The game is set in the semi-fictional
San Andreas (based in California and Nevada), which contains three
metropolitan cities: Los Santos, based on Los Angeles, San Fierro, based
on San Francisco and Las Venturas, based on Las Vegas. Set in 1992, San
Andreas revolves around the gang member Carl “CJ” Johnson returning
from Liberty City to Los Santos, San Andreas, after learning of the
death of his mother. CJ finds his old friends and family in disarray. In the course of the game, CJ gradually unravels the plot behind his mother’s murder.
The high-level plot of the game is based
on several real-life events in Los Angeles, including the rivalry
between street gangs the Bloods and the Crips (Player’s gang and rival
gang is distorted out of), the epidemic crack (shown as a major point of
conflict in the game), the LAPD Rampart scandal (which forms the basis of several main antagonists in the game), and the game even ends in a parody of 1992 riots Los Angeles.
Gameplay
San Andreas is structured similarly to
the previous two games in the series. The core gameplay consists of
elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, offering players
an environment of large open world in which to move. On foot, the
player’s character is capable of walking, eating, running, running,
swimming, climbing (the first GTA game in which swimming and climbing is
possible) and jumping as well as using weapons and various forms of
hand to hand combat. Players can drive a variety of vehicles, including
automobiles, buses, semis,
boats, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, trains, tanks, motorcycles and
bikes. Players may also import vehicles rather than steal.
The open, non-linear environment allows
players to explore and choose how they wish to play. Although the plot
missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain
cities and content, they are not required as players can complete at
your own leisure. By not taking on a storyline mission, players can roam
free and look around the cities, eat at the restaurant, or cause havoc
by attacking people and causing destruction. Creating havoc can attract
unwanted attention and potentially fatal to the authorities. The more
chaos caused, the stronger the response: police will handle infractions
“minor” (attacking pedestrians, pointing guns at people, stealing cars,
killing, etc.), whereas SWAT teams, the FBI and the military respond to
higher desired levels.
The player can participate in a variety
of optional side missions that can boost their character’s attributes or
provide another source of income. The traditional side missions of the
past games are included, such as leaving cab passengers, putting out
fires, driving injured people to the hospital and fighting crime as a
vigilante. New additions include burglary missions, pimping missions,
truck and train driving missions requiring players to make deliveries on
time, and driving / flying / sailing / biking schools, which help
players learn skills and techniques to use in their corresponding
vehicles.
- License: Free
- OS: Windows
- Publisher/Developer: GTAIV:SA Team.
