User Score
8.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 666 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 44 out of 666

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  1. Nov 9, 2011
    8
    "GTA: San Andreas" was a great free-world open sandbox game. You can try all sorts of weird gags and beat kick-ass missions with your black homies. However if you don't want to suffer glitches and tweaks that often happen, try "GTA: Vice City".
  2. Oct 16, 2010
    10
    What I have to say is besides the mere tweaks, and small glitches, there just part of the fun to explore. This game should be used for players have have a really good computer, and shouldn't be judged if your computer sucks, and you haven't experienced the gameplay. This game is an awesome game. San Andreas deserves 10
  3. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    What can i say? best of GTA series! Loved the awsome gameplay and online gameplay. I still play SA:MP cause there's thousands of great mods, roleplay,cops and robbers,RPG. EPIC!
  4. Jul 1, 2012
    10
    Say hello to one of the best games ever made. Graphics are offcourse not very good, but this game is quiet old. The gameplay is amazing, plus the fact that there are so manny cheats, which i love :3
    The story is probably the best. I havent skipped a single cutscene trough out the entire game. It made me **** in excitement to know what the next thing to do was. But it was a little bit repe
    titive sometimes i thought. The sound is veeeeeery good. The soundtracks from the radios fit prefectly. The voice acting is great and the sound from ALL the different veichels are awesome. Actually, what made this game for me was all the veichels i could drive, anything from different types of planes to helicopters, tanks, dirt bikes, bulldozer and bmx.

    ROCKSTAR ROCKS
    Expand
  5. MatthieuR.
    Jun 8, 2005
    10
    Terrific. I've played the PS2 version, and the PC version just blows it away... The graphics finally look good, the draw distance is much better, and the custom soundtracks rule! The control scheme could offer a few more options or at least flexibility, but on the whole this game is phenomenal.
  6. WilliamMayes
    Jun 23, 2006
    10
    I was suprised, after just about three months of game play, I wasn't even halfway done. Rockstar Games have put ALOT of work San Andreas. So I must give them a very good rating. Sincerely, I must say this is about the longest, best game I have ever played in my life.
  7. MorganL.
    Jan 28, 2008
    2
    This game is a poor translation of a console game. The graphics are ugly, the controls and physics are worse and the camera is blare witch mess. The mini games are just button mashing exercises while the camera points everywhere except the direction you are going. Not that you are missing much; the graphics are washed out and sparse. Unlike other GTA titles the hoods' lack any personality or flavor.. Skip this one until the next real PC version of the GTA franchise comes out. Expand
  8. WesM
    Feb 6, 2008
    0
    This game sucked major. The graphics were something to be desired and there were too many glitches/bugs. As for the story line, IT WAS POINTLESS! And the dialog, wtf with that!? Who calls their mother "moms" all the time, and what kind of black trash would be lowlife enough to call their own kind a "nigger"? This game fails hard.
  9. HougM.
    Nov 3, 2007
    2
    The story, the overall composition and many details would make this game a masterpiece...if the steering and viewpoint issues would ruin everything! The cars behave ok, only the lagging viewpoint behavior lets you run over everything. But the planes, which become a crucial thing on several missions make the whole game a disaster. They are so uncontrollable, they annoy you like hell to the point where you don't want to play on. GTA:SA is just one more example of a game ported absolutely care- and loveless to the PC, lurking the bucks out of those PC jerks for nothing. Expand
  10. Andy
    Jul 13, 2005
    4
    This game is much, much worse than it's predecesessor, Vice City. The graphics are below average, if not ugly compared to other new PC games. This was something I knew to expect, because PS2 is a pocket calculator compared to a up to date high end PC. The drawing distance is good, but the buildings and characters look very bad. -2 points. The other frustrating thing are the controls on PC. I do have a joypad, and still they suck big time. Even when I'm using the joypad, the game expects, that I *simultaneously* use a mouse AND a keyboard. Don't the developers know, that a human being has only two (2) hands. Doing the most difficult tricks with the PC is a bad joke. - 2 points And then there's there are the camera views, which are very sloppy work. -1 points. Music is much more worse than in Vice City. -1 points. The Gangster theme compared to Vice City's Miami Vice / Scarface theme is lame and boring. The plot, btw. is a illogocal mess ridden with boring cliches. -1 points. The good parts? There's much to play and explore. The area is huge. The sub missions are fun. TOTAL: 4 points Expand
  11. Jun 30, 2011
    9
    Vice City may be the best GTA game ever, but depending on your viewpoint, this game could easily oust Vice City as the title contender. Includes an all-star cast of voice actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and James Woods that makes it more than a memorable story. More modern graphics, plus the same great arcade style driving that makes the GTA series so fun; I prefer the driving physics of San Andreas over Vice City. A plethora of side missions means it never gets boring. You can't go wrong dedicating a few dollars to own this classic. Expand
  12. Dec 11, 2011
    8
