Key snippets from the review:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is huge: almost six times the size of Vice City and even more so than GTA3.
The dynamic climate, for example, differs quite drastically from area to area. DJs on the radio will even mention these weather breakups and inform players when they can expect to see alterations to their environment.
Additionally, people on the streets will make comments to CJ based on his appearance. If Carl’s fat and out of shape, for instance, he’ll be ridiculed and made fun of. But if he’s buff and well-dressed, the townspeople will recognize this and make positive comments supporting him.
traffic flows more heavily during the morning and evening hours to mirror real-life rush hours; pedestrians change clothing styles and speech patterns based on the towns they live in;
Cycling, driving, holding your breath underwater, and riding motorcycles are all individual skills that can be improved upon by undertaking them more often.
Haircuts and tattoos can be added to your character too, and depending on the quality of your appearance, you’ll evoke bigger reactions out of women and fellow gang members.
Fans of the car modification craze that’s recently invaded the racing genre are in for a treat as well; as they’ll be able to pimp out their rides with a huge assortment of mods that allow them to upgrade their front and rear bumpers, tires, upholstery, and just about anything else associated with the customization aftermarket.
upgrading your ride with a hydraulics system 〈controlled via the right analog stick〉 enables you to partake in a mini-game centered on bumping your car to different selections of music.
a much more accurate (and faster) cursor that locks onto the biggest threat in front of you until it’s completely eliminated. In short, it’s what Vice City’s targeting system should have been.
When mastering the micro sub-machine guns, for example, players will eventually gain the ability to strafe and fire their weapons simultaneously while wielding two guns instead of one.
it’s taken its stealth-oriented mechanics as well. Though not as important or as frequent in comparison, the need to crouch in the shadows and sneak up behind your victims adds a nice touch to what’s otherwise a high-speed action game.
There’s even an unparalleled selection of mini-games to undertake in your spare time—including a Dance Dance Revolution-type rhythm game to play when in clubs, a small collection of arcade games that play exactly like Tempest, Asteroids, and Defender, and a fully-realized pool game that has its own physics system and betting option.
The number of polygons for each object has been nearly doubled from Vice City too, and the number of animations, particle effects, and weather patterns are more realistic than ever.
The commentary is completely dynamic too—with sounds that differ based on what kind of car you’re driving and what kind of adjustments have been made to its sound system.
This is the best PlayStation 2 game ever made. Period.
