We've had a bunch of threads *****ing about what it might be like, but have we had any about what it actually is like? Not that I can remember.

This game is impressive. The city is huge, and nicely varied. There are heaps of cars to drive and places to explore in the first section of the map alone. SA is basically everything VC was, and then some. The basic game mechanics are the same, there's just a lot more to do. In VC in regards to that you could do this or this. In SA you can do this, this, this, this, this, or this.

Bikes rule. Instead of searching for the elusive Superbike there are heaps of bikes to choose from, from the bunny-hopping fun of BMX and basic pushbike right up to the really fast and fun motorbikes.

Dont play this game if you're offended by the word ****. Yeah you know the one I mean, rhymes with duck. Maybe they're trying to make it authentic, but it seems **** is every second word out of some character's mouths.

It's all about the blings. There is one radio station which has some half-decent rock songs on it, but somehow cruising in my low-rider pimpmobile (yes, one of the sub-games is to go pimping) with my homes on the way to my crib with classic rock blaring just doesnt seem right.

The biggest problem by far is that the PS2 just doesnt seem powerful enough to handle SA. There is far too much slowdown and pop-up isnt uncommon. The game is engineered really well, it feels like the PS2 is really strainging to put the graphics on the screen.

The Pc version will probably be much better when it comes out next year, so I'm going to wait until then. Pc hardware is much better than what could be found in the x-box, so it should be perfectly fluid if you have a fast cpu and a good card.

Which is why I run mine of a Hard Drive. I must say, games run a lot better coming from a Hard Drive then streaming from a DVD....HD Loader/Advance + Any 3rd Party HD = totally worth it

Hrm. Maybe I'll make teh switch from console to PC... seeing as all i have is pc right now anyway

I can't wait to get my own copy of this game. Finally, there's a game which suits my likings. Music wise as well. I love the music choices (obviously the one with west coast rap on it). It suits the theme of the game very well, thank god.

The thing I want most is to hook up my subwoofer to my television, because in the game you can actually BUY bass subwoofers for your car.... I'd like to see if that turns out good or not. Or yields any results.

???

whats that about? explain please...

The HDD that the PS2 comes with is used for FFXI, right? Well it can be used for a lot more than that; get your own, hook it up to the PS2, put all your games on the HDD, and you run the games off the hard drive. It cuts down on loading times and helps games run smoother.

You use a lot of *******.

The other thread is about this exactly, now...

It's really irritating having two threads doing the same thing.

I just picked it up an hour ago, so far I love it.

wait... what? the PS2 has a harddrive? i'm lost...

Uhh...did anyone else find what I found in the Police Station shower yet?

o.O

Well, I just got the game from a friend (borrowing). Good game, I don't like the music though. VC had a better atmosphere and I liked there cars more. So far all I've found were crappy cars. My favorite so far is the motorcycle cop like in C.H.I.P.s show. Too much swearing but I know they are trying to make it seem real. The eating isnt as bad as I thought, it's just health. I just finished making my guys muscle max out. Now I gotta raise the stamina to full.

does anyone know if there are story-centered RC missions in this game (like Demolition man in Vice City) . I hate those missions so much, b/c the controls are so awkward, the toy vehicles dont handle too well compared to the full size ones, plus the time liomit only makes it harder. Besides, what kind of criminal are you if you can be a total badass one minute and then be playing with remote control toys the next?

The rc missions in GTa3 are something that I don't really hate, b/c you can skip them if you wish and still be able to beat the game (but not on 100%, though.) Fair enough. In Vice city, it just got in your face and it was really annoying. I could beat the demolition man mission in vice only by using a trainer that stopped the clock. (I tried the mission at least 20 times... I just got so fustrated that a little bit of cheating was called for. it's supposed to be fun, after all, and that mission stopped being fun a long time before that. )

The really good cars are always in the later parts of the game. Always been like that with GTA.

Besides, you can get a BMX and a pimpmobile right at the start of the game. What's not to like?

sounds good.

It was like that in Gta3 (you mostly got s***ty cars until you got to Staunton. Granted, there was a banshee at Easy Credit Autos on Portland and the mafia sentinel was pretty good overall.)

In Vice, however, you got access to good fast cars (like Infernus and Banshee) right away. All you had to do was find them.

BMX is funny, but pathetic IMO. And pimp mobile? What cars are those? I just completed the drive by level where you have to get the car repainted.

A pimp moblile would have hydrolics and gold trim and stuff like that.

yeah, it would be like your average tricked-out lowrider vehicle in real life.

Yeah, it's an old-timey low rider car. You can get some kinda cool sports cars if you head to the rich end of Los Santos (south west corner).