    For me, GTA games are about driving, vehicle variety, weapon variety, mission variety, and exploration. In other words, I play these games for the gameplay. That being said, I find San Andreas to be the greatest GTA game of all time. The driving is probably the most important aspect of a GTA game. It's what you're going to be doing most of the game. Yes, you can walk on foot, but most of the time missions require you to drive to your destination, and it's not always just a mile or so away. And even once you arrive at your destination, half the time the mission is going to require that you drive anyway. So if the driving doesn't work well in a GTA game... Well what does? There goes a massive portion of the game down the toilet. But like I said, this isn't the case for San Andreas. It has the best vehicle variety we've seen in a GTA game so far - Cars, airplanes, motorcycles, motorbike, bicycles, helicopters, boats, jetpacks, tanks, etc. each of which having their own advantages in differing situations. For example, a bike is slower in general, but you are able to bunny hop when you're on the bike so it is good for hopping over fences to get away from cops. Motorcycles have a very high acceleration (short term speed), and a decent top speed, but you won't have the defense that a car provides. I could sit here and explain each vehicle type in detail but it would be useless - Bottom line, the vehicles are widely varied in this game. Now as for the actual driving mechanics, this game went for the unrealistic, fast paced style GTA game. GTA IV went with a slower, more realistic style. Well, I mean I'm playing a video game. I don't expect it to be realistic. That adds nothing to the game for me, but the change between the driving mechanics in San Andreas and GTA IV did in fact slow the gameplay down severely. It only did negative. I don't think they're going to go back to the old, unrealistic but fun style of GTA games. San Andreas is probably the last good GTA game. Also, the difficulty level of this game was amazing (referring to the missions). It is without a doubt the hardest GTA game, and although there are a few silly, problematic missions where things are hard for reasons obviously unintended by Rockstar, these very few negatives are severely overshadowed by the massive amount of positives. So let me sum it up - It provides the best challenge, it has the best mechanics in a GTA game, and it has the most variety. What more could you ask for? Expand
  13. Apr 16, 2011
    0
    Rockstar games are anything but rock stars. All their games are really bad, especially the gta games before and after Gta 3, their only good game. This game, Gta:SA, has terrible graphics, lame cut sequences, idiotic missions with vague instructions, many of which are made impossible by the game. Eg, park the car, you start to park the car and some other car comes up behind you and won't move back and many other such complications. The cars are extremely bad as they are bad to look at and take damage very easily unless you move them very slowly. In game driving is terrible unless its a cycle. I am only writing this review because I am very upset that a bad game like this has a metascore of 94 from the so called critics. It deserves barely 54. Expand
  14. Dec 5, 2011
    10
    Arguably the most complete game ever. There's so much stuff you can do in this game- and it isn't copy and paste. Great variety, huge map which has countryside, desert, LA, San Fransisco, Las Vegas. Over 110 story missions which are again very varied with lots of nice surprises. Good story too. The progression is paced perfectly, and the game offers so much. It feels like it's 10 different games rolled into one. So much conetent, so much variety. Only downside: terrible graphics. Other than that, fantastic missions, lots of side missions, innovative collectibles for each area and very rewarding! Fun to play. A real sandbox. You are free to do whatever you want- and there's so many tools available, this really is open world action at its finest. The thing that stood out for me is by far the variety. You get a taste of everything that can possibly be offered. Ever played a game and wished there was a feature in it? Not this game. There's almost nothing you can't do in this game and that's just in free roam. Every single percentage of progress you make is different from the previous. No other game- even by end of 2011- can offer as much quantitiwise in open-world action, never mind the variety. Expand
  15. Feb 19, 2012
    9
    This game was awesome, so many things to do to kill time, I would literally get lost sometimes. Not the best Graphics but it was bearable. Top story and gameplay though, I spent many, many hours in this one and so did all my friends.
  16. May 19, 2012
    8
    Gta San Andreas in PC, is fun, huge and graphically great, but the controls issues makes this version of the game worse than the PS2 version. It haves the same things as the console version, and even with better graphics, but console version is a lot better. Still, it is an impressive game. (8.8)
  17. May 11, 2012
    8
    The GTA series have gone back far. But till now 2012 Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is still my favorite game of the series. Why? Because you felt free, more free then its then the others.
    The only reason i gave an 8 is because of its graphics, I know it was made 8 years ago but still, I reckon they still could be a bit better.
  18. JohnJ.
    Mar 6, 2006
    10
    nice game but sometimes you stink on missions.
  19. smc
    Jun 2, 2006
    10
    SO many things in this game are well worth playing. So what if you can't mod it, any intelligent PC gamer would know that when you mod someone elses work it is infringing on their rights to sell a unique product. Then again many people just dont care about Rockstar and their goal of making a profit. If it wasnt for the good gamers you wouldn't have a game to play. I am not sure where most people are coming from when they play the game. Driving is really easy and flying the planes is possibly the easiest thing I have ever done. Don't be so quick to blame Rockstar for the issues that you have. If you cant fly then dont fly. Overall i love the game tremendously. Much more in-depth missions and just when you think you are doing good they throw a twist at you, which I like. The missions may be straight forward, but they can be hard to complete which makes it a good game because you just have to beat that mission! No problems whatsoever in playing the game, except that the sound has crashed and I can't get it fixed and there is no patch for it but thats ok because honestly when flying the hydra or the at-400 it can get pretty loud. All in all anyone who has a problem with the game is probably just venting because of their computer systems inability to handle the game since it does use a lot more memory than previous versions did. Well that's my take on it. Completely awesome and love playing it Expand
  20. CharlesB.
    Nov 30, 2005
    9
    My favorite kind of game, and Rockstar mastered it!
