Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Controversy over this game in Australia has delayed this review. I extend our apologies to our loyal readers, I assure you that our legal team is on the case. When the game got its classification revoked, and even an old granny sued the company, we exersised caution, but since the granny wasn't even suing for the right reason, and she probably doesn't even know the different between a computer and a gaming console, we've decided to publish this review anyway. The public deserves to know.

The latest and some may argue, the greatest addition to the GTA franchise delivers all that you'd expect. The game contains all the perks and things that made GTA 3 and its successor, GTA: Vice City great games. In addition to this, San Andreas adds a number of new perks to help improve the variety in the game. This ranges from building your muscle at the local gym, picking out your new wardrobe at the local clothing store and eating (and maybe getting a little overweight) at your local food joint. Its nice to get a set of clothes that help you fit in with 'da boys in da hood. In addition to these, there are also bouncing competitions where you can have it out with the local car modders DDR style. If you're daring enough, you can even go on night raids into houses and steal belongings for some extra cash.

This time you play the role of CJ, who has come back to the small city of Los Santos from GTA 3's Vice City. The death of yo momma at the hands of some mysterious foe drags you back to the place of your childhood, and you start by linking up with da rest of da boys in da hood. You discover that da hood just aint what it used to be, and get to work rebuilding it dodging bullets, crooked cops and rival gangs. I'll try not to spoil much of the plot, but you end up making your way to places which resemble Las Vegas and San Fransisco, rolling past huge casinos and taking the trams and driving the hills of the imitation cities. You'll even go through relatively long trips to get to different places. Outside the imitation Las Vegas, you'll have to go through the deserts of what I imagine Texas would look like. Hopefully you don't run into George Bush along the way. Wait... I hope you do run into him.

Gameplay is similar to previous titles in the series. Notable improvements come in things such as the ability to swim and the ability to aim with a relatively good degree of accuracy. Some missions even let do a driveby into enemy territory while your homies in the back of the car fire their Mac-10s out the window. These are just some of the things they've come up with, but you can see from the outset that its going to be great fun to play. The need to have some food on occasion and exersise don't seem too inconviniencing, and help to break up the monotony of doing the game's missions, even if they are extremely varied themselves.

One of the best aspects of the game is the sound. Rockstar has put a lot of effort in this, hiring voice actors to play the roles of characters in the game. One of these you could probably pick right off the bat: Samuel L. Jackson, the actor from such movies as "Basic" and "Shaft" takes the role of Officer Tenpenny, one of the crooked cops you'll meet early in the game. Characters take the comical names and stereotypical appearances of their roles, but this only adds to the laughs and enjoyment you'll get out of the game.

Go get it.

9/10