathsHand]

Ok I gotsd a question... How the flyin' flip do you rob houses?

I'm past the mission you need to pass to start doing it, and I know you need that truck (gamefaqs said it's called a boxville)... And can only do it between certain hours... Well I had the truck and tried during the hours but there were no houses I could enter and it didn't activate a mission or anything when I clicked the joysticks...

And so I cry...

[Swan]

I finally rented this game and I love it(obviously)
I'm stuck right now because of my crappy TV. I'm very early on. At the first drive by mission where you have to get to the spray place. I can't find the spray place :mad: The icon disapears after a couple seconds and it is so small on my TV.

[The Germanator]

Just wanna say that I finally got this mother****ing game. This gangsta **** is right on the money. I love flipping on the hip-hop station to hear some "**** with Dre"...So appropriate. I really hate the "Kill Freddy" mission on the bike, it's really hard..Anyway, this game rocks, I wish I had more time to play it, but alas, the college curriculum/social scene holds me in place.

[Perfect Stu]

Germy, the game gets better and better and better

you're gonna love this mother****ing sh*t, n*gga

[DarkMaster]

I especially like the parts where you shoot people.

[Typhoid]

I especially like the parts where you shoot people.


And swear. And drive. And run. And walk. and jog. and fly. and swim. and stab people. and burn people. and explode people. and punch people. and kill people. and go on a train. and dive underwater. and run on the countryside.


*Plays GTA: SA*

[Dylflon]

Bicycles = the best mode of transportation in GTA. Ever.

If you're feeling adventurous and are in San Fierro, take a bike, go to the Gant bridge, get some speed and bunny hop over the rails onto the concrete below. It's a long drop.

[Typhoid]

Bicycles = the best mode of transportation in GTA. Ever.

If you're feeling adventurous and are in San Fierro, take a bike, go to the Gant bridge, get some speed and bunny hop over the rails onto the concrete below. It's a long drop.



Umm......or a better thing to do is take a BMX or something up to Mount Chiliad, and get speed and go off the ramp thing on the flat part of the mountain, and you just drop. It would be smart to get the parachute.....but that makes it no fun.

[Swan]

The bikes are my favorite mode of transportation in ANY game ever. They are so fun.

The funniest thing I've heard on the radio so far was on the classic rock station. "I've got two tickets to paradise for you...in my pants"

[Joeiss]

The bikes are my favorite mode of transportation in ANY game ever. They are so fun.

The funniest thing I've heard on the radio so far was on the classic rock station. "I've got two tickets to paradise for you...in my pants"
Lol.. I heard that once.. But I usually listen to Los Santos Radio... I love the old school rap... beauty.

[DeathsHand]

I havn't heard many commercials... My favorite so far would be the diamonds commercial... About how most women are shallow and materialistic, then at the end some lady says something like "A diamond!? Oh honey you DO love me!... Want a blowjob?"

[Acebot44]

Is it just me or does it seem like the talk radio station is really limited in material? I've heard that Andy Dick/Garden dude thing like 20 times and the sports thing in the 10s.

[Typhoid]

Is it just me or does it seem like the talk radio station is really limited in material? I've heard that Andy Dick/Garden dude thing like 20 times and the sports thing in the 10s.



Maybe its tied into the time of the day...i dont know....maybe you just usually go into a car on that station at a certain time every time.

Or maybe it IS really limited...who knows...