  21. JamieS.
    Jun 10, 2005
    9
    This is a great game. I have the ps2 version, but I got the pc version so I could see it on a monitor. There is a MUCH greater draw distance and the textures are sharper. It's great fun to just go driving and see hills in the distance, even condos on the hills! It can be breathtaking at times. You really feel like you're driving around a real city; there's a range and diversity to the terrain that you just don't get from imagined environments. The only negative point is the scripting and AI. This was a problem I didn't notice on the PS2, but on the PC, they stumble around like clowns. Cops in cars will make u-turns, fail to turn tightly enough, and kill other cops by squashing them against a wall. (I picked up a free baton and a gun this way!) Other drivers will sometimes bizarrely turn off a straight road for no apparent reason and smash into a wall. I saw one guy drive over a dock - his car plunged into the water, and he died. The people will walk into each other and get stuck, hilariously calling each other "fool" while they mill around unable to get out of each other's way (This happened with the gangs). It's a shame..graphically, you really feel like you're exploring San Andreas but when things like that happen suddenly it's just a game again. Also character models are repeated WAAAAAY too often. You can often see as many as five identical clones within viewing distance - five short skirted hookers, or half naked strutting men, or whatever. Once again it detracts from the experience reminding you it's just a game. But overall these were minor flaws, in the main, it's a great experience, I even had my GF watching over my shoulder because she wanted to see what the US looked like ....she was a little shocked by the language. :-) Expand
  22. PizzaJ.
    Jun 17, 2005
    9
    ten times better than vice city, but i will always like gta3 the most no matter what san andreas has. bring back italian mobsters!
  23. BBDenmark
    Jul 3, 2005
    10
    I think this is a great game! If it has errors, i havent seen them yet.
  24. MP83
    Aug 13, 2005
    10
    Only bad things I can think about this game are its original gaming platform (PS2) and the standard keyboard controls. Otherwise this game is GREAT and deserved 10 points out of 10!
  25. JeroenP.
    Aug 21, 2005
    10
    At least one game where you can use your imagination.
  26. Groundfisher
    Aug 7, 2005
    8
    The missions are too similar to previous GTA games, i.e. drive from A to B, kill someone and drive back to A. Or kill someone and drive back to A while some people chase you. Or while the cops chase you. Or before time runs out. The side missions are the same. Whether it's collecting secret packages, spraying 'tags', taking photos or collecting horse-shoes, IT'S ALL THE SAME. Delivering pizzas, passengers, prostitutes or couriering, IT'S ALL THE SAME. Sure, it's fun but no where near as fun as it was the first time you did it in GTA 3 or Vice City. Probably the only differing missions are the flying missions and there's not much variety there, either. For such an open-ended game, the missions are so unimaginative, repetitive, and SHORT. The theme of L.A. street gangs is the worst yet. That's partly because the scope of your typical street gang is too small and offers no real possibly for character development/evolution. And partly because you sense it's aimed at satisfying those who go puppy-eyed when they see Tupac on TV and who romanticise petty crime. With such a theme, the music is predictably the worst of any 3D GTA game. The sheer size of the game world is impressive at first, but not when you realise that so much of it is dead space and offers severely limited interactivity. I'd prefer a world the size of Vice-city with maximum interactivity than a larger world with great pockets of useless space. The graphics are poor. The inclusion of girlfriends is totally pathetic and surely can't interest anyone over the age of 13. I'm a millionaire who takes an unattractive girl to a fastfood restaurant for dinner? What the hell is that? A relationship? There are some neat improvements such as customising cars and a pay'n'spray that eliminates any wanted level, not just the first two wanted levels. Driving schools and flying schools are great optional activities in which to hone skills. There's so much more to say but, in short, Rockstar have to re-conceive of GTA, re-plan missions (don't make them so straight-forward and short) and get rid of all the cutesy-poo girlfriend nonsense and disco dancing. Vice City was captured so perfectly. There is so much to lampoon both in and out of popular culture when it comes to L.A. streetgangs, yet Rockstar panders to it instead of treating it as it treated Vice City. Since GTA is so popular in Japan, it would great if the next GTA was set there because it so nicely opens up the possibility of again humourously reflecting upon popular culture while unleashing total carnage. Oh yeah, bring back the RAMPAGES! The best repetitive side-missions! Expand
  27. Bram
    Sep 7, 2005
    9
    Love this game. Just looking for the best keyboard settings though.
  28. Kaneelschep
    Apr 24, 2006
    6
    Got the pc version. The controls absolutely suck big time. How could they think of it.. steering with the mouse? yeah sure.. it just makes you hit shit when firing or braking with it. flying a modell airplane is just not done. driving a motorbike is so frustrating with all the shit that you can and will hit. all it gives me is hartproblems. especially missions were you have to shoot guys off bikes. I empty guns on then and nothing happens. and smash into everything. Every time I want to give it another chance but I end up almost smashing my keyboard shouting I will never play it again. Do love the hugeness of it. and really want to play it. though I will probably not anymore out of frustration. such a let down after vice city wich I loved. Expand
  29. LaylaM.
    Jun 23, 2006
    10
    What I have to say is besides the mere tweaks, and small glitches, there just part of the fun to explore. This game should be used for players have have a really good computer, and shouldn't be judged if your computer sucks, and you haven't experienced the gameplay. This game is an awesome game. San Andreas deserves a 10.
