GTA: San Andreas 📽 Through the Lens

📢 FBI! OPEN UP! 📢

Has this meme died yet? 😂

Yes! You read that right! This week we are starting a new GTA series of blogs. Now, I am not sure which titles we'll follow in detail. As I'm sure I have plenty of overlapping thought about this franchise. So we'll see. But for now we do not care about that - for now, we only care about the gang-banging streets of San Andreas.

Ay, yo❗️ In this edition of Through the Lens 🎞, we'll be taking a look at Rockstar North's action adventure, gang-banging, open-world simulator from 2004: GTA: San Andreas Roll it! 📽

🔶 UP TOP 🔶

While I usually just link the soundtrack while suggesting you listen to while reading (which I still implore you to do). This time around I wanna talk a little bit more in-depth about this honestly groundbreaking soundtrack.

To this day there are videos on youtube getting millions of views for each radio station this game has. While there is an original score that we
ll shout out soon enough, the choice of licensed tracks in this game is second to none. 💯 Everything from the fantastic country to the equally amazing hip-hop and techno stations holds up with banger after banger.

Moreover, the soundtrack itself is hella good in itself. The tunes complement the feeling of the game wonderfully. 🎶 With its theme a classic in the modern day with its use in memes and TikToks, it's instantly recognizable.

_{Composed by the now iconic Mr. Michael Hunter}

I played San Andreas when it was released. And I was still playing it... I dunno 5 years after? This game holds up. More so than most of its generation. But then again, most GTA games hold up, which is something we'll dive deeper into as the article goes on.

Suffice it to say, I loved it on release, and I love it still. This game is balls-to-the-walls entertaining. And I hope to capture a portion of that magic here. ✨

🔶 SETTING 🔶

The setting here is one I hold near and dear to my heart. Growing up a Hip-Hop fan, the feels this game gave off were just what I was looking for. 👌

San Andreas drops you, CJ, in the middle of an ongoing gang war between your green 'Grove Street' and the diabolical purple 'Ballas'. There are also the purple and inconsequential 'Vagos', but ye, we don't care about them. 😂

The setting borrows heavily from the infamous gang war between the Cips and Bloods of the late '90s. And the entire gang-banging rap scene which glorified the mindless violence.

However, set in the GTA package it made you live that fantasy in a totally believable and genuine way. You were CJ and this only enhanced the total atmosphere and enjoyment of the game.

🔶 REAL LIFE 🔶

When you were a kid this game was your life. Mainly due to the plethora of systems Rockstar North imbued it with. All through simple mini-games that maybe today are looked at as grindy, but back then were only tools to heighten your immersion.

• Wanna get stronger? increasing your HP and carry capacity, while also making your character look buffer. You have to go to the GYM.
• Wanna heal while also eating something delicious? Careful you don't get too fat because that will lower your sex appeal - go EAT FOOD.
• Wanna get rich quick? Play blackjack, roulette, poker, and more in the CASINO.
• Wanna participate in recreational activities? Play BASKETBALL, POOL. Or any of the several ARCADE GAMES.

All of these activities made the world feel real. Made you feel like you really were CJ, making him improve and getting him to the point where he can take revenge upon those that wronged him. And revenge stories against corrupt police are always a win in my book. 😁📚

This is all further accentuated by the amazing open world, which GTA is known for, but really San Andreas is what brought put an exclamation mark on that distinction❗ Let's discuss -

🔶 OPEN WORLD 🔶

The first ever open world was GTA III. As such the GTA franchise was always known to bring out realistic worlds (well, as realistic as possible) to the market. GTA Vice City was a leap forward in that regard, while Sand Andreas was a three-leap forward. 😁

The world is massive, and while not as big as you remember it due to a lot of dead space, it is still highly impressive what Rockstar achieved. You have 3 cities surrounding a massive desert that you get to explore at your will. Really from the start of the game, but you have no use for the open world yet, as all your primary objectives are in your starting town.

The police system is iconic, even more so when recent titles like Cyberpunk 2077 fall so short. The police, the roaming gangs, the civilians. They are all part of the formula that makes this game tick at such a high rate.

Apart from the activities we listed above, you can also have a girlfriend, you can have several girlfriends. 😱 You have to take them out, show them a good time, or risk losing them. Kind of like real life. 😁😛

The open world is in service to the player, as it should be. Along with the amazing mission design that permeates this all-around amazing title. Speaking of the missions, they are headlines by some amazingly memorable characters.

🔶 CAST OF CHARACTERS 🔶

Who could forget Big Smoke? Or Raider? Or the corrupt cop in the form of Tenpenny? Who was voiced by Samuel L. Jackson btw. I didn't know this when I was a kid, and my mind was sufficiently blown when I later found out. 😁

In general, the story of the game fits its tone perfectly, and each character contributes to that, of course. 👨

The missions that these wack jobs send you on are some of gaming's highlights. Ranging from the insane to the mundane, to nation-altering - and all very dangerous.

Sometimes I just watch cut scenes on YouTube because they were that good.

🔶 LEGACY 🔶

One of the best GTA games? Is that fair to say? For a generation of people, it's hands down the best GTA game, but that's like picking a favorite child. A strict no-no.

Have to say here right quick that Rockstar really dropped the ball with the release of the remastered editions of these games. They were arguably worse than the original release, and nowhere near what mods allow you to do., Not only that but they removed the old versions from all storefronts. Like... how dumb can you be? 😂

Regardless of that dumb decision, I doubt that hurt this game's legacy. People were as upset because it still held up at the end of the day. One of the best open-world. Easy.

And up there as the best gangster simulator (sorry Saints Row 2).

Thank you for reading, you rock! (and maybe roll) 👏👏👏

Shout-out to the 🍕PIZZA🍕 gang, 🤙 gang. 🤙

Will def do more GTA games but am really not sure where to head next. Will probs do GTA5, but not sure if I should do the 1, 2, 3. I'm def not doing Vice City as it shares a lot with San Andreas. But never say never!

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Hope everyone is having a fantastic day! And if you aren't, no worries! Tomorrow will be better! 🙌🙌🙌