Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas brings back the incredible action of the hit game series. Carl Johnson left the San Andreas neighborhood of Los Santos five years ago, when it was being ripped apart by drugs and gangs. When he returns in the early 90s, his mother has been killed, his family has fallen apart and childhood friends are criminals. Crooked cops frame Carl for murder, and he decides to save himself and his family - by taking over the streets. Advanced role-playing elements -- Unlike previous GTA characters, Carl can swim and he needs to eat to survive Side missions help develop skills that come into play later -- from working out at the gym to gambling in a casino
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Accessories
 Grand Theft Auto Double Pack
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo 2
Fable: The Lost Chapters
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas(tm) Official Strategy Guide (XBOX and PC) (Signature)
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Half Life 2
Xbox Core Console USM
Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit
Halo 3
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Reviews
Great game, although it has been out for a while, still fun as heck to play and is compatible with the 360 with an update that you can get from the Xbox website or from live when you put the game in. Never gets old.
San Fierro's (the fake San Francisco) vertical inclines and polished architecture come off as a more genteel, pleasant version of Liberty City. This game is so huge in scope that you'll find yourself playing for 70 or more hours, whether engaged in the more elaborate missions (which involve such diverse objectives as chasing a train, framing a DA, infiltrating a military base, a high speed mid-air dog fight, and even an assassination in far away Liberty City)., betting on the horse races, or in just exploring the huge environment. While there is a storyline in the game, you are allowed a significant amount of freedom, to the point where you can choose to not take any story missions, and instead either take on minor side missions, or simply drive about and cause chaos. When the hype over the next Grand Theft Auto game began to build, my reaction was more of a "so what". The variety of vehicles has once again increased, and now includes a selection of "proper" airplanes (including a fighter jet)., ATVs, and mountain bikes, in addition to cars, boats, motorcycles, and helicopters. GTA: San Andreas is certainly one of the most ambitious action games I've ever seen.
Targeting has also been improved, with the addition of a new manual aim mechanic for all projectile weapons, and a fully controllable camera. The graphics are improved in that the draw distance is better, textures are a bit nicer, and the almost-overwhelming orange glow present in the PS2 version has been toned down. In a move unheralded in the series, the developers threw in RPG elements: the more you perform an action (running, firing a certain weapon, driving), the higher your related skill stats go. Sure, I loved the GTA Double Pack (and had originally played a fair portion of Vice City on the PS2), but did I really need another stint in a small city, pursuing the same kind of missions and mayhem as before. Your character, Carl Johnson, can now not only swim, but can also climb over fences if needed. Not only did it fail to correct some of the failings of GTA 3, but it also took a step backwards in environmental design, as Vice City's flashy '80s neon cool couldn't make up for its flat and boring design (as opposed to Liberty City's multi-tiered, busy design).
At several points in the game, you'll also get to lead your own posse of gang members, and engage in territorial conflict. Not only is there variety to be found in the three general country areas bordering the cities, but each of the three big cities is distinct from the others. However, when I found out the true scope of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, my interest grew exponentially. But wait- there's more.
The ability to make my own soundtrack is key for a game which depends a lot on cruising around; King Crimson, Deep Purple, Angra, The Four Tops, and more make the experience more unpredictable and just more fun. As huge as the included soundtrack is, I feel that Vice City's '80s soundtrack is better, and I'm not much of a fan of rap or grunge (I do sort of like the New Jack Swing station). You control Carl Johnson, a former gang member, who is dragged back into the lifestyle by an unexpected death in the family. Beyond these changes, the gameplay mechanics have been kicked up a notch. (Note to the parents reading this: DO NOT get this game for any kid under 16. You can customize your character to a certain degree (haircuts, individual clothing items), affect your characters physique by eating and working out, and even have a few girlfriends (who you can go on dates with). The true breadth of the game really hits you when you first drive beyond the Los Santos city limits, into the countryside of Red County.