  30. JMAN
    Jul 6, 2006
    8
    For all those who said the controls where bad Why dont you change it you loser. Man this is the best rockstar game so far it kicks everythang in half. For those who said the grapics were crap, try turning up the resolution and if your computer can't handle it you've got a shit computer. Yes some of the objects still look fake and sometimes the sound drops out but get over it. GTA3 is crap and Vice City had better music but just use the user sound track player geeez. Expand
  31. BehroozM.
    Oct 21, 2007
    10
    It's wonderfull, the best game that I've ever palyed. with a variety of real life things to do like tattoos, the hair cuts, the clothings,and so on. It made me feel like a real gangster. the scenario is also so much entertaining and i felt like i was in a movie and i'm watching an playing a role in an exciting fim. also the music and the radio stuff was so cool. another thing is that the submissions in this game are like some games in another game if you know what i mean. and finally i should say that i've played it third times. Expand
  32. ChrisMcNabb
    Jan 9, 2007
    9
    If you hate gangsta rap, gang banging, are offended by excessive swearing, prostitue abuse and are generally a redneck wuss with a low end computer and low gaming skills, stay away from this game. The controls may be tricky at first, but it's nothing a little patience can't fix. The flying lesson may be difficult, again... you need patience. The storyline may not be as good as Vice City's but this is still an EXCELLENT game. The HUGE environment, the ability to steal people's cars and generally cause complete mayhem, the various and entertaining side missions and the top notch voice acting (including Samuel L Jackson as Officer Tenpenny) makes this one of the best games (once you adapt to the controls) around. Expand
  33. AarneusU.
    Feb 13, 2007
    10
    San Andreas is the best game in the series, the music rocks and I love the bicycles and motorbike policemen. I don't care that I can't mod it, most mods are fun for only five minutes. The city is huge compared to vice city. I haven't controlled the plane yet, but I don't think that the controls suck. I play with both the mouse and gamepad. It's excellent, especially with a gamepad. Expand
  34. FrancisF.
    Jan 2, 2008
    8
    People here say the aircraft is difficult to control, of course if you're just starting out. I personally enjoy the Hydra/Harrier Jump Jet. There's so many glitches, just finding them and reviewing them with other people could be fun. I do agree that the cop AI is CRAP; when THEY drive into YOU, and you get 1 or 2 stars, is ridiculous, also when you already have a star (or more), the cops run INto your vehicle, how realistic that is not. With the amount of things to do to get 100%, that is a slight upset, as it takes AGES to do it all, but I guess once you've done everything (including the odd-jobs which are not required to reach 100%), it seams pretty good. Expand
  35. JohnK.
    Jan 5, 2008
    9
    GTA SA is one of the best games ive ever played its car mods are really making it cooler.. The Hydra is a cool plane to go in the only thing i have to say is NICE..I also play on the GTA SA MP(multiplayer) its funner than singleplayer(duh) Graphics are great,gang attacks are always good because i can always do i drivebyXD!! The Storyline is good To much cursing though but im cool with it.. There are some lag in the game but Still a great game. The Cops on singleplayer is Not too good i mean like u die very easy on like the 4 to 5 stars the 6 star is even hard..Only i have to say is Best Game Ive Ever Played Expand
  36. BrandonH.s
    Jan 5, 2008
    10
    I like the fact that you can fly planes, helecopters and drive cars. Not a lot of games can do that. Also it includes nice guns and sometimes cutsences. So i'll give Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas a 10
  37. ChaosJ.
    Jan 9, 2008
    10
    The bad user comments seem to be based on Viewpoints (That you can change anyway) and graphics (And they are quite good anyway), but to be honest with you, this game is amazing. The graphics are acceptable, the physics are nice, and the gameplay is unbeatable. They didn't HAVE to unclude quite so much swearing, and it's not a very good game to play when parents are around, but all in all, it's deserving of a 10. You start as a gangster, but after a few missions you give up on that and there is (slightly) less swearing, so just put up with the vulgarities. Also, there are a few... dodgy scenes, but you don't see anything so it's not a problem. Expand
  38. TriesteL.
    Mar 15, 2008
    9
    This game is by far the best I have played. The only things that I feel are depreciating the rating that I give it is the fact that the second edition is non moddable, which somewhat ruins the fun of using other mods. The other factor is that the planes are difficult to control. That may be mostly my fault, since I can't drive anything non-terrestrial with proficiency. The rating stayed as it is since the NRG-500 is so fast, powerful and easy to maneuver. Expand
  39. BillB
    Aug 3, 2008
    8
    San Andreas is a lot of fun overall. It's what games such as Shenmue tried to be but didn't quite deliver. That said, the flying scenes were pure frustration and felt out of place since driving in SA is very intuitive. I could only tolerate the flying missions for so long before finally giving up on the game. Graphically, SA gets the job done but it appears nothing was done in translating this title from the consoles. Character animation is good, but the models are extremely blocky. Explosions, environments, etc. all look quite dated. It says something that this game is as good as it is despite those shortcomings. Expand
  40. ShawnL.
    Apr 15, 2005
    10
    Very good game.
  41. Simon
    Jun 14, 2005
    10
    K-Rock and other people having sound problems - click on the start menu, choose 'run' and type dxdiag - click 'ok'. The panel that pops up has a sound tab - click on this and alter sound acceleration to 'basic'. I had sounds like the loud bike one after loading or even just going into the menus and this solved it.
  42. LouisA.
    Jun 8, 2005
    10
    Great game time for the money. Very well worth it. Looks outstanding on the PC; can't wait for mods to come out.
