Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Developer(s)Rockstar North[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games
Producer(s)Leslie Benzies
Programmer(s)
  • Obbe Vermeij
  • Adam Fowler
Artist(s)Aaron Garbut
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Michael Hunter
SeriesGrand Theft Auto
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)
PlayStation 2
Release
26 October 2004
  • PlayStation 2
    • NA: 26 October 2004
    • PAL: 29 October 2004
  • Windows, Xbox
    • NA: 7 June 2005
    • EU: 10 June 2005
  • Mac OS X
  • 12 November 2010
  • iOS
  • 12 December 2013
  • Android
  • 19 December 2013
  • Windows Phone
  • 27 January 2014
  • Fire OS
  • 15 May 2014
  • Xbox 360
  • 26 October 2014
  • PlayStation 3
  • 1 December 2015
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series and the first main entry since 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on California and Nevada, the game follows Carl "CJ" Johnson, who returns home after his mother's murder and finds his old friends and family in disarray. Over the course of the game, he attempts to re-establish his old gang, clashes with corrupt cops, 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 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 the Rampart scandal. The game was released in October 2004 for the PlayStation 2, and in 2005 for Windows and the Xbox. Enhanced versions 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 and technical issues. It generated controversy when the discovery of the "Hot Coffee" minigame unlocked a previously hidden sexual scene. Several gaming publications awarded the game year-end accolades, and it is considered one of the sixth generation 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. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto IV, was released in April 2008.

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an action-adventure game played from a third-person view.[2] In the game, players controls criminal Carl "CJ" Johnson and completes 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.[3][4] A multiplayer mode allows two players to roam the world.[5] The state of San Andreas is composed of three metropolitan cities: Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas.[6] The cities are unlocked as the story progresses.[7]

The game is played from a third-person view and its open world can be navigated using cars and other vehicles.[2][8]

Players may run, jump, swim, or use vehicles to navigate the world,[8] and use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, including the ability to dual wield firearms and commit drive-by shootings.[9][10] Weapons are purchased from local firearms dealers or retrieved from dead enemies or in the world.[11] In combat, auto-aim can be used against enemies.[12]:42 Several stealth elements were introduced in the game.[13] 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.[9][14] Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes.[15] 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 (for example, at the maximum six-star level, police helicopters and military swarm to lethally dispatch players).[12]: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.[12]:29

Players can fight members from enemy gangs to earn their territory.[12]:196

In the world, gang wars are prompted when players attack rival gang members; the territory is won when players survive three waves of enemies. To retain territories, they must occasionally be defended from attacks by enemy gangs.[12]:196 While free roaming the game world, players may engage in activities such as a vigilante minigame, a fire fighting activity, and a taxi cab service.[12]:179–182 San Andreas introduced role-playing elements, allowing customisation of CJ's clothing, hairstyles, accessories and tattoos.[9][16] The balance of food and physical activity has an impact on CJ's appearance and physical attributes; players may eat and exercise to remain healthy.[17] The game tracks respect among CJ's friends, which varies according to his actions and appearance,[12]:1 and acquired skills such as driving, firearms handling, stamina, and lung capacity.[8][12]:4 Players can date six different girls and take them to dinner, drinks, or dancing.[12]:200–201

Plot

In 1992, following his mother's murder in a drive-by shooting, CJ (Young Maylay) returns to Los Santos after five years. He is intercepted by corrupt C.R.A.S.H. officers led by Frank Tenpenny (Samuel L. Jackson), who threatens to implicate CJ in a murder unless he co-operates with them. CJ returns to Grove Street and reunites with his brother Sweet (Faizon Love), sister Kendl (Yolanda Whittaker), and members of his old gang, Big Smoke (Clifton Powell) and Ryder (MC Eiht). Discovering the Grove Street Families have lost much of their territory, CJ restores the gang to power by helping to reunite the various Grove Street sets who had splintered, allying himself with Kendl's boyfriend, Cesar Vialpando (Clifton Collins Jr.), leader of the Varrios Los Aztecas. CJ and Cesar witness Big Smoke and Ryder meeting with Tenpenny and a group of Ballas, and discover that they had been working with Tenpenny and were responsible for CJ's mother's murder. Suspecting a set-up, CJ rushes to Sweet's aid in a showdown against the Ballas.