The storyline this time around is a little less tongue in cheek, and a little bit more serious. However, while those games may have better graphics, or a more refined targeting system, none of them has the depth of gameplay, variety and attention to environmental design as this game. They finally made a game that feels almost as immersive as an actual world, but without as many limitations. It's very entertaining, but the subject matter and context of the violence [of which there is plenty] is better for a "less impressionable" mind). I can't completely blame them; after all, certain magazines (such as Game Informer) seem to throw any semblance of journalistic integrity out the window in their quest to write slavishly glowing and obsequious previews and reviews of any games from GTA's developers, Rockstar Games. seen in Quentin Tarentino and John Singleton movies, and the elevated highway interchanges and lofty downtown metropolitan look of more decadent depictions of the West Coast. The number of missions has increased from the prior installments' 60-odd missions to over 100 story/side-story missions, plus the "career" missions (vigilante, ambulance, firefighter, valet, trucker, pimp, burglar, etc)., and the inevitable racing challenges. In general, the graphics are not as shiny and "clean" as the Xbox version of Vice City, but do seem to provide more detail and variety (even if in a somewhat grainier fashion).
While it boasted a number of improvements, such as better graphics, a great licensed soundtrack, a more cinematic storyline (complete with celebrity voice acting), somewhat better targeting, and the addition of motorcycles and helicopters, Vice City was really not the quantum leap in gaming it was billed as. Even if you were never into the "Boyz In The Hood" genre of melodrama, the game is so well executed, and expands so far beyond that conceit, that it's hard not to be drawn in. By this point, you probably are familiar with the Grand Theft Auto premise, established by Grand Theft Auto 3 in 2001. However, the cool car reflections of the PS2 version are MIA, for some reason.
Los Santos (the Los Angeles clone) combines the sun-drenched, beachcomber vibe of Vice City with the gritty sprawl of the L.A. You control a criminally inclined character in a city, who can take a variety of missions from characters scattered about the area, and can pretty much take over most any vehicle. Or does it. These publications make it seem that there are no other worthwhile games out there aside from the GTA games, to such a degree that it almost screams payola. Controls are a similar mixed bag; while the Xbox control sticks are a sight better for targeting, the controls for "drive-by shooting" are abysmal, compared to the GTA Double Pack (why the change).
While the Las Vegas-inspired Las Venturas sports the weakest layout of the cities, being too reminiscent of Vice City's flat, low-rise tract design, its neon-lit casinos, scattered industrial depots and encircling highway system provide their own charms. It's true that the "open world" genre is no longer new and enough in itself, with competition from Saint's Row, Just Cause, and True Crime: NYC. For once, the hype was right. (The downside is that this game may hit too close to home for anyone in a neighborhood terrorized by gang violence and the resulting "collateral damage").
Instead of providing one mere city, this game provides an entire state, albeit a relatively small and abridged one (when compared to the real thing). One of the greatest improvements is the inclusion of custom soundtracks. If that's not enough, several "just for kicks" mini-games are included, such as pool, basketball free-throws, and arcade games. For the Xbox version, there's the good.and the bad.
Three very distinct cities (based on Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas), a dozen small towns, a mountain, desert, woods, prairie, farms, rivers- this game's environment is the definition of "throwing in the kitchen sink". GTA 3's sequel, Vice City, was the beneficiary of relentless media hype arising from the swell of unexpected success from its predecessor. Putting aside from the typical reactions one gets from those who are predisposed to dislike this game due to its controversy (such as so-called "attorney" Jack Thompson, whose crusade against this and other violent video games has become an unintentional self-parody), it seems that there are those who are quite vocal about disliking this game due to the ridiculous amounts of hype the series receives.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE ALL TIME GAME BECAUSE ONCE YOU BEAT IT YOU CAN JUST PLAYING AND PLAYING.
And in my opinion the best GTA title to date. I highly recomend checking out the standard radio stations before jumping in and blasting your own stuff. All in all this is an open ended open world game with literaly weeks and weeks (at about 40-80 hours a week) of fantastic gameplay. This title is no exception. This game gets high marks for that alone. Mrs.