  43. Jul 11, 2011
    10
    Very few console games make the pc operation perfectly. This was no different. Especially on my windows 7 (But a very powerful computer) the graphics took a bit of a whallop in terms of colour at times. That said, it really isn't a big problem. And its the only problem. I have remarkably few glitches and crashes (I only had 2 the first 20 odd hours I played). And now we get to what puts this above the console version in one powerful manner. Access to the modding community. There are so many mods for this game I will never get bored of it. From real life cars, to superman powers and even jurassic park the possibilities are endless. A great game made better by the presence and potential of button happy programmers. The original version will never be as good as the PS2 version, but beyond that the PC opens up whole other worlds for the gamer to explore. Expand
  44. Mobius
    Jul 7, 2005
    8
    There are games in this would that should only be played on certain platforms and GTA 5 is just one of those games. Dont get me wrong this is a fantastic game with plenty of hours gameplay sharper graphics and a greater redraw distance but that just help because the controls are just not PC. I have a hign end PC with a Playstation joypad and although it works almost the same as as the playstation there are controls that cant be rediefined to the joy pad and this is the downside to a great game. the pc does have a nifty feature were yo can play your own mp3's with an automatic DJ that places speech inbetween the tracks. also the pc version can be modded and one of the latest mods for it is a multiplayer over the internet option. but for me i will be sticking to my playstation it just seems to suit that platform better. Expand
  45. BigC.
    Jan 4, 2008
    10
    Amazing game! The graphics are much better on pc and the aiming system is alot easier to use aswell. Gameplay is fun and the cars feel relistic. The planes I find are easy to fly and havent found them annoying. One of myfavorite games ever!
  46. OldGenX'er
    Feb 10, 2006
    2
    V 2.0 for PC. Totally sucks. Non-moddable? I want my freaking money back! Game requires you do some crap moves on a computer that I see in my 10 year old daughter's PS2 games! Ummm... Earth to Rockstar... Adults don't like doing repetitive motion exercises... too much like work. it's rated mature, but has crap like this? The developers transferred this from a console game to a PC game apparently without any knowledge of PC gaming. Removing the "Hot Coffee" scenes: fine with me, couldn't care less. Removing the girlfriends altogether would have been more realistic. If I was the protaganist in GTA:SA and Denise mouthed off to me, it would be entirely within character to give her a Molotov rather than flowers. But making it non-moddable unforgiveable with a PC game. Half of the fun of PC gaming is modding them or playing other people's mods. I mean, Rockstar doesn't exactly employ geniuses when it comes to the actual story writing. This wasn't even worth the reduced $15 price tag with all the bugs (patch released for fixes doesn't work for V.2, but the patch fixes those bugs - just plain stupid Release Management). Gave it a 2 just because I like running people over on sidewalks after driving home from work. Expand
  47. ChristianH.
    May 9, 2009
    7
    The good parts of SA are the most of the missions, the excellent world, the great animations (not counting the extremely ugly graphics), the soundtrack and the voice actors which are making this game favourable, if there weren't many aspects that prevent this game to be one of the greatest of all time. These aspects are: The graphics are riddiculously and unbelievably ugly, for 2005, and the graphics are soo dorky awkward programmed that it WILL stutter even today on an extremely decent machine where I get on everything turned up max. 50 FPS (without Frame Limiting). This states that it was a very rushed PS2-to-PC conversion. IF done well, this could have been prevented. Next are the vehicles. While I do like the driving behaviour of some vehicles, most vehicles drive so awkward and unresponsive that I would almost threw one keyboard/gamepad after each other against my wall since the controls are so poorly executed that sometimes you get, combined with terrible collision detection, you hit the very very near edge of a stone and will get flipped over, ruining everything. Same goes for the flying controls which I think most people agree, are completely a pain in the ass. At the flying school missions, after days of getting nothing right, I quit the game there and never got any further than that in the game because of the controls. Also the game consists of many components (dining, training, RPG-system) which on the first look looks impressive, but being in the game for some 10,20 hours they appear poorly executed and could aswell be left out without the player missing anything. Someone was not thinking completely to the end here, especially the RPG-system which feels unnecessary as it is in the game, Rockstar didn't even try to implement it well. As for the conclusion this is very close a good game, but many aspects where ruined and all partially ruined aspects add up to the point that prevents the game from being one of the best games of all time. But the extremely great animations combined with the brilliant voice actors and the great soundtrack make me to some point ignore the game's flaws as stated above. Collapse
  48. J.J.
    Jun 13, 2005
    8
    I'll leave aside whatever objections I have to the game's content (such as killing cops and national guardsmen.) The same stupid bugs exists in SA as in VC: AI cars randomly drive crazy, the cop AI is horrible-- the way they just 'spawn' right next to you no matter how far you've run; the combat/gunplay is poorly executed (no pun intended), and many of the models (weapons and characters especially) look pretty bad; the missions tend to be more frustrating than exciting, more often than not. The savegame system sucks. SA's soundtrack isn't as consistently good as VC's: the country-western songs are more often than not done by cover bands-- the reasons aren't that hard to figure out. Something is missing in SA. VC created a more convincing overall atmosphere, to me. SA isn't as fun a game as VC was, it's lacking that certain something. Expand
  49. Czar
    Jun 13, 2005
    5
    Camera control is really hard and frustrating. Cannot save where ever. Illogical events. You hit a guy walking with his mate and the mate doesn't even notice. The enemy fires at me and then the cops arrest me rather than the guy doing the shooting. Heaps of work has gone into this game but I really don't like it.
  50. ScottT.
    Jun 7, 2005
    7
    Though the game is great so far. I have already found that the game crashes my system. When it happens the system reboots itself. I bought the game today and it has crashed the pc twice now.
