Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fifth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and the seventh entry overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, the game follows Carl "CJ" Johnson, who returns home after his mother's murder and finds his old street gang has lost much of their territory. Over the course of the game, he attempts to rebuild the gang, clashes with corrupt authorities and powerful criminals, and gradually unravels the truth behind his mother's murder.
The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The open world design lets the player freely roam San Andreas, consisting of three major metropolitan cities: Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas, based on Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, respectively. The narrative is based on multiple real-life events in Los Angeles, including the Bloods and Crips street gang rivalry, 1990s crack epidemic, 1992 Los Angeles riots, and Rampart scandal. The game was released in October 2004 for the PlayStation 2, and in 2005 for Windows and the Xbox. Enhanced versions and mobile ports were released in the 2010s, followed by a remastered version in 2021.
The game received critical acclaim for its characters, narrative, open world design, and visual fidelity, but mixed responses towards its mission design, technical issues, and portrayal of race. It generated controversy when the discovery of the "Hot Coffee" minigame unlocked a hidden sexual scene. Several gaming publications awarded the game year-end accolades, and it is considered one of the sixth generation of console gaming's most significant titles and among the best video games ever made. San Andreas became the best-selling video game of 2004 and the best-selling PlayStation 2 game, with over 27.5 million copies sold. The next main entry in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, was released in April 2008.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an action-adventure game played from a third-person view.[2] In the game, players control criminal Carl "CJ" Johnson and complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. Outside of missions, players can freely roam the game's open world and complete optional side missions.[4][5] A multiplayer mode allows two players to roam the world.[6] The fictional state of San Andreas, which makes up the open world, comprises three metropolitan cities: Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas.[7] The cities are unlocked as the story progresses;[8] airports allow teleportation between each city using fast travel.[9]: 1 Scattered throughout the map, safehouses can be purchased to save the game and store vehicles.[9]: 20
Players may run, swim, and use vehicles to navigate the world,[3] and use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, including the ability to dual wield firearms and commit drive-by shootings.[10][11] Weapons are purchased from local firearms dealers, retrieved from dead enemies, and found scattered through the world.[12] In combat, auto-aim is used to lock on to targets.[9]: 42 Should players take damage, their health meter can be fully regenerated through health pick-ups, and body armour can be used to absorb gunshots and explosive damage.[10][13] Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes.[14]: 100 If players commit crimes, law enforcement may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display. Stars displayed on the meter indicate the current wanted level; at the maximum six-star level, police helicopters and military are sent after players.[9]: 1 Officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The meter enters a cool-down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight.[9]: 29 The game features more than 180 vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, aircraft, boats, and remote-control vehicles,[9]: 6–11 and most can be accessorised with modifications like hydraulics, nitrous oxide engines, and stereo systems.[9]: 201–204 .
In the world, players can fight for territory by attacking rival gang members; the territory is won when players survive three waves of responding enemy attacks. Won territories are subject to periodic enemy gang attacks—they must be successfully defended or else lost.[9]: 196 While free roaming the world, players may engage in activities such as burglary, fire fighting, pimping, taxi, and vigilante missions;[9]: 176–180 completion rewards players with cash, which can be spent on CJ's accessories, clothing, hairstyles, and tattoos—new role-playing elements for the series.[10][15] Balancing food and physical activity impacts CJ's appearance and physical attributes; eating and exercising maintains health, while losing muscle lessens combat effectiveness.[16] Three styles of hand-to-hand combat—boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts—are taught at gyms in each city.[9]: 144–145 [17]: 31 The game tracks respect among CJ's friends, which varies according to his actions and appearance.[9]: 1 Acquired skills are also tracked, such as driving, firearms handling, lung capacity, muscles, and stamina, which unlock additional game mechanics.[3][9]: 4 Players can date six different girls and take them to dinner, drinks, or dancing.[9]: 200–201.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto:_San_Andreas