Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The first thing you're going to notice about San Andreas is the gameplay area. It's huge. Far bigger than its predecessors. With three cities, a splattering of small towns and a vast amount of countryside, it's going to take you a very long time to explore it all. And with all that land area, you're going to need vehicles to explore it with, and there's no shortage of those either. From push bikes, to jet aircraft, and everything in-between, getting around has never been more fun.

Graphically, Grand Theft Auto has moved on somewhat. It's nothing ground breaking, but it is an improvement on previous games in the series. The draw distance is fantastic. You can stand on top of a mountain and on a clear day, you can see the landscape for miles around you giving the game that greater sense of realism. Lighting has been improved with better haze effects, and the fog can be quite realistic at times, adding an eerie atmosphere as you're wandering around the countryside.

The radio stations in the GTA series have always been a stand out feature and San Andreas continues this trend. Each radio station covers a different genre of 90s tunes. Lazlow is back with his talk show and if you decide that you don't like any of it, you can play your own MP3s instead. The radio stations have a dynamic edge. After certain missions, you can often hear the disc jockey mention events that have happened during gameplay. It all helps add to the realism.

San Andreas has moved on slightly from the arcade-style of its predecessors. The cars, although far from pin-point realism, feel a bit more real. No longer do they accelerate to full speed in a couple of seconds or turn at ridiculous angles. The graphics are less brash and the whole game has a more realistic edge. There are a greater number of missions and many have a more cinematic quality to them, at times they'll have you on the edge of your seat and almost ducking for cover. These changes add up to make a more mature game. However, don't be afraid, San Andreas sticks close to its roots, if you enjoyed the earlier games, this one will be no exception.

San Andreas is another rock solid game in the Grand Theft Auto series. It's nothing special, there's nothing here that's going to blow your socks off, but it's a good solid progression of the series. You can't fault it for that. There are enough new features to make it a worthwhile purchase, even if you own the other games in the series but don't be expecting too much from it.