Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an open world action adventure game created by Rockstar. It is one of the most iconic games of its time, the greatest selling PlayStation 2 game of all time with a massive 27.5 million copies sold/shipped worldwide (as of 2011) and is the best-selling game of 2004. It is a real generational thing, people from this time period all know about this game and had it effect their life in some way if that makes sense and it was a massive thing at the time. It’s considered one of the sixth generation of video gaming’s most remarkable titles, and by many reviewers one of the greatest videos games ever made. It really captured that era of time within one video game which is why millions of people favourite it still to this day, it is a landmark for gaming. The music, gameplay and story was all praised, however like everything some people dis agreed with it.

The violence and sexual content within the game had some controversy and worry. There was a sexual scene within the games coding and many people were worried. Like all video games people were concerned how this would influence the young people playing this day in day out. Many people were concerned and thought the game was a violent horrible game glorifying such things. I don’t agree with this however, playing a cooking game doesn’t make you a master chef therefore playing GTA doesn’t make you a serial killer.

The game is set within a fictional state of San Andreas which is basically based on California and Nevada. The game is based on an era which America has passed thankfully but still goes on no doubt. It is based around the times of the Bloods, Crips and Hispanic gangs, the 1980’s crack epidemic, the 1992 LA riots and the corrupt police.

The game is structured just like the previous games. The main gameplay is a driving game and a third person shooter. It is one of the main games to implement an open world environment with things for the player to interact with everywhere. The player is able to do many things a normal person would, sprint, run, walk, swim, climb, jump and use many weapons such as various guns and different objects to fight with. Also many different vehicles can be driven in the game; your player can jack any car within the game or import them, with this you can store them in your garage.

A general storyline is set to progress within the game but the player is able to just roam the world taking part in activities such as dancing, car racing, customising your car, buying weapons, playing pool, going to the gym, changing your clothes in several different open shops and many more. As well as the storyline the player can take part in various side missions in which can gain the player money to help him within the game. All the traditional side missions are still in use such as dropping off taxi passengers, putting out fires, driving injured people to the hospital or even fighting against criminals as a police officer. But San Andreas introduced a few new missions such as burglary, pimping, truck and train driving missions whom the player has to deliver objects on time and driving/flying/boating/biking schools which help player’s attributes grow and helps learn further skills or techniques to use within game play.

Not all locations within the game are accessible at the start, for example, at the beginning of the game Grove St. is the main part in which the player is doing missions in, so the main missions are

compulsory because if they aren’t completed you can’t explore other places such as shops, restaurants, garages etc. Completing the missions slowly unlocks parts in which you wouldn’t have not doing so.

Swimming isn’t no longer a restriction as in previous games going into water would kill the player, but now you can swim in the water and even better go under water, but as well as the health bar you have an oxygen bar which eventually runs out and you start to drown. Also for the first time players can perform drive-bys with multiple crew members in the car as well, in game you are able to get them to follow you.

Role-playing features

Rockstar has made personalisation in greater detail for the main character by adding role-playing game components; clothing, accessories, jewellery, tattoos and haircuts are all available to purchase by the player. Also when walking around San Andreas, people/CJ’s gang members say things to him in game play not only in cut scenes. CJ’s level of respect amongst everyone walking round varies according to his appearance and actions, so does his relationships with girlfriends. For example; the more missions he does the more respect he gains from his crew. If you were to remove all of his clothes, and walk around the streets his sex appeal/respect would go down and people would curse at him. Vice versa, CJ can speak back to a number of pedestrians in game either positively or negatively; according to Rockstar CJ has around 4,200 lines of dialogue excluding cut scenes.

Amongst the physical features there are skills and attributes that with playing the game increase or decrease. For example, the more your drive avoiding crashes etc. you’re driving skill increases. The more your sprint instead of walking your stamina increases which makes your player able to sprint for longer. Also Rockstar added a gym where you can do these things easier such as sprinting (running machine), gain muscle (lifting weights), and improve CJ’s style of fighting. You can keep it at a street brawling level or within different gyms change his style of fighting to more complex moves.

Vehicles

In total, there are 250 vehicles around San Andreas. Including a street sweeper, a tractor, a jet pack and pedal bikes. Nitrous was introduced in garage modification as well as customising the cars colour and body along with hydraulics. There are different classes of vehicles much like real life, for example; off road vehicles are faster and smoother on rough environments etc. Another new feature which was implemented was that you can skydive from aircraft/high places using a parachute which is

automatically available when falling.

Car physics and features were based similarity off the Midnight Club series (a street car racing game), which allowed for much greater mid-air control over the car, for example; flips, leaning the car sideways etc.

Other additions and changes different from prequels

Mini-games: Several mini-games are available to play within the game; basketball, pool, rhythm-based challenges (bouncing lowrider cars and dancing to the beat), video games machines paying respect to the classic arcade games. Betting and gambling is also available to perform, by betting on horses in game.