Sweet, who was wounded in the ambush, is imprisoned by police while Tenpenny exiles CJ in the countryside. CJ is forced to carry out favours for Tenpenny. He also befriends a hippie called the Truth (Peter Fonda) and Triad leader Wu Zi Mu (James Yaegashi). After winning the deed to a garage in San Fierro, CJ sets it up to earn money. While in San Fierro, CJ crosses paths with the Loco Syndicate, Smoke and Ryder's drug connection. CJ infiltrates the organisation and identifies its leader, the mysterious Mike Toreno (James Woods). Along with Cesar and the Triad, CJ kills Ryder and the other Loco Syndicate leaders, and destroys the Syndicate's drug factory. Soon after, CJ is contacted by Toreno, who reveals himself to be a government agent spying on criminal operations. He enlists CJ's help in several shady operations in exchange for Sweet's release from prison. CJ helps Sweet once again drive off the rival gangs from their home.

Tenpenny is arrested and tried for several felonies, but the charges are dropped, prompting a city-wide riot. CJ soon discovers Big Smoke's whereabouts, and fights his way to the top floor to confront him. CJ unsuccessfully attempts to reason with Big Smoke, and the two engage in a gunfight; CJ wins and Big Smoke confesses that he got caught up with the power and money in order to see his opportunity. Tenpenny arrives, holding CJ at gunpoint while he steals Big Smoke's drug money, intending to use it to leave the city. Tenpenny escapes in a fire truck, followed by CJ and Sweet; Tenpenny eventually loses control of the truck, crashing over the side of a bridge. CJ and his friends watch as Tenpenny crawls from the wreckage and dies of his injuries. In the aftermath, CJ's family and friends celebrate their success at the Johnson house. In the midst of the celebrations, CJ leaves to check on the neighbourhood.

Development

Like the two previous Grand Theft Auto entries, Benzies produced San Andreas with Dan Houser, who also co-wrote the story. Sam Houser, president of Rockstar Games, was executive producer.[18]:21

Rockstar North began the development of San Andreas following the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in October 2002. Having two years of development, as opposed to one year for Vice City, gave the team more opportunity to experiment and reevaluate the previous games.[19] The team wanted to ensure that the elements of the game worked together cohesively so the player felt that "it's from the same game".[20] Producer Leslie Benzies hoped San Andreas would redefine the Grand Theft Auto series and "revolutionize open-ended gameplay and video game production values".[21] Rockstar Games's The Warriors, scheduled to release in 2004, was delayed to 2005 to provide additional resources to San Andreas.[22]

Some developers were concerned about working conditions at Rockstar during the development of San Andreas as they were unable to take an adequate break after Vice City. Programmer Gary Foreman feared that company had entered an "eternal crunch", as some developers worked for 17 hours per day.[23]:163 Some developers had disagreements with Rockstar president Sam Houser, causing them to step away from the development.[23]:163–165,184 San Andreas had an estimated budget of under US$10 million.[24]

Technical and open world design

We love L.A., and the whole gangbanging vibe, and the street culture. That time [early '90s] in L.A. is so important and we knew a long time ago that the franchise needed to end up there. We'd done the East Coast in GTA3, and then '80s Miami with Vice City, so going to L.A. in the early '90s just seemed like an obvious place for us to go.

Dan Houser, in an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly in January 2005[25]

The fictional state of San Andreas consists of three cities inspired by real locations: Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).[6][26]:44 The exterior map is 36,000 square kilometres (14,000 sq mi),[27] about four to six times larger than Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City's;[26]:44 each city in San Andreas is approximately as large as Vice City's entire map.[28] Rockstar's New York-based research team took thousands of character photographs and video footage for Rockstar North[19] and the entire team travelled to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas to research and photograph each area,[29] including the gang territory of Los Angeles, which art director Aaron Garbut felt was difficult to capture without experiencing first-hand.[19]

