Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Xbox)

9.5
Perfect

Gameplay	10	"The standout title for this generation makes it wasy to the Xbox"
Graphics	8.0
Sound	9.0
Value	9.0

By Alan Jordan

Chances are you have played at least one Grand Theft Auto game. If you haven't then you really are at the wrong website I fear. The series has become the defining face of 21st century gaming after such humble beginnings back in 1997. I remember having my fragile little mind warped by the original GTA at the tender age of 15. Lets just say that I haven't looked at a Hare Krishna quite the same since. Gouranga indeed. It was obvious, even back then in its archaic incarnation, that the simple idea behind the game offered up so much potential that it was almost limitless. The top down view of the first two titles limited what could be done however and the potential lay unfulfilled. Cartoon like graphics also helped keep the series away from too much public scrutiny.

Then, Grand Theft Auto 3 hit the PlayStation 2, sold millions of copies and became public enemy number one over night. At one point, the Washington sniper crisis was blamed on an over zealous GTA fan. Of course it was ridiculous but it was a perfect insight into how terrifying a force that bored housewives and so-called 'experts' can be. GTA: Vice City merely stoaked the fires of public opinion. The game was excellent again, shifted from a current day setting back to the 80s (shudder), added in some series voice talent and featured one of the greatest sound tracks of all time. Sales again were unbelievable and Rockstar figured out that they might be on to something with the series. A sequel was always on the cards and that, my friends, is where GTA: San Andreas comes in.

Admittedly, San Andreas came out on the PlayStation 2 last October (have a look HERE for our review). You may well have already played it to death and you just want to know the differences between the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of the game. Patience children, I will get to that soon. For those who have not had the pleasure of playing San Andreas though, I will endeavour to make this more than merely a comparison.

The game begins in the early 1990s with your character, CJ, returning home to the West Coast after a five year stint in Liberty City - the setting of GTA 3. CJ's mother has been gunned down and all is not well with his Grove Street gang. Something is afoot and your goal is to find out what is happening and to get Grove Street back some respect.

Respect actually ends up being important to the game in a quite subtle way. As you complete tasks, you are awarded 'respect' points which dictate how NPC's react to you. How you look will also dictate how people react to you. You are given points for sex appeal based on your clothes and your hair style. Splash out on the blig bling and the ladies will love you, get your digs from the local department store (think Warehouse) and they'll recognise you for the cheapskate that you are. You also become more proficient at things the more you do them. Drive a motorbike a lot and you will become better at driving it and the controls will actually tighten up. It is so amazingly subtle that you mightn't notice but the game is just so good at doing the little things well. Even your weight dictates how people treat you in the game. Yes people, your weight! In San Andreas, you are able to eat and exercise and both of these things will alter how you look and are treated. Eat a few too many burgers and drive everywhere and you'll pile on the pounds fast. But, go to the gym and eat healthy and you'll be buff in no time at all. It all adds up to the most customisable Grand Theft Auto game yet and makes it more of a roleplaying than most RPGs. You are CJ and YOU dictate how he grows throughout the game.

The missions themselves are far more varied than those in Vice City or GTA 3. We are given stealth missions, escort missions, robbery missions, home invasion missions, graffiti missions, car chases, missions to take out rivals, and a whole lot more. There are a dizzying amount of mini games too. Once again, you can hop into ambulances, taxis, fire engines, police cars etc. and take on a number of other missions. You can go street racing, hell, you can even go on a date! The potential of the Grand Theft Auto series is beginning to come to fruition as the idea of having a real city can now be realised fully.

Did I say city? Sorry, I meant to say state. Yes, San Andreas ditches having only a single city and gives you three of them! You also get everything between the two cities to keep you occupied. The scale of San Andreas is breathtaking.The three cities of Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas make up the state and represent parodies of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas respectively. Each citiy is teeming with life and the game as a whole must surely be one of the largest game worlds ever created. It really must be seen to be believed. Teeming with life may be an understatement actually. Rockstar have created a living, breathing world; or as close to one as anyone else has ever got. NPCs have conversations with each other then turn around and walk away from each other. You will feel completely immersed in the game.

