TLDR Review: "Grand Theft Auto San Andreas"
Pros
- •Provides a fun and engaging gaming experience that remains timeless and enjoyable even years after release.
- •Offers a massive opeorld with extensive free roaming, diverse vehicles (including planes and tanks), numerous weapons, and plenty of chaos for fans of violent action.
- •Features a compelling storyline supported by tootch voice acting and memorable characters, enhancing immersion.
- •Includes a wide array of side quests, minames, and RPG elements like property ownership and car customization, boosting replay value.
- •Runs smoothly on PlayStation 2 without glitches or freezing, with graphics that hold up well for the era, especially when using a quality component cable to improve picture quality on HDTVs.
- •Considered one of the best, if not the best, games in the Grand Theft Auto series, beloved for its unique style and vast content compared to later entries like GTA 4.
- •Contains a nostalgic atmosphere capturing the essence of iconic locations like LA, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.
- •The Greatest Hits edition comes with the original map/poster and a pristine, scratcree disc, adding collector’s value.
- •New gameplay features, such as dating and eating mechanics, add depth (though divisive).
Cons
- •Some mission designs can be frustrating or illogical, including overly difficult remotontrolled aircraft missions and restrictive weapon loadouts that limit player choice.
- •AI behavior is inconsistent and frustrating, with gang members and allies acting poorly, and the police often ignoring enemy violence while focusing relentlessly on the player.
- •Timed scripted events can cause repeated failures and interrupt the flow of gameplay, leading to player frustration.
- •Modding vehicles starts fun but loses appeal due to bugs resetting customizations and removing upgrades unexpectedly.
- •New mechanics like dating and eating are seen as poorly executed, slowing progression and adding unnecessary complexity.
- •Dialogue occasionally crosses lines of taste and sensitivity, which may be uncomfortable for some players.
- •Despite excellent gameplay, some elements feel too similar to previous GTA titles without fully realizing new ideas.
Bottom Line
*Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Greatest Hits for PlayStation 2* remains a must-have classic for action-adventure fans craving a vast, engaging open-world experience with tons of content and memorable storytelling. While some frustrating mission designs and AI issues persist, they hardly overshadow the deep gameplay and nostalgic charm that make this title a landmark in the GTA series. If you're looking for unbeatable PS2-era fun with smooth performance and original extras like the map/poster, this game delivers. However, if you want a smoother, more polished experience without some of the older quirks, you might want to consider later GTA titles on newer platforms.
How we researched this
About this review: We pulled together findings from professional reviews and hundreds of user reviews, and cross-referenced them with ShopSavvy's pricing data from 8 retailers to give you the short version.
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