Benzies felt that the developer's relationship with personalities such as Estevan Oriol, Mister Cartoon, and DJ Pooh helped the game's representation of 1990s Los Angeles street culture.[29] Work was put into the game's locations so the towns and districts did not look too "toy-towny" nor too precise.[20] The team sought to create a world with "depth" as opposed to quantitative size; Garbut wanted players to "feel like [they] can stop at any point and discover new things".[19] Various in-game locations were based on real areas, such as Los Santos by Compton, California, and a bridge in San Fierro by the Golden Gate Bridge.[30] The team were enthusiastic about the inclusion of mountains, forests, and a desert—firsts for the series.[19][31] San Fierro's hills, representative of San Francisco's, were intended to draw focus towards vehicle gameplay.[26]:45

The game's render pipeline was rewritten for increased graphics and scope,[20] allowing real-time reflections and volumetric lighting, as well as unique models for day and night.[26]:45 In San Andreas, several models share a single low-detail model, allow them to be loaded as the player traverses the map instead of loading in one instance when moving between islands like in Vice City. The clip distance was improved for the game's Windows release. Textures were created at the highest resolution and scaled down for platforms unable to handle them.[27] A remodel of the game's lighting allowed for different sets during day and night.[19] The game's driving physics were reworked from its predecessors in consideration of the open areas.[20] The team wanted to borrow the "sense of physicality" from the gun gameplay in Manhunt (2003) while adapting it the formula of Grand Theft Auto.[32] Scripting advancements allowed for new gameplay features not possible in predecessors, such as the casino games.[27]

Story and characters

Dan Houser noted that the game's satire was aimed towards the "broader weirdness" of consumerism and action movies of America.[20] He felt that the writers were frequently attempting to outdo each other in regards to the game's humour.[20] The team wanted to ensure that the player had the freedom to make choices throughout the game while also maintaining interest in the story.[20] The team felt that the ability to adjust CJ's weight helped the player to feel as though their actions could have consequences in the game.[32] Dan Houser felt CJ's customisability allowed players to better connect with the characters.[26]:50 The game's focus on several communities was prompted by the variety of the West Coast in the 1990s.[32]

Several historical events influenced the game's narrative, including the Rampart scandal of the Los Angeles Police Department,[33] 1990s crack epidemic, 1992 Los Angeles riots,[34] and the rivalry between the Bloods and Crips street gangs.[35] Sam Houser recounted being fascinated by the appearances of street gangs and terrified by their behaviour.[36] DJ Pooh was hired to co-write the game from an American perspective.[23]:189 The narrative was influenced by Hollywood films; Dan Houser said the team watched "hundreds of movies to get the California vibe into the game".[31] Journalists have identified references to several films in the game, including Boyz n the Hood (1991), Colors (1988), Juice (1992), Menace II Society (1993), and New Jack City (1991).[37][38][39][40]

The game features over 400 speaking actors[20] and over 60,000 lines of dialogue;[41] it game broke a Guinness World Record for the largest voice cast of any game, featuring 861 credited actors.[42] Sam Houser sought an unknown actor for CJ as he found Ray Liotta's performance as Tommy Vercetti in Vice City "conflicting"; he opted to cast celebrities in secondary roles, such as Jackson as Tenpenny, and felt Young Maylay's obscurity in the industry made CJ feel "very, very human".[43] Rockstar asked Young Maylay to audition after overhearing him speak with DJ Pooh; he was cast in the role—his first acting performance—a few weeks after auditioning.[44] He felt the developers gave him freedom to insert his own personality into CJ.[45]

Music

Rockstar partnered with Interscope Records to create the game's soundtrack.[46] The in-game radio features eleven radio stations with twenty DJs, and more than three times as many songs and advertisements as Grand Theft Auto III. The radio features were overhauled; instead of looping sounds, each station became dynamic, allowing randomised song order, accurate weather predictions, and story-relevant news announcements.[47] Interscope published two albums for the game: a two-disc album in November 2004,[48] and an eight-disc box set in December.[49] Post-PlayStation 2 versions of the game added an additional radio station supporting a custom, user-imported soundtrack.[50]

Release and promotion

Rockstar Games commissioned hand-painted advertisements for San Andreas, including in Melbourne.[51]

In October 2003, Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive announced the next Grand Theft Auto game would release in 2004's third quarter,[52] and prompted speculation after registering GTA: San Andreas with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in December.[53] Rockstar announced the game in March 2004, scheduled to release on 19 and 22 October in North America and Europe, respectively.[21] The first details and screenshots were released at E3 in May[39] alongside a cover story in Game Informer.[54] Rockstar launched the first trailer and official website in August,[55][56] followed by screensavers and the second trailer in September.[57][58] In September, Take-Two announced the game would be delayed to 26 and 29 October in North America and Europe, respectively, and revealed it would be released for Windows in early 2005.[59]