  51. SgtSausage
    Jul 10, 2005
    5
    I've sampled this game on PC. While overall it is indeed fun, it does suffer from the hasty control adaptations that seem to be common in PC games adapted from the game console environment. Those purchasing the PC version should be aware that control adaptions to a keyboard and mouse input environment fall short in this case. Severe shortcomings may greatly hinder progress when controlling some vehicles in certain missions. Unless money is no object, I suggest purchasing the game at a deep discount if possible, or you may net feel you had gotten your money's worth. Expand
  52. SusSStaiN
    Jul 19, 2005
    2
    How can a game be called Grand Theft Auto when there is no wheel support for PC. For a game that has lots of driving involved, I can't believe Rockstar didn't have the competancy to include support for a wheel. Anyone who thought they might be hooning around the streets, "Driving" their car, will be severly dissapointed with this lame offering.
  53. PalliN.
    Jul 5, 2005
    3
    Poor programming, awful graphics, awful controls, awful camera, bad theme. This is pretty mediocre release in every way, graphics are like "welcome to 5 years ago" and did the developers even try the pc-controls? Or were they blindfolded while making the lazyass camera? And well, the whole hiphop-theme of the game is just awful idea after brilliant 80's scarface ripoff. Main character is just so.. Boring? Hopefully this is the last one of the series (Vice City should've been), time to move on. Still, Not a zeropointer this time, but close. Expand
  54. MikeM.
    Aug 25, 2005
    8
    This is a really good game no matter how you look at it. Im not finished it but so far i feel like vice city was a more enjoyable game. The plot in this doesnt make as much sense and the music is nowhere nearly as good. But San andreas is much bigger and is still a fun game with enough new wrinkles to make worthwhile.
  55. GiancarloB.
    Sep 26, 2005
    7
    OK game. could have been beter and theres nothing really else to say. the story lacked a baic plot but it makes up in the great fun driving around the city blowing things up theme.
  56. CM
    Mar 19, 2006
    1
    This game sucks. I have a top end machine, latest drivers, no probs with any other games, and this one reboots at random. Not to mention crap graphics, lame controls, and what is with the stupid bicycle mission????? Whoever gave this a high rating must be employed by rockstar and is kissing ass because for a pc this game is pure crap. Waste of $20 bucks, I'll be going back and buying a copy of Vice City for $10 at least it was fun enough to play a second time. Expand
  57. GogiV.
    Jul 31, 2006
    7
    Some guys here are saying that ATMOSPHERE was better in Vice City than in SA. It's because Vice City is placed in the 80s. That's the only reason. 80s music has catchy melodies, which make people relaxed, there is 80s feel everywhere in VC. SA is hybrid. Mixure of new age and transition from the 80s to 90s.
  58. DanteG.
    Feb 10, 2007
    2
    Horrible graphics, lazy camera. A complete disaster in game design and control. The PS2 version is a million times greater.
  59. ScottW.
    Feb 26, 2007
    1
    Pathetic oh Pathetic it is absolutely rubbish. The graphics and physics are apauling! They are making a Grand theft auto VI on 360 so I hope they make this one the best yet.
  60. GT
    Jun 24, 2008
    9
    I recently purchased SA after completing Vice City. Both games are great with different themes and nice soundtracks. I did prefer the control of Vice City slightly more, as this version took some getting use to. However, I felt that Vice City was just too short. This game seems to have far more depth and length. There are different gang territories you can take control or lose control of, character attributes and custom character appearances. I also like the fact that you can gain hit points by stopping in at a fast food joint. This gives you slightly more options than finding a heart or picking up a hooker. I've had a few cut scene glitches which made some of the dialogue hard to comprehend. The AI for the rival gangs during the gang wars / territory disputes also seems a bit glitchy. Sometimes they run out of the territory all together or get stuck behind a wall or in a canal. If you run out of the territory to kill them to kill them, you are quickly prompted to head back to the war zone. The fun factor of the game far outweighs the problems though. I would recommend this game for anyone (17+ years of age) that enjoys this genre or the other GTA games. Expand
  61. Triggerhippy
    Jun 12, 2005
    10
    Great gameplay, decent graphics (runs smoothly even on not-so-new systems), takes ages to complete and master. The fun factor is huge on this one and the different subgames are usually quite fun. Few cons as well - game engine is a little dated, crashes sometimes. Cons considered, definitely one of the best games ever.
  62. Steveo
    Jun 14, 2005
    8
    A great game, however there are a number of ai glithces in the game which can be frustrating at times and the violence is more disturbing, adding things like drive-by's for kicks that is just stupid!.
  63. KenMau
    Jun 14, 2005
    9
    Great game play, story, and adequate graphics. Many people say the controls are bad; you get used to it after awhile though - maybe after the 10th+ mission. I feel it plays a little differently than GTA: Vice City. There are a couple of bugs (ie. frozen models, geometry, polygons), but overall the action is pretty good!
  64. SamW.
    Jun 22, 2005
    4
    Disagree with the majority here, i think it's a poor piece of 3d programming. bad points: texture corruption, very difficult control system and poor graphical quality compared to other games. I am very disppointed with this product.
  65. Jeffy
    Jun 7, 2005
    10
    This game is great. Even though it was a hit for the PS2 version. I certainly hope that it will also be a hit for the PC version. You should go and buy the game right NOW.