One person in particular that had me rolling on the floor was Jeffery aka Loc (pronounced loke like joke). Following suit you complete X amount of missions in San Fierro and you unlock Las Venturas (can you guess. Wooohooo. Because at the 2006 E3 game convention it was anounced that GTA 4 (the title might change) will be released on XBOX and PS3 on the same day. Dissing must be another word for.well, you know what people say guys do to other guys in jail. You play a character by the name of Carl Johnson or CJ.
There are a lot of classic (now classics anyway) Rap, R&B, country, even some super rock songs. With everything from learning to fly a plane to breaking into an area 51 rip off and stealing a prototype from the military, to the simple things such as sitting in a casino and playing a few hands of black jack or maybe slots are your thing. The casual conversations people have on the street are really. Loc gets out of jail and you end up helping him get his Rap career of the ground. On the PS2 you would almost always end up staring at a blank single color skyline. San Andreas opens up a new character development feature that while it's not quite an RPG system it's real close. Difrences between PS2 and XBOX; mainly the graphics aren't as choppy or short sighted. If GTA's next installment has Online capable multiplayer then ,ladies and gentlemen, we'll have gaming perfection.
Johnson was killed by a drve-by shooting involving a Green Sabre (one of the many types of cars). Anyway the comedic content in this game is some of the best and funniest stuff I've heard in a long time. However now that CJ's back he's ready to get rolling in the family business, which is a street gang known as the Grove Street Gang. The story takes off from there with tons and tons of side-missions to keep you robbing, killing, and car-jacking for weeks. The XBOX versions of GTA games are always better. A major part of most "side-missions" are real funny also.
Well first you help him kill a guy who was "dissing" him in jail. There are a few places where you can get way up high in the air, especially when flying, and take a look around. Las Vegas). After you complete a certain number of story-line missions you will "unlock" a new city known as San Fierro (San Francisco) with tons and tons more missions in that city as well. I originaly played this game for the PS2. A beautifull skyline complete with sunset colors and even a cloud here and there.
Then I got wind of a XBOX release and stopped playing that day. My main gripe with GTA as a whole is no multyplayer. Certain characters will have you laughing at there stupidity and "gangster" slang. CJ has come back to Los Santos (or Los Angeles) to attend the funeral of his mother.
The talk radio stuff isn't as funny as other entries in this series, but the stuff with Andy Dick is hilarious. The graphic problems of the PS2 are still there, but are greatly reduced. The real issue I have with this series has already been fixed.
Some people even speak to you, but beyond answering positively or negatively there no real comunication. CJ and his brother had a falling out over the death of CJ's other brother. If you have never played a Grand Theft Auto title before than you ,my friend, are in for a treat. Every unlocked city gets more and more intense and crazy.
This is by far the best single player game in the last 2 years. I played it for weeks.
The PSP GTA title Liberty City Stories has ad-hock multiplayer, and it's great. I have a unique sense of humor, so you may enjoy the other stuff more than I did.
Untill then GTA SA is near perfect. Most importantly the sound is the exact same as PS2, but as with other GTA XBOX versions you can play your own music via the user track player.
At the end of the day this is the clear winner of the two console entries. No more waiting for PS2 to sell out their stock before XBOX can release their version.
On the XBOX you get what the programmers intended you to see.
The HUD map on the corner could be a little clearer. There are just too many of the same car in each city. There are about as many as vice city maybe. While it is a cool concept its a little lame.
Why did the have to mess with the controls. I am still having a hard time remembering that the right trigger is now to aim, not to shoot.
If it indeed were realistic then the game would suck. Running into stuff. They are almost PS1 like. Controls. Well thats about it, this game is so awesome you would be a fool not to own it. (Love the game by the way) . it just seems that I see the same five cars everyhwere I go.
Map. You cannot change the configuration of the buttons. Great story line, and some great new additions to the already great series.
Graphics. Cars. Going for days without food. You can still take out street lights and traffic lights at 20 miles per hour, but heaven forbid you run into a bush. Unrealistic "sim" effect. I have played the previous versions so long it was hard to adjust at first.
However, when a game is this big, with that large map and all that music, you have to sacrifice somwhere. No need to go into how awesome the game is, we already know that, so I will share some of the things I found wrong with it. Why mess with a working system.
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