Reviews

2004 - These were the days before Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, before motion sensor controls, mass online gaming, high definition and achievement scores. The current consoles were very much in their prime. Although everyone was anticipating the next generation and the treats they'll have to offer, there was still plenty of life left in the current generation.

This was certainly a prestigious year for video games. The build up to a year full of so many high profile titles was enough to make any gamer weak in the thumbs. Many would consider it to be the year of sequels, with the primary focus on triple-A games like Halo 2, Metal Gear Solid 3 and Half Life 2 to name just three of the several I could mention. Many people were also anticipating the début outings for Blizzard's MMORPG World of Warcraft and Sony's "Halo beater" Killzone, but there was really only one game every gamer had their eyes on and that wasn't due until shortly before Christmas - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Where it all began: before he can ride, CJ must cycle.

Rockstar's third instalment in the 3D Grand Theft Auto saga promised to be bigger, better and badder than the previous titles. If the huge success and critical acclaim for Vice City was anything to go by, then San Andreas was destined to be the best game ever. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint, San Andreas sold through the roof and became most critics and fans game of the year. Sure enough the Eighties enthusiasts would claim Vice City was better, but if size and game play were the deciding factors, then San Andrea delivered, and delivered in style.

Having already delved into the New York Mafia and '80s crime ridden Miami, San Andreas headed to the west coast and to Los Angeles gang culture. As CJ you got to experience the highs and lows of black gang life, from the bond between friends and family to the gun slinging massacre of rival gang members. The rags to riches story gave you an entire State as your playground, consisting of three major cities, plenty of countryside, the desert and mountain regions. You began life a poor gangster in the LA slums and worked your way up to a Vegas kingpin, owning casinos and flying private jets, while never really forgetting where you came from and your loyal bond of brothers.

CJ had friends he could trust, not just folks out to use him like previous GTA leads.

You shot your way through San Andreas, you stole the jet pack from area 51, you found the highest possible point and jumped off it, leaving it to the very last second to deploy the parachute, some of you even claim to have met up with Big Foot. But that was then and this is now, as always a great game gets left to fond memory - The sun set in San Andreas, the desert dust settled, Big Foot remains a mystery and the disc was put back in the box for good.

5 years later...