  66. madness57
    Jun 8, 2005
    10
    Much better then the old ones best out of then all just look at it u can swin and go in to other house and rode them only if gta sa was online that the only thing i wish bad :
  67. K-Rock
    Jun 9, 2005
    9
    What can be said that hasn't already about this, an absolute improvement over the wonderful Vice City, however this PC version could use a fix-up. Most likely, a small patch will take care of some of the smaller issues: most notably for me is the sound loop error (sounds like a helicopter mixed with a bicycle) that occurs when you load saved games.
  68. JensS.
    Jun 9, 2005
    10
    What can I say? It kicks ass! Yes, you need a newer pc, but please don't whine if your pc can't handle it. Try upgrading to a faster graphics card, adding more memory or, simply, lowering the display resolution instead.
  69. VitoL.
    Jul 12, 2005
    4
    Fun, but the missions just get me frustrated, It seems like they add stuff just to mess you up over and over... Also, in some missions, like the driving class to learn car moves, some of them are almost impossible with the settings I have, I try to change my settings, and something always makes it too hard, for exm... On the move I am on now, you have too use the LeftMouseButton to back up, hold Q and E down at the same time to look behind you, then the LEFT key to turn, then the UP to stop reversing and the again to drive forward, all in 5 seconds. It is just flat out irritating, also some of those same missions the car views keep me from seeing the cones and I always hit them. And the graphics, though it does have a high setting, I have to keep it on low draw distance and low graphics for it not to lag, and I have a new pc. Expand
  70. SergioS.
    Jul 12, 2005
    10
    Good game especially those women.
  71. Bloopy
    Jul 4, 2005
    1
    The controls suck in this game, very hard to move.
  72. TG
    Jul 4, 2005
    10
    Epic if it works on your computer. good wheel support
  73. CaptainH.
    Aug 14, 2005
    5
    Such a let down!
  74. MandaP.
    Sep 11, 2005
    0
    Rockstar has forsaken the PC users!
  75. Joshdoubleg
    Nov 11, 2006
    8
    You can do alot! More in San Andreas than vice except the missions are a bit screwed up in San Andreas.
  76. StuartR.
    Nov 21, 2006
    9
    A great, open, free form game that allows you to do almost anything. This will keep you entertained for hours. Although there was no official sdk included on release, there are a plethora of fan based tools. -You DONT need to use the mouse to steer the vehicles in the game, this is strictly optional and can be changed through the menu. -Audio problems can usually be remedied through the options menu. If not there is driver support available. -movement, while not perfect (occasionally you're 'fro may get in the way of your aiming) works bloody well. -Although flying and driving may be a little dificult at first, with a little pracice you will be able to weave in and out of the smallest gaps in trafic (with the motorbikes) and though the smallest gaps (with the planes and choppers). This is a great addition to the series, the only failure IMHO, is the story is a bit drawn out and deviates a bit from CJ's goals. All actions in Vice City were presented with the appropriate sense of urgency. And although the more relaxed timeframe in SA allows for the longer story, it does somewhat detract from the immersion. A great gaming experience! Expand
  77. Pamela&Lynn
    Oct 23, 2006
    5
    I like the GTA series. I've passed the game on PS2 and PC.I've had no problems on PS2 but on computer there has been a slight sound problem. My sound won't play while raining.I've tried everything but nuttin' worked.I bought a new hardware and installed a new windows... I can't seem to fix the problem.
  78. ShaneK.
    Jan 28, 2006
    5
    The game is fun, but its impossible to control the aircraft, so you cant beat the game.
  79. Angus
    Oct 3, 2006
    8
    Superbly detailed mapping excuses, though not completely the use of the same engine as vice city. The game is huge, and with incredible attention to detail: every hidden cranny, and even people on the sidewalk have their own unique quirk to add to the game. the central storyline is compelling and well scripted and voice acted. That said missions occasionally borderd on absurdly difficult requiring stupefying and frustratingly large numbers of attempts to perfect. Controls were different, but with time easily mastered. Main real criticism is engine which was clearly outdated. On standard details character models during cutscenes looked indistinguishable from those of GTA3, and were clunky and poorly textured. Similarly ground textures rendered slowly when flying. Faults aside level design masks an outdated engine and makes for a superb experience. Expand
  80. [Anonymous]
    Mar 25, 2006
    9
    Fantastic game, best game for PC, continues high standards of GTA series. Shame about no modding compatibility though.
  81. JohnD.
    May 14, 2006
    10
    Absolute best game I have ever played. To "Kaneelschep" all it takes is a bit of practice, how boring would it be if all the missions were walkovers?
  82. OldGenX'erisadumbturd
    May 14, 2006
    10
    Shut up you demanding old fart. Every game has glitches. "Repetitive motion exercises"?? Where? When? You can feking drive a bike wherever you want, hop off jack a cool sports car, do stunts, take pictures, recruit gang members and fight rival gangs for turf.. Repetitive?? What game could be less repetitive?? Fekin idiot.
  83. Adam
    May 23, 2006
    10
    Some people have problems driving with the mouse? why not map out your own USB controller or even get a playatation 2 or xbox to usb connector - i just use the k/b to drive n stuff and never had pros with controls. The one problem I have (don't know if anyone else has is the BAD audio - the in game sounds on my pc ARE VERY CRACKLY AND HISSY! - Such a great game that I really don';t mind, but if anyone else has this problem too let me know- ill see if I can write a patch or something. Expand
  84. Danielle
    Jun 22, 2006
    2
    the controls are crap and the screen jumps and its not very clear, this shud ov been made much betta i want my money back.