Multiplayer: Two players are available within the game. The players however are shown on the same screen meaning they have to stay within close proximity of each other. Rampages have been made so that two players can partake.

Money: The game is much more interactive with the player; you can make it a lot more personal by spending your own earned money through missions or killing people and taking their money off the ground. You can purchase clothes, different hair styles, gambling, tattoos, food etc. Too much gambling (spending money you haven’t got) leaves to the money bar to fall into red negatives numbers as opposed to green positive numbers. When the player leaves a safe house, CJ will get a call from an unknown person telling him to pay back the money. If a second phone call is made and the player does not pay the debts four gangsters appear and shoot CJ on sight.

Burglary: The games ironic setting obviously would include a home invasion feature. This is a potential way of making money within the game. It is available by stealing a burglary van, then CJ can sneak into homes at night and steal goods.

Gang wars: Fights are triggered when CJ is in rival gang territory and kills at least three gang members. If the player kills three waves of enemies the gang territory will become theirs forcing it a different colour on the map (green) and then Grove St. gang members will roam that area. The more territory owned generates more income for the player meaning they own them parts; drugs being sold there. Sometimes a part of the territory will be under attack and flash red, if the player defeats the gang their territory will remain, if they don’t the other enemies take it over. Once everywhere is taken over, they can’t get attacked.

Setting

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is set in 1992 fictional San Andreas (based on fictional places of Los Angeles and Nevada). It is made up of three major cities; Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco), Las Venturas (Las Vegas). However the environments within these cities are based on settings within the South-western region of America. A replica Mount Diablo is also in game; Mount

Chiliad as well as the Hoover Dam; Sherman Dam. Also a large secret military base called Area 69 based on Area 51, Vinewood; Hollywood which includes the Vinewood sign (Hollywood sign) and many more replica great land marks. The three cities are linked by many highways and a train system (you can get trains around the whole map). San Andreas not only includes rural areas but many urban

areas such as Grove St., Idlewood and places around that area; based on Inglewood, California; considered as one of the main areas of that time to be filled with gangs and violence within the southern area, along with many other areas.

Gangs

The game is based around gangs primarily. The main character CJ; Carl Johnson is a part of the Grove Street Families street gang which is a set of a gang that also includes the Temple Drive and Seville Boulevard Families. However the two main rival gangs are the Ballas and the Los Santos Vagos, both based in Los Santos. Other gangs are;

The Varrios Los Aztecas – Los Santos San Fierro Rifa – San Fierro The Da Nang Boys, a Vietnamese gang – San Fierro San Fierro Triads, the leader is Wu Zi Mu and in the game

storyline becomes friends with Carl. – Las Venturas Italian Mafia; the Forellis, Sindaccos and Leones. The Russian Mafia make a small appearance within the storyline

also.

Characters

Due to the features and what really the game was all about. At this age of time it blew up, the American dream, the gangsters, money, drugs, females and music really blew up and took a hold of the world, it’s a massive time in history and still goes on to this day. But I can’t explain that in this era of time it wasn’t never really about, this game captured that time massively and put it into one game; the sound track, the style, the game play and most importantly the characters.

The great thing about this game is that the characters which appear in San Andreas relate well to the locations and locals in which it is based in (L.A.), the player controls Carl Johnson who is voiced and slightly based on Young Maylay, who was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. He is a west coast rapper and a former gang member, being from these same streets and being involved in the same activities the game is solely based on his voice and whole presence was perfect for CJ.

The major characters within the storyline:

Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson – main character who the player plays as Big Smoke Sweet Ryder Cesar Vialpando Catalina The Truth Madd Dogg Wu Zi Mu

Mike Toreno Frank Tenpenny

Voice actors included within the game:

Samuel L. Jackson – voices one of the dirty cops who are always harassing CJ’s gang; Frank Tenpenny.

Ice-T – voices Madd Dogg; a rapper in the game. Again Ice-T is a rapper who can relate to the life and events San Andreas is based on.

MC Eiht – who voices the character Ryder. Ryder’s character design is based on the famous American rapper Eazy-E, in my

opinion one of the greatest rappers to have ever lived. Eazy has a whole persona about him that everyone who listened/knew about him understood and that sort of person is perfect for the game. So Mc Eiht, a former west coast rapper as well, again someone from these same streets, someone who’s been there and done that to voice him works great. MC Eiht’s own music can be heard on the

radio in game, as well as Eazy’s. The Game – voices a drug dealer. Again The Game, a rapper who grew up in the streets it is

based in and used to be a former gang member.

The game features many more great actors who voice many of the characters. The point I’m making is the reason this game was such a hit is because of how real it is. The fact so many people who really live what it’s about are involved in this gives it an even greater sway to it. People who like this sort of genre would really appreciate it and understand why it’s such a classic.

Plot

In 1992, Carl “CJ” Johnson returns to Los Santos after spending five years living in Liberty City when his brother Sean “Sweet” Johnson calls him to tell him about his mother’s murder. After coming out of the airport CJ is interrupted by a couple of corrupt cops led by Frank Tenpenny, you then understand from the dialogue that CJ and the policemen have got a history. Tenpenny threatens CJ that if he doesn’t co-operate with them he will blame CJ for the murder he’s committed on a fellow police officer.

