As we climb the list of the Top 10 MegaGames of 2004 we will begin to encounter titles that were accompanied by a great deal of expectation from the community; the Number 4 game in gamer preference is exactly such a title. Rockstar Games is a company that has evolved greatly through the past decade, when the developer was releasing GTA III, for example, it tried to play down the entire launch process in order to avoid criticism over the violent nature of the game. Nowadays the company is strong enough to thrive under controversy and to be able to utilize criticism in order to improve sales.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, has made it to Number 4 in the Top 10 MegaGames of 2004 chart based entirely on the votes of Playstation 2 owners since that is the only platform the game is currently available on. Any game which gives the player the chance to explore three large cities and the countryside in-between deserves to be this high in any gaming related list.
When Rockstar unleashed GTA III, on an unsuspecting public, it moved the franchise towards a larger audience and made it a hot-topic of conversation. Just when everyone thought that Rockstar had peaked, Vice City came along to change, entirely, the scale of gaming. Now Rockstar has done it again by raising the bar even further. Much of the success of the GTA series has relied on the painstaking attention that Rockstar pays to detail. Each of the games mentioned above (III, VC and SA) have relied, heavily, on inspiration their creators had from specific movies. GTA III was a tribute to The Godfather while Vice City had a Scarface feel to it and now San Andreas draws inspiration from gang movies such as Boyz N the Hood and Colors.
One important point of reference, especially for VC and SA has been the timeline. While Vice City was Miami in the 80’s, San Andreas is the entire state of California, with the addition of Las Vegas, in the 90’s. The way the decades are utilized shapes the soul of the game. Everything from character clothing, to cars and the music on the various radio stations is authentic for that specific period. Another important layer contributing to the monumental success of the GTA series is the exceedingly accurate and refined sense of humor permeating the entire game. Every radio advert in the game is a little comedy gem while taking the time to read road and store signs will not disappoint.
There’s too much to say on how the game has improved since Vice City, too many extra missions and games, too many exciting goings-on that can draw you away from the story missions, in fact the game is so unpredictable it would be a shame to spoil it for gamers, especially those of you patiently waiting for the PC or Xbox versions of GTA: SA. The PS2 exclusive release of the game is in many ways the Achilles heel of the game; the frame stutter often experienced when driving in busy streets or when engaging a few gang-members in a firefight, or the marginal visual improvement on Vice City are all restrictions imposed upon the game by its, current, platform. It is also fair to say that most of the problems of San Andreas are technical rather than gameplay related. The only serious issue which some gamers have taken with San Andreas is the lack of multiplayer, the logic being that if a gamer can turn Vice City into a Multi-Theft-Auto title than Rockstar should have been able to do the same for their state. We are still retaining some hope that the same people that brought us MTA might work something similar out for SA. All of these issues however, in no way detract from the unique, immersive and ultimately rewarding experience that is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Voters were also impressed by the variety offered by GTA:SA, its a stunning game, in all aspects, the missions, graphics, the fun of playing it, music, for leaving all other games a 1000 miles behind. Others were, obviously, fans of the series, GTA:SA is a historic game Rockstar is a historic developer. Growing from the perfect ideas from all the GTA’s u can’t get better than GTA:SA.
Some fans however, blamed their academic performance on the game, no gaming series has captivated me as much as this series, and the latest installment is no different. This year this game alone captured over 100 of my gaming hours and single handedly lowered my GPA. Gamers continued to heap praise on Rockstar, suggesting that other developers should take note of how exciting and engaging franchises are produced, …it (GTA:SA) has proved again that a game can always be different no matter how many sequels are made!!! GTA: SA it’s totally different from its predecessors! It has a million of things to do and makes sure that you’ll be busy for many months!!! Visually, it is beautiful, as are the sound effects and gameplay. Another great Rockstar game! Others enjoyed the variety offered by the game, GTA: San Andreas is one great game. With each new title in the GTA series, Rockstar seems to add more to the game. In Vice City there were, noticeably, more features than GTA III and now in SA there are MANY more features than in Vice City. It seems that one can almost do anything. Unique and excellent story lines and gameplay mated with good graphics, quick load times, tons of new features, and the ability to do whatever your heart desires…
Most voters however, did complain about the platform exclusivity and the lack of multiplayer, …a multi-platform release would've been nicer, and the couple of icky restrictions (particularly in MP) could have been worked on a bit more, this is definitely a game worthy of its predecessors... We will leave you with an observation from one of our more far sighted voters, Hollywood watch out, a game this rich and expansive can only lead to great things... we couldn’t agree with you more.
Number 5