Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Imagine my surprise when I walked into my local video game store and the kid behind the counter tells me, 'Hey, we are taking pre-orders on GTA.'
'Wow, already?' I responded.
'Yeah, with Vice City, the people were lined up around the block, so you better do it now but it won't be out until October.'
Well, when he told me that I laid down my five bucks and patiently waited, well - as patient as I could, being the GTA fan that I am.
Flash forward seven months when it's finally released. I pick up the game early and rush home, rip the plastic off the box and put the disc into my PS2 as fast as possible.
And my initial response?
Disappointment.Now before the hardcore gamers go bonkers on me, I still had a lot of fun playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. And contrary to those who were giving this game high praise months before it was even released, it is not perfect, but still fun and frustrating in spots.
The Pros: The music-- Rockstar delivers with a stellar soundtrack consisting of 2Pac, Soundgarden, Public Enemy, NWA, Dr. Dre, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Gun's n' Roses, Stone Temple Pilots, and even Willie Nelson. Though I'm not a big country music fan, even I started singing along to Whitey Shafer's 'All My Exes Live in Texas' after hearing the song several times.
The voice acting is also a big plus. There is a superb cast consisting of Samuel L. Jackson, Ice T, James Woods, Chris Penn and Peter Fonda, not to mention the title character of Carl 'CJ' Johnson that was well done by Chris Bellard. And the funniest character is Jeffrey 'O.G. Loc' Cross, excellently done by Jonathan Anderson.
The story-- CJ is a likable criminal who comes home to find his mother has been murdered and that he is being framed by the cops for another murder. CJ's getting back with old friends and his dealing with a troubled relationship with his brother combine to set off the complex story line that takes you through a fictional Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. It pays homage to movies like 'Menace 2 Society' and 'Boys