  85. AL
    Jul 14, 2006
    9
    This was my first experience with GTA series. I must say I had difficulties with controls and 3rd person view, including driving with the mouse, but that changed very quickly. Some people complain about the sound. Several forums explain this as
  86. CoryFarmer
    Aug 2, 2006
    0
    I want my $20 dollers back.
  87. ErraticCommunist
    Nov 14, 2007
    9
    GTA SA is a true masterpiece in itself. You can play this game for months and never get bored of it. Plus a good PC port. I've seen plenty of PS to PC ports that were horrible - Resident Evil 4 for example. The controls are fine, if planes are too hard for you - grab $5 and go get a joystick. Controls were never an issue for me in this game, but awkward sound problems and weak AI don't allow me to put 10. Expand
  88. AzarA
    Nov 10, 2008
    9
    While not as good as the original 3D GTA (GTAIII), this is the second best game in the GTA franchise. A really fun game to play which doesn't get repetitive even with it's huge gameworld. Despite what others say, the story is remarkable and clings you all the way. Every aspect of the game is good.
  89. MattM.
    Aug 2, 2008
    8
    This game was okay... But I'm impressed with Rockstar. It impressed many people, including me. Jumping into the local PD with a pistol was pretty fun. But there were many bugs and gliithes in the game. The cops will chase you into the water in their SUV's til they drown. If you are new at playing games with stories, and want to play HL2 soon, I recommend you try this first.
  90. SamB
    Feb 18, 2009
    9
    The best grand theft auto in the series. The graphics are good. but the reason I put nine as my rating is because you have to load to go into a building. (which stinks) but overall, its an amazing game.
  91. polk
    Apr 24, 2009
    10
    Let me just say the gameplay is amazing. Oh Wes M. Have you met a group of (cultured) black people(usually men)? They call themselves or others "nigger" or "nigga" every 5-10 seconds. What a moron.
  92. PukenD.
    Jun 21, 2005
    5
    Controls suck bigtime. Graphics not quite PC standards. I give it a 10 in frustration.
  93. XakepUebitsche
    Sep 11, 2005
    0
    Rockstar really let us down on this one. Learn how to test your games boys. The tech support is the worst ever for any game. Seems they think console kiddies to be more important than us true PC gamers. That's the last time I deal with rockstar. Just check google for PC problems and look at their website. It seems on google everyone has porblems and the company website is only conserned with alittle nude scene some old soccer mom's got #@%@ over. Thanks alot Rockstar your "Hottest game" let us ALL down. Expand
  94. DaveW.
    Feb 25, 2006
    0
    second edition is non moddable not even worth playing.
  95. AnonymousMC
    Jul 28, 2007
    6
    Graphics are not the best but with such a large city you just have to cut down on certain things.
    The storyline is pretty cool and fun.
    It starts pretty easy and fun but some missions that comes later was horribly hard.
    So unless you are a hardcore gamer on GTA then you are gonna need a trainer in those upcoming missions.
    Otherwise it has gameplay variety which is great.
  96. JonasH.
    Apr 27, 2008
    8
    This game is alright, but nothing new from older titles, really. It quickly becomes boring and repetitive, and the port isn't especially well made. That being said the gameplay value is pretty high, and some of the side-missions and additions are somewhat entertaining, although seemingly forced on the gameplay, rather than blended in.
  97. Aug 16, 2010
    9
    This game is sure to keep you busy for quite a while, especially if you are going for 100% completion. Even if you're not going for 100% completion it has a nice long story that will keep you playing until the end. It makes a lot of improvements from Vice City on things such as graphics, cars, and aiming. You won't want to miss out on this especially if you like Grand Theft Auto.
  98. Mar 30, 2012
    10
    Almost a decade on I played this again and honestly it is more fun than GTA 4 and the Saints Row series despite its age. An absolute blast, has aged well,
  99. Aug 23, 2011
    10
    An amazing game, vehicles are great, the voice acting is great, hell everything is great. This is the best GTA since there is a lot to do. You can go to the gym and get CJ (the guy you play as) to get stronger, run faster, etc. Go to fast food restaurants to eat food, arcade machines, dance club, (get a girlfriend, you get her in a mission) Go gambling, steal stuff from peoples houses go to the bar and play pool, get a tattoo, change your clothes, haircut, modify your car and make it look amazing with nitro, strip club, basketball, buy certain houses.

    (Please note that you'll be able to do all this stuff as you make further progress in the game by doing missions, this will not be available when you start a new game.) Apart from that, the graphics aren't the best in the world but they're good enough. The missions are great too.
    Expand
  100. Sep 24, 2010
    10
    Having now played GTA 4 ,I can confirm san andreas was better for me, despite gta4 having amazing graphics and good multiplayer, san andreas is bigger badder and more fun.

    Apart from the size which is huge (at least a third bigger than gta 4) it has more missions, tons more side missions ,a character that can improve himself, open areas to practice your driving ,and stunning locations.

    T
    he fun side of things involves riding your bmx and performing stunts to base jumping out of tall buildings,even driving a tank.
    The only downers are that the controls take a while to get used to as they are not as intuitive as other games, and some of the missions are next to impossible mainly due to poor explanation of what to do,the latter is not so bad as there are loads of tips on the net!
    If you buy it now it will be even better as all newer pcs will run it maxed out which looks good even today!
    Expand
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 47 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 47
  2. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. Kudos to Rockstar for actually including gamepad support for the PC!!
  2. It will surely take up hundreds of hours to even the most casual of gamers.
  3. It is the perfect crime game.