CJ then returns to his home he grew up on Grove St. and reunites with his brother Sweet, his sister Kendl and members of his old gang; Big Smoke and Ryder. CJ then finds out that his crew Grove St. Families (GSF) have fallen off and lost a lot of their territory during his absence. CJ then decides to stay in town working with his crew to gain GSF more power and respect. The gang gradually rises to power with the help of Kendl’s boyfriend, Cesar Vialpando, leader of the Varrios Los Aztecas slowly taking out the rival gangs the Ballas and Vagos gangs. In doing this CJ regains the respect of Sweet, who was initially disappointed that he left after the death of their brother, Brian.

While CJ is on his way to meet Sweet Cesar calls him to witness Ryder and Big Smoke (two high up members in CJ’s crew) which lets him understand his crew is working with rival gang members and also the dirty police, learning even further that they were responsible for his mother’s death. Rushing to Sweets aid thinking it’s a set-up he fights off the Ballas, but the police come and lock

Sweet up, Tenpenny sends CJ to the countryside and dumps him there. With GSF slowly getting destroyed Smoke and Ryder openly co-operating with rival gang members run the streets.

Now having to make ends meet in the countryside from the hood CJ is forced to carry out favours for corrupt cops mainly killing people incriminating evidence against Tenpenny’s illegal activities, under threat of Sweet being re-located into a Balla invested wing CJ does what he asks. While in San Fierro CJ crosses paths with Ryder’s connect the Loco Syndicate and kill’s them along with Ryder.

Soon after CJ is contacted by a mysterious voice witch turns out to be an undercover agent working as a drug dealer to eliminate drugs within the city. He gives CJ an offer of helping him eliminate high up figures within the game in order for his brother Sweet to be released from prison.

Meanwhile another popular face within San Fierro; Woozi offers CJ a place in the Four Brothers Casino he runs. Also CJ is carrying out several jobs for mob boss Salvatore Leone gaining their trust slowly. Woozi then explains to CJ that the casino is having trouble with some members of the Italian Mafia so in return Woozi and CJ plot a robbery heist of one of their casinos. The heist is carried out successfully but this causes the mob to distrust CJ.

CJ also encounters Madd Dogg, from whom he stole a rhyme book to help new rapper OG Loc become a name in the rap game. But rescuing Madd Dogg from a suicide attempt he wants CJ to become his manager on return from rehab.

Tenpenny now fearing his arrest sends his partner to kill CJ. Tenpenny then finds out that another one of his partners is actually grassing him up to the government so Tenpenny tries to kill him. CJ kills both partners of Tenpenny’s but not him.

Madd Dogg gets out of rehab and asks CJ to come back to Los Santos to get his music career started again. The undercover officer tasks CJ with a last job which will free his brother Sweet. Now rich and successful with many connections CJ brings his brother Sweet into his business, but Sweet is angry that he left his home town and let drug dealers take it over. Whilst CJ once again helps Sweet run off the rival gangs in the area Tenpenny is arrested and tried for several offences but the chargers are surprisingly dropped due to a lack of evidence, causing a city-wide riot.

Sweet soon finds out where Smoke is hiding out (in a crack den in the city), and seeking to stop the drug flow within their city he and CJ go there to confront him. CJ enters the building alone, fighting his way to the top floor killing everyone and finds Smoke. CJ attempts to reason with him but he doesn’t want to hear it and tries to shoot CJ. They end up in a gun fight and CJ

wins, Smoke dying on the floor confesses to CJ that all the money and power went to his head and with his last breathe cries out “When I’m gone, everyone gonna remember my name, Big Smoke!” he dies and CJ replies “What a waste”. Just as this is all happening Tenpenny appears and holds CJ at gun point then steals Big Smoke’s drug money then escapes and CJ and Sweet chase him but Tenpenny spins out of control, crashes and dies.

In the aftermath of everything CJ’s family meet and the Johnson house for a meeting. Madd Dogg announces his first gold record as everyone celebrates CJ turns to leave when Kendl asks where he’s going he replies “Fittin’ to hit the block, see what’s happening.”

Soundtrack

As with the previous games San Andreas includes music from the time it was based. It has eleven radio stations within the game, in the previous games the radio stations would be a looped file of music just repeated each time; however San Andreas each station is separate and mixed in a random order which lets songs be played in all different orders giving a much realer feel to it. Also a presenter would announce which songs will be player next and plot events within the game are also mentioned on stations. This all gives it a real feel, because just like real life in game it has radio talk hosts creating a parody radio programme.

Just like the time the game is based music was a massive thing, it still is but a specific genre of music a specific sound and style which came along with it blew up across the globe massively. This games genre is related to the music so being able to listen to them tracks in the same streets it’s based on where the real people would be listening to the same exact tracks gives it such a great feeling and way about it.