Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a Rockstar North game that is developed in the GTA III Era, so the game has referances from both Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It is the only game so far that is set in the fictional state of San Andreas. The game is mostly set around the return of protagonist Carl Johnson (also known as CJ) to his gang (the Grove Street Families), and their return to power.

Storyline
Five years ago, Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in his hometown, Los Santos, San Andreas. Now, it's the early 90s, and he must return home after hearing that his mother was killed in a drive-by shooting, and his family is torn apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of cops frame him for the homicide of another police officer. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and control the streets.

Gameplay
San Andreas is similarly structured to the previous two games in the series. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, affording the player a large, open environment in which to move around. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming (the first GTA game in which diving is possible), limited climbing and jumping, as well as using weapons and various forms of hand to hand combat. Players can operate a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, airplanes, helicopters, trains, tanks, motorcycles and bicycles. Players may also import vehicles rather than steal them. CJ is Grand Theft Auto's most customizable protagonist due to the possibility in-game to change his clothes, tattoos, hairstyle and even his body mass in which he can be fat, skinny or muscular. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas also reintroduces over-the-top-gameplay seen in games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, The Ballad of Gay Tony, and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

Game Information

 * 100% Completion - Detailed information on how to complete the game 100%.
 * Assets - Assets are places where you can collect the predetermined amount of money.
 * Businesses - There are many different types of businesses that are featured.
 * Characters - The people who make the gameworld immersive.
 * Cheats - Cheat codes that are available for the PS2, Xbox, and PC versions.
 * Collectibles - Information about the types of items that can be collected.
 * Controls - Controls for the PS2, Xbox, and PC versions of the game.
 * Criminal Ratings - A list of the different criminal ratings in San Andreas and how many points you need to reach them.
 * Gameplay Features - Gameplay mechanics and features in San Andreas.
 * Gang Warfare - Gang Warfare is a tactical section of gameplay which involves taking over enemy gang territories.
 * Girlfriends - Information on all six girlfriends in San Andreas.
 * Main Story Missions - Walkthroughs for all the main story missions.
 * Mods - Third-party mods add different elements to the game/.
 * Myths/Legends - Detailed information on all the rumors, myths, legends, and glitches in the game.
 * Places - Many different locations in San Andreas that you might want to visit.
 * Plot - The whole plot that makes the gameworld story understandable.
 * Radio Stations - The radio stations in the game.
 * Restaurants - See the food-chains in San Andreas.
 * Restricted Areas - Information on no-entry areas in San Andreas.
 * Safehouses - All the available safehouses in the game.
 * Schools - Information on the different types of schooling offered in the game.
 * Statistics - Different statistics are used to track your progress.
 * /Trailers/ - Trailers showcasing the game.
 * Tricks - Some useful tricks in the game.
 * Vehicle Missions - Missions that are available for specific vehicles.
 * Vehicles - A list of numerous vehicles found in the game.
 * Weapons - A list of numerous weapons found in the game.

Reception
Prior to its release for the PlayStation 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was one of the most highly anticipated video games of 2004, along with Halo 2. San Andreas met most of these expectations, as it was praised as one of the PlayStation 2's best games, with an average review score on 95%, according to Metacritic, tying for the fifth highest ranked game in PlayStation 2 history. IGN rated the game a 9.9/10 (the highest score it has ever awarded to a PlayStation 2 game), calling it "the defining piece of software" for the PlayStation 2. GameSpot rated the game 9.6/10, giving it an Editor's Choice award. San Andreas also received an A rating from the 1UP.com network and a 10/10 score from Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. As of March 26, 2008, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has sold 21.5 million units according to Take-Two Interactive. The Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition list it as the most successful game on the Playstation 2, with 17.33 million copies sold for that console alone, from a total of 21.5 million in all formats. The New York Times' Charles Herold gave the only non-positive review for San Andreas, giving it a 'mediocre' rating of 6.0 out of 10, criticizing the "annoying" mission structure, and the casualness of the intense violence featured in the game.

Controversy
The game has received widespread acclaim for its technical achievements and free gameplay. However, it also received widespread criticism - initially due to its "gangster" elements, which include drugs, prostitution, and murder; but later due to the discovery of disabled interactive sex scenes, nicknamed Hot Coffee, which could be re-enabled using third-party mods. This led to the re-rating by the ESRB of the game from Mature to Adults-Only until a second version, with the sex scenes fully removed, was released.