Further impressions:

Wow. So much work has gone into this game, and it shows. The level design is really really good. It's fun just cruising around, especially on a bike so you can go everywhere.

Every area has a really good feel. The country areas really feel like country areas. The grass and trees are done nicely, and there are views everywhere.

Anyone figured out an easy way into the airport early in the game yet? I couldnt find anywhere to jump over the fence, so I drove around till I found one of those trucks with a ramp on the back and used that to jump a motobike over it. Is there an easier way?

Tap X while riding

Just got into the first airport. Look for the brick wall without the chainlink above it (I think it's along the north side). Park a car next to it, jump on top of the car, and then pull yourself up the wall. It's possible to do it without a car, but it's harder. You can swim to the rest of the map as well. Be warned, in the northern area of SA, there is a restricted area, SAM sites and Harrier jets will shoot you down. You'll find a small prop plane and a small jet in the first airport, if you go up north and brave the 4 police stars (that will never decrease unless you return to the first city) you'll find a massive helo and a few more jets. I'm sorry, I don't really know the names of anything, I was playing at my friends house. Just be careful, you will have 4 stars after you leave the first city.

You can simply swim across to the other parts of the city. Seemingly the only thing you cant do to get there is drive.

Spent about 2 minutes driving about the Bad Lands then decided I'd rather discover that area when the game allows me, and preferably not while being chased by helicopters and SWAT team members.

You can swim?

What happens if you drive your car into water, can you get out and swim?


Oh man, swimming.

Yeah. Cars float at first then gradually sink. You can bail from a sinking car whenever you like, preferably before your oxygen bar runs out. You instantly start swimming if you drive a (motor)bike too deep into the water.

Oh. My. God. I played VC and thought that was lots of fun, but THIS.... OMG. I will get this when it comes ut on PC.

So it is coming to PC?
Anyone know if there will be a demo?
Also, is there a profanity filter you can turn on?

GTA3 and VC didn't have any filters. I'd see absolutely no reason why San Andreas would have one.

lol why would you want to even have a profanity filter on a game like GTA... A game where the main goal is murder, death, kill. Seriously, I've never understood why people get so angry/upset at a game where the soul ingredient is violence, yet there is swearing. Honestly, it's like watching a porno flick and getting angry at the swearing in it... It just doesn't make sense.

If you're really offended by swearing in a game like GTA, or don't like it... You either A. Shouldn't be playing the game. or B. Aren't old enough to play the game, either physically or mentally.. We all swear, daily. It's just a word.

Excessive swearing is stupid. Excessive murder is fun!

Ergo, swear filter.

So...Apparently murder isn't as bad as swearing....gotcha.

Haven't you seen the South Park movie? Violence and murder are ok, as long as nobody says any bad words.

Its huge.

HUGE.

Once you get to the second island (the left one with the mountain) it becoems a bit frustrating. Travelling for 10 minutes (seems like half an hour!) to get to a mission.

Its great fun though, and highly addictive. I'm just taking a break from it now

My greatest moment was when I was assisting a fellow gang member shoot people on top of a train, which I just managed to do, but then my bike veered to one side and i somersautled into the sea ... before finding out I could swim. I was SO relieved.

I just wonder if theres going to be a HUGE amount of missions, or instead say a handfull of people you can get missions off on each island ... which would be a shame as it's ... HUGE!

Really, it's big. A little too big

lmao, go to the bathroom of the police station in the area you start off in.

I just noticed that it says 1 or 2 players on the back of the box.... does anyone know what thats about?

When you have a girlfriend you can walk right upto her door and player 2 can control her. Theres not much point to it really.. as you have to both stay close together. You can kiss and ride around, and not much else.

So far, this sounds like quite a good game.

GTA meets the Sims, fro mwhat I understand... but it seems like a necessary component in the gameplay. I'll wait to play it.

And I'll remember to look in that shower, guys

Actually, there are pickups in other areas that let you do 2-player in which player 2 can choose one of several character models. Player 2 gets all the weapons that Player 1 was carrying when the 2-player game was started. It's incredibly fun, there are two-player drive-bys, you can duke it out with chainsaws, or whatever. You can still kiss, though. o.O

We've only found 1 two-player icon so far. All we could do was kiss, ride around in the same vehicle, and shoot stuff. Do any of the other icons give you anything different? And it also kinda sucks you cant get in two differrent vehicles. Racing bikes through the city would be awesome.

Was kinda amusing though. We pissed off the cops and my friend got busted. The last thing we saw as the screen faded to black was a prostitute taking revenge on the cop who arrested her pimp with an uzi point blank to the stomach.