Rockstar commissioned hand-painted advertisements for San Andreas around the world in late 2004; one in Melbourne remained partially visible in 2020.[51] In October 2004, it was reported that an early version of the game had been leaked by hackers.[60] Rockstar asserted it would "aggressively pursue this matter", asking for information from those familiar.[61] The Introduction, an in-engine video, was provided on a DVD with the game's soundtrack in 2004[48] and special edition re-release for the PlayStation 2 in 2005.[62] The 21-minute video chronicles the events leading up to San Andreas, featuring CJ, Sweet, Big Smoke, Ryder, and Tenpenny.[63] IGN's Chris Carle enjoyed the voice acting but found the narrative uncompelling and felt the film alone was not worth the purchase of the special edition.[62]

Reception

Critical response

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[64] It is the fifth-highest-rated PlayStation 2 game on the site.[71] PSM2's Daniel Dawkins declared it "the single most complete, unique, universe in console history" after The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) and "the best entertainment console gaming can offer".[72] Game Informer's Andrew Reiner called it "entertainment at its best"[67] and GameSpy's Miguel Lopez wrote it reminded him why he plays games: "to be liberated from the constraints of reality, and explore living, breathing worlds".[73]

Several reviewers considered San Andreas's world an improvement over its predecessors',[67][70][74] praising the attention to detail in its areas and characters;[9][75] IGN's Jeremy Dunham cited the differences in each city's weather as a highlight.[9] 1Up.com's Jeremy Parish considered it "the most complete, complex and detailed environment ever crafted for a game", praising the complexities of the freeway system and social dynamics.[74] GameSpy's Lopez lauded its accurate imitation of the American West Coast.[76] Critics considered the graphics an improvement over Vice City,[75][77] particularly regarding the animations, foliage, lighting, and weather effects;[8][9][68] PALGN's Chris Sell called it "one of the most visually absorbing games ever".[70] Criticism was directed at the game's technical issues, with several reviewers encountering pop-up,[9][70][72] and unstable frame rates;[8][74][75] some felt the game pushed the PlayStation 2 hardware to its limit.[74][75]

The cast's performances received praise, particularly that of (L to R) Samuel L. Jackson, David Cross, and James Woods.[8][67][78]

Several critics considered the narrative the series' best to date,[9][70] which Eurogamer's Kristan Reed attributed to its focus on dialogue and scene-setting, both in and out of cutscenes.[75] 1Up.com's Parish lauded the references to the 1991 assault of Rodney King and the sophisticated writing addressing race in South Central Los Angeles,[79] and Game Informer's Matt Miller enjoyed the narrative's ridicule of modern culture.[67] Some reviewers compared the story to Hollywood and similar popular culture;[67][79] PSM2's Dawkins felt the finale "outstrips the collected work" of filmmakers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson.[80] Critics praised the cast's performances, particularly that of Young Maylay, Samuel L. Jackson, James Woods, and David Cross.[8][67][78] Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine's John Davison considered CJ "possibly one of the most well-developed and believable videogame characters ever made" due to his layered personality and realistic behaviour;[77] 1Up.com's Parish concurred but felt CJ's kind nature made his in-game actions less believable, a problem that may have been circumvented through a branching narrative.[79]

Game Informer's Reiner considered gameplay a dramatic improvement over previous entries.[67] PSM2's Dawkins found the missions were rarely repetitive and blended difficulty with comedy.[80] GameRevolution's Joe Dodson lauded the freedom provided to players,[68] while 1Up.com's Parish felt the previous games' improvisation had been removed[81] and Electronic Gaming Monthly's Dan Hsu thought it could have benefited from branching paths.[65] The New York Times's Charles Herold found the game's structure diminished enjoyment of its missions, forcing players to drive long distances and replay extensive sequences upon failing,[82] a complaint echoed by others.[68][70][75] Some reviewers criticised the combat targeting (though acknowledged the usefulness of auto-aim)[9][70][75] and the flight, racing, RC car, and minigame controls.[70][75][78][81] The addition of role-playing elements was praised for its simplicity, subtlety, and effectiveness,[8][65][75][83] though 1Up.com's Parish denounced some missions' statistical prerequisites.[81]

