The new installment of the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise has finally arrived. Is it worth it? Well let us rap about it for a minute. Ever since “Grand Theft Auto III” arrived on Playstation 2 the franchise has gone from obscure car game to a piece of American pop culture. The game, which is about committing crimes, created a new genre with its free roaming mission-based game structure that has taken over the videogame industry. “SpiderMan 2,” “Jax 2” and even “Mortal Kombat: Deception,” have ripped off “Grand Theft’s” structure.
While “Grand Theft Auto III” is hot stuff, “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” has its own impact. Instead of totally updating the engine, the fine folks at Rockstar Games had an epiphany. Tweak the engine a little to allow a few new features, add a new story, and set the game back in the ’80s. This allows for a stylized gaming experienced, complete with a soundtrack full of classic ’80s music. “GTA3,” and “GTA:VC” were both huge hits, so the question now is could they do it again? With “GTA: San Andreas” the answer is “eh, I guess, kinda.”
“GTA: San Andreas” takes the idea of “Vice City” and continues it. The setting this time is the West Coast in the early ’90s. The biggest feature of this game is that it doesn’t just take place in a city, it takes covers the entire fictitious state of San Andreas. Within the state there are three cities each the size of Vice City in the last games, not to mention countryside populated by about a dozen small towns and various nooks and crannies to keep explorers busy.
One thing that detracts from the game is the lighting. In San Andreas the city in the beginning of the game goes for a hazy smog look. This effect makes the makes the lighting screwy and although it can be avoided by adjusting the brightness on the TV screen, it still might not be enough.
Another thing that detracts from the game is are the dated graphics. The graphics dilemma is obviously due to the fact that the game has an entire state filled with people and cars, and no loading times. Still the graphics are a little edgy, and make some of the character skins look silly. An additional graphics complaint is the tendency for walls to disappear and there is slight clipping. This isn’t that big of a problem, but it does add to making the graphics look sub-par.
The game keeps all the features that made GTA games popular. You can go where you want, and do what you want. Once you’ve finished the main story line, you’ve only completed about half of the game. You can go on dates, rob houses, race dirt bikes and shoot pool. With all the variety, it does make the game feel worth the $50 price tag.
The story and production values are easily the biggest attraction to passive gamers. The basic storyline is that you are Carl “CJ” Johnson, ex-gang member coming home after five years away. You’re immediately framed by some crooked cops, and your old gang reluctantly lets you back into the hood. There are hours of voice work in the game, and all of it is well done. Guest voices pop up in the most random places, and never feel out of place. Samuel L. Jackson is the voice of the corrupt cop framing you. Charlie Murphy, Eddie Murphy’s funny brother, pops up as a pimp. James Woods plays a…. well he’s in there.
If you like edgy game play, or are a fan of GTA this game is a must.