The sound also adds to the imersiveness of the game. Voice acting is superb! There are some big names in there; namely Chris Penn, James Woods and Samuel L Jackson. These big names are not overused though and don't distract from the game. The central characters are excellently voiced and they play really well off each other. Ryder, in particular, is hilarious. Be warned though, the language is not for the faint hearted; think Boyz in the Hood. Sound effects are great with the distinction between cars being well defined; hop in an old banger and you will chug along but steal a sports car and you will hear the beast purrrr. The soundtrack is also worth noting. It is fantastic and even features one of my favourite songs of all time; 'Fools Gold' by Stone Roses. As with Vice City, the soundtrack for San Andreas places the game perfectly in its own time period. The game is set in the early 90s and besides not having Nirvana on the soundtrack, everything else you want is there; from Ganster Rap to Country and Western. The radio stations are also punctuated by GTA's usual collection of hilarious Djs. The goodness doesn't stop there though. Your car will actually affect how the music sounds; ride on a scooter and the sound quality will be poor, ride around in a luxury sedan and the music will sound clearer. It is the little things that add up to make this the game it is.

The little things are also going to be the reason you may opt for the Xbox version over the PlayStation 2 version too. The game is, after all, essentially the same game. As with the Xbox versions of GTA 3 and Vice City though, the Xbox version of San Andreas is a slightly tweaked version of the PlayStation 2 version. The differences this time though, do not appear to be quite as noticeable. I was in fact slightly dissapointed that the graphics weren't given more of an overhaul. However, the sheer amount happening on screen does go some way to alleviate this complaint. Textures have been slightly improved with the Xbox versions and it is now possible to read some billboards which were impossible to see on the PlayStation 2 version. Action is a good bit smoother with fewer occurances of slowdown. Draw distance has also been improved upon the original. The graphics are still somewhat dissapointing though and I would love to have seen a GTA title built ground-up for the PC or Xbox; we will just have to wait for the next generation versions to appear to see how far Rockstar can really take the game.

One feature which does improve greatly upon the PlayStation 2 version is the ability to use custom soundracks. Yes, you can finally listen to the Spice Girls while gunning down fellow gangsters in driveby shootings. It can actually lead to some surreal moments; after a busy night of beating up drug dealers, I hopped in my car to be greeted by 'She's Leaving Home' by The Beatles. It just didn't seem right. For those who want to reamain fully thrust into the 90s, then stick to the game's radio stations. I love having custom soundtracks though! You can't beat listening to Interpol or Muse when on the run from the cops.

Another feature the Xbox version adds is an instant replay option. You can replay the last 30 seconds of ingame action which, in a game this cinematic, can be particuarly stunning. Amazing jumps, spectacular car chases, horrendous crashes or just hitting some poor old lady as she crosses the street are all fully replayable from numerous angles. It's all good fun but unfortunately you are unable to save replays to show off to your mates. Rockstar are contemplating putting this option in future versions of GTA but it didn't quite make the cut in this version.

Anyone who has played the PlayStation 2 version will be aware of just how frustrating the loading times could be at times. If you fancied a cup of tea while playing the PlayStation 2 version, then you could pop off, boil the kettle and enjoy a nice cuppa before the game would load. Okay, maybe not but loading times did get very frustrating at times. While the Xbox version is still not perfect, loading times have been improved upon, thus reducing the frustration factor slightly.

The Xbox version also fails in comparison to the PlayStation 2 version in one key area; control. Again, the black and white buttons cause some problems as you are required to twist your hands into some rather bizzare positions when performing drivebys. Okay, this isn't a massive issue, but it can be annoying. The black and white buttons are generally quite annoying and thankfully they are being replaced with two shoulder buttons on the upcoming Xbox 360.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is one the greatest games to ever appear on home consoles. The size and scale of the game are dizzying and you will be able to devote something like a hundred hours to the game, if you are willing to do so that is. If not, the game is so open to multiple styles of gaming that you will get fun out of it no matter how 'hardcore' you are; you can pick it up for ten minutes and do something cool or play the missions for hours. The Grand Theft Auto games are only now beginning to show their true potential, and when the titles hit the next generation of systems, we should be in for one hell of a ride.

As for the differences between the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions, they are somewhat superficial. If you have already played the game to death on PlaysStation 2 then it may not be worth picking up the Xbox version. However, if you are an Xbox user who has previously resisted the charms of the title, then I highly recommend running to your local video game store (running fast), buying a copy, running home, putting the disc in your Xbox and the procceding to play the game for a long time. You may need supplies like food and water, but apart from that you should be fine. The game is a look at the future of gaming, if only more developers put this much devotion into their games then the gaming world would be a much happier place.

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