Windows and Xbox versions

San Andreas's June 2005 release for Windows and Xbox received "universal acclaim" according to Metacritic.[64] It was the second-highest-rated Windows game of 2005, behind Civilization IV,[94] and the third-highest-rated Xbox game, behind Ninja Gaiden Black and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.[95]

PALGN's Matt Keller considered the Windows release the best version of the game.[92] Reviewers lauded the improved graphics,[92][96] particularly the detailed textures and models, higher draw distance, and improved frame rate, loading times, and anti-aliasing,[84][92][97][98] though some considered the graphics outdated for the platform.[90][99] PALGN's Keller found the increased population density improved the world's overall atmosphere.[92] The mouse and keyboard controls were generally praised as an improvement[98]—over the console versions and the series' previous Windows ports[92][100]—especially during combat gameplay,[10][90][92][101] though responses to driving controls and keyboard mapping were mixed.[84][90][96] Praise was directed at the custom radio[84][100] and physical packaging and manual.[10][101] Some critics bemoaned the lack of changes to the mission structure,[97][98] and some encountered technical difficulties like sudden and major lagging spikes.[88][101]

GameZone's Eduardo Zacarias called the Xbox release the "definitive version of the game",[89] and GameSpy's Will Tuttle considered it better than the original.[102] Several reviewers praised the improved assets, reflections, shadows, and load times,[89][91][102] as well as the addition of a custom radio station[91][102] and video replay mode,[103][104] though GameSpy's Tuttle felt the latter was pointless without the ability to save videos.[103] Some critics thought the controls had not been improved since the original,[93][96] and others considered it a downgrade,[103][104] though GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann appreciated the Xbox controller's analogue triggers when driving.[85] Some technical problems occasionally persisted, including pop-up, inconsistent frame rates, and poor aliasing,[85][96][104] and some reviewers bemoaned the lack of significant graphical improvements.[91][93]

Mobile version

San Andreas's mobile version received "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic.[64] TouchArcade's Eli Hodapp considered it "the best the game has ever been",[107] while Digital Spy's Scott Nichols said it was "easily the worst way to experience" the game, only recommending that players with newer mobile hardware consider purchasing.[108] Its US$6.99 price point was praised.[105][107][109][110]

Reviewers praised the port's graphical enhancements, including increased draw distance, improved frame rates and load times, and enhanced models, reflections, shadows, and lighting,[106][107][109][110] though IGN's Leif Johnson found the textures remained dated[105] and some critics encountered technical issues like pop-up.[110][111] Digital Spy's Nichols lauded the addition of mid-mission checkpoints,[108] and TouchArcade's Hodapp found cloud saves the port's best feature.[107] Responses to the controls were generally positive,[106][107][109] considered an improvement over the series' previous mobile ports,[110] though critics concurred that playing with a controller improved the experience and better imitated the original versions.[105][106][107]

Accolades

San Andreas won won four of its five nominations at the Spike Video Game Awards, including Game of the Year, Best Action Game, and Best Performance by a Human Male for Jackson as Tenpenny.[112] It received four nominations at the British Academy Games Awards[113] and five at the Game Developers Choice Awards;[114] according to The Guardian, the developers walked out during the latter after winning none.[115] It won five awards at the Golden Joystick Awards, including Ultimate Game of the Year and Hero and Villain for CJ and Tenpenny, respectively.[116] The game received six nominations at the Interactive Achievement Awards, including Game of the Year, and won two: Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack and Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year.[117] It won Best Action Game and Best Story for PlayStation 2 from IGN,[118][119] and Best PlayStation 2 Game, Best Action Adventure Game, Best Voice Acting, and Funniest Game from GameSpot.[120][121][122][123]

