Many say size doesn't matter, in the video game world this is most certainly wrong, but what happens if things perhaps get a little too big? Is that even possible?
Following on from the huge success of GTA3 and GTA:Vice City came GTA:San Andreas in 2004 to the PS2 (the game was ported the xbox and PC the following year). Yet again the game found you playing a whole new character in a whole new environment though much like the previous games in the series there was common links. This time you played CJ a guy who had gotten out of the small time crime in the streets of Los Santos and moved away, he had come home so to speak after learning of his mothers murder and the break down of the Grove Street gang that he was formerly a member of.
The player then takes control of CJ through the course of the game with an open world layout allowing you to go with in the unlocked section of the world whenever you wanted, stealing the cars of the pedestrians, or just generally getting into fights with people. Though the games story was based around the missions given out by various characters there was never any need to rush through them and you could feel free to play about in the playground that was Los Santos. The controls were slightly improved on the previous games giving more complete feeling to the gun combat though it was only a minor tweaking and not a complete over haul so everyone who had played the the previous games we're familiar with them.
After the player had complete the missions available on Los Santos things generally became bigger and better as the game transitions from a somewhat ghetto theme of minorities in the poorer areas of San Andreas. Though it's as people explorer the vast depth of the second part of the game, a hilly mountainous area with a farm and little communities inter linked by little roads that game really amazes you in depth. Though still up to now the games difficulty hasn't stepped up, instead the designers have given you the ability to wonder and behold their beautiful creation, the size and complexity of which just hadn't been seen on the PS2 before. Again as you progress you unlock a heavily industrialised part of the game with a building site, a dock and a vast array of different forms of grey. San Fierro as it was called was really the middle section of the game, quite large and also very fun though far from the most fun to play around in, it's one where most of the characters seemed to be at their best for the cut scenes.
The game then went to the equivalent of a desert with it's own giant but yet deserted airport, that looked like the proverbial ghost town in places this was where the game became rather crazy for a bit in the storyline and the fun things players could do. This featured its own area 51 style place in the game and was despite being rather barren rather fun. Before the final part of the game opened up to the player in Las Venturas, effectively the games equivalent to Las Vegas with neon lights, casinos and the high rollers big money missions.
So of course the game was huge in size, but more over the sheer scope of the characters and humour had increased as well, most notable the number of non-playable characters central to the story was massive (the game holds a record for using more voice actors than any other game). They ranged from the main character, to the rather brash and dislikeable Officer Tenpenny (voiced by Samuel L Jackson no less). It was however the relatively deep supporting cast that provided the most entertainment. Characters such as OG Loc who had recently gotten out of jail and was happy to explain his tales from the inside with Freddy. Or The Truth (voiced by Peter Fonda) who was an out and out conspiracy believer and was happy to tell you, though he was also a hippy and seemed high most of the time to much comic relief through out. Or the excellent Maccer who was voiced by Shaun Ryder (of Happy Mondays fame), an out and out sex freak who's jokes may occasionally be lost on the American audience seemed made for the British sense of humour.
Of course music is part of the GTA ideals now and the game provided us with things like Faith No More, Guns 'n' Roses, Snoop Dogg, NWA, James Brown, Soundgarden, Lynard Skynard, The Who, Kiss, Tupac and Dr Dre. As well as allowing the player (on the Xbox version) to play their own music.
So what about the vehicles you may be thinking, well this was a huge overhaul with over 200 vehicles ranging from cars, motor bikes, bicycles, trains, helicopters, plains (including a massive jet and an army jet fighter), hover craft, monster trucks. The game was effectively full of vehicles, though some looked pretty unique but were effectively pointless (camper van and tractor for example) there as some completely wonder vehicles for you to take over and enjoy using to wreak havoc.
So what about the game then you may be asking, well it was fun GTA games always are fun, with side quests, sadistic killing sprees with no purpose and the main story. As well as such an array of secrets that you could well spend time finding them rather than playing the main part of the game for days. However the game actually seemed too big, it was like someone had given you such a wonderful and amazing meal you didn't know what to do with it and sadly found your self reverting to type and going mental with a rocket launcher in the middle of a busy highway. Yes it was all enjoyable, though far from as magical as it had been a few years earlier when GTA3 made you want to complete the game properly...then play about. Maybe it just felt like there was too much to do and explorer, there was so much fun to be had jumping off building with a parachute, or doing fly-by shootings with a jet pack for you to really care about getting 100%.
What may not have helped was the fact some of the missions felt pointlessly difficult and out of place, whilst others just didn't seem to have any point to them, also the game lacked the Mafia theme that had helped to keep some interested in the actual storyline. And although the addition of the swimming ability was needed to stop accidental drowning, it almost seemed a laborious task and not a pleasure to use at times as you could spend literally ages swimming to find a place to get out of the water.
Overall the game was fantastic on the whole, it as huge, it was thoroughly enjoyable and it was full of humour, the recipes for a great game by anyone's standards though at times it felt over whelming and perhaps a little too over the top. It had probably been a case many of us seeing parts of the game from other games that had taken a bit out of it and the magic of the earlier 3D GTA games just seemed a little lacking despite how fun and clever it all was. A definite must buy for those still using their PS2s and xboxes and even more so if it's at a lower price, though it does always seem just a little too easy to feel like you can't be bothered to complete the main story.