"Finally... a totally unbiased and not complaining review!"

One thing you need when buying this game is a blank and clear memory, so go to your happy place. Second, you need to open the box and expect the game to be unlike any other you've played, including Vice City. Third, play a few missions and do a few side quests, and you will know from about 20 minutes in if you'll have a good time or not. Ok, I have read many a review for this game, and quite honestly, not a single person sounds like they wrote this with their brain and not their heart. Some people are disappointed by the "same-as-Vice City" game engine, and others are in the "WOW! THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER!!!!" category. I feel neither of these feelings (although I was heavily anticipating the game), so I will spare you all the b.s.

GRAPHICS: 7/10

Not that they're bad or anything, but being a re-hash of Vice City is a bit of a let down. The thing that a lot of people don't take into consideration is that in order to add all of the gameplay features they did and in order make it run without MAJOR slowdown on the PS2 they had to leave the graphics a bit short. Remember, this game take every ounce of power the PS2 has and makes a great game, so to criticize the engine simply because of the graphical flaws is very nearsighted. I prefer to look at the good points. The orange look to the game is a lot like the sunrise and sunset in Los Angeles, which IS THE FREAKING POINT! Yes, it's very bright and makes it hard to see at time... STILL THE POINT! When you roam around town going at insane speeds, things get blurry around you, which is a very nice effect. Also, all of the car models are very good looking, and take realistic looking damage, which you will encounter a lot. Other than that, if you've seen Vice City, expect the same here. The only major drawback to this game (and the one that drags this score down) is the incredible amount of draw-in during gameplay. It's never anything that interrupts play, but it's noticeable and quite annoying. When you drive along in the country and the grass appears alongside you car, you'll know what I mean. Even through all the draw in though, I must admit that slowdown is very rarely a problem, so no worries there.

STORY: 9/10

The story of the game is getting a bit of flak for being a bit boring or whatever, but I must say that I have been involved in the story from the get-go. The feeling that C.J. and Sweet are being betrayed or set up is evident from the get go, and the game does a nice job of making C.J. feel like a hero not a gangster. The story progresses nicely, and none of the missions feel as though they are cheap or are making you lose for no particular reason. Some are harder than others, but mostly the easiest ones are semi-tutorial or story progresses, so no big deal. There are enough side missions to make you feel like the game is MUCH longer than you thought it was. I spent about a day-and-a-half taking over Baller territory for no reason other than to kill Ballers, and had fun because it was making me money. A lot of side quests for this game become semi-mandatory for you, since you will have trouble making money (unless you bet it at the track or cheat), so it feels like part of the game. Overall the story does a great job of delivering solid moments and makes you feel involved.

SOUND: 10/10

The sound is top-notch, from the chatter on the streets to the amazing soundtrack. A lot of times on Vice City I changed the station in the car because the music wasn't anything I could stand. Most of the time in San Andreas, I don't even bother. I personally hate country music, but I find myself listening to the station simply because of the D.J. or the quality of the songs it has on it. The talk radio station is highly amusing, and all other stations have a great track list, so you won't wanna change around. Oh, and as usual, the voice acting is awesome. They all use the right tone in each scene and make the game feel much deeper than it really is. Nobody misses a beat, and they all feel like actors in a movie. Besides, it has SAMUEL L. JACKSON for crying out loud (hey I had to have one fan boy moment)! Let's clear one thing up though: yes they say the F-BOMB a LOT, but if you know any early Nineties gangsters, raise your hand. I thought not. Look, this game obviously has the approval of people who know what life was like back in the time this was set in. The amount of rappers on the soundtrack and doing voice acting in the game suggests that they got it right, so if you can't take the F-word then mute the game I guess.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10

The gameplay is nearly flawless, although a few things bother me from time to time. Number one, you can drive around in the country driving off cliffs and flying around all crazy like, but as soon as you back off a small hill, you flip over and explode. VERY ANNOYING! Number two, during some missions it can be very hard to target the enemy that you want to target, and you will have to waste about five guys in succession before you kill who you're after. These are very minor flaws to an outstandingly set up game though, and one feature that I do want to talk up is the sprint feature. Tapping X gets hard after a while (and I did it so much my controller sticks now), but its worth it to get that extra something when running for your life.

TILT: 10/10

Ok, I said it would be an unbiased review, and I think I may have failed. I do have quite a bit of bias towards this game, as I personally rate it as the second-best game I have ever played (behind Chrono Trigger). The sheer depth of the game and the amount of little things you can do are staggering. I personally think that a lot of gamers are missing out on the multiplayer modes, as I have had more fun playing the game with my sister or my girlfriend than alone. I also feel that a lot of gamers are mad at the game because they can't just cheat and do everything right out of the box. I'm not talking about going to the other cities, I'm talking about dating, making low-riders, shooting pool, going out to eat, dancing, that kind of thing. These are the things that take you away when you have that one annoying mission that you can't pass right now, and you need a break. Gamers want to put in the disk, and immediately start getting weapons and money and buying stuff, and they're mad that they actually have to play for real. But that's my soapbox opinion, so don't pay me any mind.

OVERALL: 9/10

As a whole, this is a game with many flaws, but none that you'll ever really notice or care about. The story will make you want to play the game through, and the side quests and mini games that are everywhere will keep you coming back for more. Graphically it isn't earth-shattering or beautiful, but it looks good considering the aging system it's made for. The sound makes you forget about the graphics at times, and the acting is amazing. Play this game now, it's been worth the wait!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/09/04