Award Date Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
British Academy Games Awards 1 March 2005 Best Game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated [113]
Action Game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Animation Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
PS2 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Sunday Times Reader Award for Games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Game Audio Network Guild Awards 10 March 2005 Best Use of Licensed Music Craig Conner, Tim Sweeney Won [124]
Best Dialogue Dan Houser Won
Game Developers Choice Awards 9 March 2005 Best Game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated [114]
Excellence in Audio Craig Conner, Allan Walker Nominated
Game Design Leslie Benzies, Adam Fowler, Aaron Garbut, Sam Houser, Alexander Roger, Obbe Vermeij Nominated
Writing Dan Houser, James Worrall Nominated
Golden Joystick Awards 5 November 2004 Most Wanted Game for Xmas Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won [125]
4 November 2005 Nuts Magazine's Ultimate Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won [116]
PlayStation 2 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won
Best Game Soundtrack of 2005 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won
Hero of 2005 Carl "CJ" Johnson Won
Villain of 2005 Officer Tenpenny Won
G-Phoria 29 July 2005 Best Licensed Soundtrack Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won [126]
Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated [127]
Best Action Game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Best Voice Performance – Male Samuel L. Jackson Nominated
Young Maylay Nominated
Favorite Character CJ Nominated
Interactive Achievement Awards 1 February 2005 Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won [117]
Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won
Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Console Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Nominated
Spike Video Game Awards 14 December 2004 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won [112]
Best Performance by a Human Male Samuel L. Jackson as Frank Tenpenny Won
Best Action Game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won
Best Soundtrack Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Won
Designer of the Year Sam Houser and Rockstar North Nominated [128]

Sales

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sold 2.06 million units within six days of release in the United States,[129] and generated US$235 million in revenue in its first week.[130] In the United Kingdom, it sold an estimated 677,000 copies and grossed about £24 million within two days, setting the record for the most copies sold during a weekend,[131] and over 1 million copies and £35 million in nine days, becoming the country's fast-selling game.[132] It was 2004's best-selling game, with 5.1 million copies sold in the United States,[133] and over 1.75 million in the United Kingdom.[134] It was the best-selling game in the United States by April 2008, with over 8.6 million units sold,[135] and the best-selling PlayStation 2 game with 17.33 million units sold by 2009.[42] Worldwide sales reached 12 million units by March 2005,[136] 21.5 million by April 2008[135] and 27.5 million by 2011.[137]

Controversies

San Andreas received some criticism for its perceived perpetuation of racial stereotyping.[138][139][140][141] Seeing Black's Esther Iverem condemned the series for "validating a much-too-accepted stereotype, an accepted caricature" as opposed to teaching respect and tolerance.[141] Dean Chan felt the series' shift in protagonist from Tommy Vercetti (an Italian American) to CJ (an African American) without subverting archetypes made it "complicit in the pathologization and fetishization of race".[142]:25 Paul Barrett found the game's disregard and decontextualisation of the structures of institutional racism suggest "that the problems that African Americans experience is due to individual failure", reinforced by the concept that white players can simply experience "black identity".[143]:114

A study in Games and Culture found that youth groups "do not passively receive the games' images and content": white players expressed concern about its racial stereotypes, while African American players used it "as a framework to discuss institutional racism".[144]:264,279 Rachael Hutchinson considered the game "a critical reflection on racial conflict in America" and found several prior criticisms were based on limited viewings instead of the story as a whole.[145]:174–175 Kotaku opined that some interactions in San Andreas could be portrayed as a lack of racism, such as characters conversing without moderating their vocabulary or commenting on others'.[146] David J. Leonard identified politicians and legislative bodies were more concerned about the game's violent and sexual content than its racial stereotypes.[140]:268

In December 2010, model and singer Michael "Shagg" Washington filed a lawsuit against Rockstar and Take-Two claiming CJ's image was based on his background and likeness, having spoken with Rockstar during development in 2003. He demanded US$250 million in damages, claiming he was entitled to 25% of the game's US$1 billion profits.[147] Rockstar denied using Washington as inspiration, noting that CJ was based on his actor, Young Maylay.[147][148] An appellate court judge denied Washington's case in November 2012 based on a lack of evidence linking his background or likeness to CJ's.[149][150]

Hot Coffee mod

The development team was forced to curtail the game's planned nudity and sexual content to obtain a "Mature" rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB); rather than removing the content, they made it inaccessible to players. Modders discovered the code on the PlayStation 2 release, and when San Andreas was released for Windows, modder Patrick Wildenborg disabled the controls around the code. He released this modified code online under the name "Hot Coffee" after the euphemism used in the game, and it was downloaded over one million times in a span of four weeks.[151]

