Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Genre: Action Adventure

Platform(s): PS2, Xbox, PC

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar North

ESRB Rating: Mature

Players: 1-2

This sequel in the Grand Theft Auto series was released to critical and player acclaim in June of 2005. Highly anticipated, it takes the franchise to three cities and the roads between them.

The San Andreas Story

The game is set in 1992 in the fictional West Coast state of San Andreas. Protagonist Carl Johnson left his hometown in San Andreas five years earlier to escape the corruption, drugs and gangs of the inner city.

But, now it is time to go home. His mother has been murdered and his friends and family need him. His homecoming is anything but welcoming, though. Once he is back in Los Santos, he is framed for murder by some corrupt cops.

Gameplay

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, just like in Vice City and the other games in the Grand Theft franchise, you drive an assortment of cars. You can customize some of your vehicles as well as your main character. You have specific missions to accomplish, but there are a lot of other things you can do in each of the environments.

The maps are bigger than in GTA: SA's predecessors and you have more freedom. The gameplay is more complex. Piloting is more advanced; try taking the controls of a commercial plane. You can ride a bike and swim now, too. While there are plenty of new things to see and try, you will revisit some familiar characters from the earlier GTA games.

Other Information

• The official soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is available from Interscope records.
• Using cheat codes? Players recommend deactivating your cheats before you save the game.