The discovery of the "Hot Coffee" minigame resulted in intense legal backlash for Rockstar and Take-Two; both companies remained mostly silent on the matter.[23]:203–208 The ESRB re-rated the game "Adults Only" after an investigation,[152] while the game was banned in Australia until the explicit content was removed.[153] Rockstar and Take-Two received a warning from the Federal Trade Commission for failing to disclose the extent of graphic content present in the game,[154] while a class action lawsuit alleged that the company had misled customers who believed the game's content fell along the lines of a "Mature" rating.[155][156] "Hot Coffee" had a major impact on the video game industry,[151][157] and the ESRB announced fines of up to US$1 million for game developers who failed to disclose the extent of their graphic content.[158]

Legacy

Critics agreed that San Andreas was among sixth-generation console gaming's most significant titles[159] and among the best games ever made.[160] Rockstar established a new narrative continuity for the series with the advent of seventh-generation consoles, focusing more on realism and details, including a full emulation of real-life cities used in settings. With Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), the team focused on increasing the amount and detail of buildings,[161] removing dead spots and irrelevant spaces.[162] The focus on realism and depth was continued with Grand Theft Auto V, with the development team re-designing Los Santos, a city in San Andreas;[163] Dan Houser felt the incorporation of three cities in San Andreas had limited the emulation of Los Angeles, making it more prevalent in Grand Theft Auto V.[164] Garbut felt San Andreas's rendition of Los Santos was unable to capture Los Angeles properly due to technical limitations, making it feel like a "backdrop or a game level with pedestrians randomly milling about" and effectively deeming it as a jumping-off point for the development of Grand Theft Auto V.[165]

Several moments from the game became common internet memes, such as Big Smoke's extensive fast food order in 2016[166][167][168] and one of CJ's first lines—"Ah shit, here we go again"—in April 2019.[169][170][171] An early mission, "Wrong Side of the Tracks", became notable for its difficulty; Big Smoke's dialogue upon failing the mission—"All you had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!"—was considered an iconic catchphrase[172][173][174] and later referenced in Grand Theft Auto V.[175] Modders have been known to frequently insert CJ into other games, such as Dark Souls (2011), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), and Street Fighter 6 (2023).[176][177][178]

Ports

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released for Windows and the Xbox on 7 and 10 June 2005 in North America and Europe, respectively,[179] supporting higher screen resolutions, draw distance, and more detailed textures.[180] The Xbox version was released for the Xbox 360 on 20 October 2008 as part of Xbox Originals,[181] and the PlayStation 2 version for the PlayStation 3 on 11 December 2012 as part of PS2 Classics.[182] The Xbox Originals release was replaced with an enhanced version as part of the game's tenth anniversary on 26 October 2014, featuring higher resolution, enhanced draw distance, a new menu interface, and achievements;[183] the PS2 Classics release was replaced with this enhanced version on 1 December 2015,[184] and the PlayStation 2 version was released for the PlayStation 4 on 5 December.[185]

San Andreas was bundled with predecessors Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City in a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, released in North America for the Xbox on 8 October 2005,[186] PlayStation 2 on 4 December 2006,[187] and Mac OS X on 12 November 2010.[188] A remastered version of The Trilogy subtitled The Definitive Edition, including Vice City, was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 11 November 2021,[189] and for Android and iOS on 14 December 2023.[190] Existing versions of the game were removed from digital retailers in preparation for The Definitive Edition,[189] but later restored as a bundle on the Rockstar Store.[191]

A mobile port of San Andreas, developed by War Drum Studios,[1] was released for iOS devices on 12 December 2013,[192] Android on 19 December,[193] Windows Phone on 27 January 2014,[194] and Fire OS on 15 May 2014.[195] The port featured updated graphics, shadows, and character and vehicle models.[105] In October 2021, Meta Platforms announced a virtual reality (VR) version of the game was in development for Quest 2[196] by Video Games Deluxe.[197] Following the release of the Meta Quest 3 in October 2023, players questioned the status of the VR version and some suspected it may have been quietly cancelled; Meta said it did not have any updates at the time.[198][199]

Notes

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