Almost GTA:SA's 10 year anniversary. Did you like playing as CJ?

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nemss said:
Its a shame proper PC Controls were never implemented. I'd love to replay this on my PC.
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The only real problems i've had is with swimming underwater, the mission where you have to maintain a certain speed with a truck, and trying to control the miniature plane which can be pretty tricky. Everything else is fine though!
 
CJ was great. Found him more likable than Tommy (though Tommy was awesome in his own, crazy way). And I really enjoyed the supporting cast around him like Sweet and Ryder.
 
The_Hitcher89 said:
GTAs IV and V lost a large part of what was so incredible in the 3 PS2 games, and that is the way I learned the entire map of the game from reflex meory almost, every road, freeway, backalley, prominent location, shortcut, special pickup spot etc

Sometimes I think GTAIV and V would be better if they removed the temptation to fast travel
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Yep, GTAIV was especially bad with this, and I never learned any of the roads. I would still get lost in the main area of the game and forget which turns to take.

Part of this might be because of GPS. The old games did not have GPS, so you had to pause the game, find a best route, put a marker on it, and remember where to turn. This meant you'd have to learn a lot of the streets and the best way to get around. GTAIV's GPS made this less critical but the top-down view of the GPS made it really difficult to know when to turn, you'd basically wait for the turn to come onto your minimap and then jack the wheel... In GTAV, the enhanced view improved it to know when to expect turns, but the existence of a GPS did make it so that you never had to really learn the street layout.
 
I enjoyed every second of it. It was the perfect mix of sensible main character and crazy things happening all around him. The script in GTAs has gone downhill since then.
 
I just remember that he was such a bitch compared to Tommy Vercetti. But the supporting cast of San Andreas was so great, and I loved the get rich climb from CJ's perspective.

I loved playing CJ, I loved the entire San Andreas world more than Vice City, and I loved playing a black guy and interacting with his homies and seeing a struggling black culture. That is a perspective that I had not seen before, and it was done so well... GTA before that with Tommy and Claude never felt so .. personal?

I think San Andreas was such a more personal story, which is why I enjoy it so much. San Andreas just felt like home, while Vice City and Liberty City did not. GTA IV and V also lacked what made San Andreas so great... you just start off with your family and move out and explore a larger world, but in GTA IV and V everything feels bigger than you.
 
A post from the OP's link looking forward to SA had a bunch of new things. I'm sure these were fed by PR and rumors but let's see how many held up:

Some guy said:
Off the top of my head:
  • San Andreas is a state, not a city. There's three cities in the game, separated by countrysides and mountains. (fictional SF, LA, LV) (True)
  • you can own and operate casinos, and gamble in those owned by others (Mostly True, you can own a single casino as part of the story)
  • you can swim, and it's based on stamina (ie if you are fatter you'd have a harder time getting out of a sinking car) (Mostly true, expect )
  • bikes, wheelis on bikes (True)
  • get fat, change hair styles, NPC reacts accordingly (True, except NPC reactions are all very superficial)
  • engine capable of twice the draw distance of vice city, improved graphics, load times only for interior locations and not between cities (True, and this is a huge improvement)
  • takes a full minute from the bottom to the peak of a mountain on a helicopter. it'll take much longer with a bike (Mostly false, I think Mt. Chiliad can be scaled in a helicoptor in like 20 seconds... but I could be wrong here)
  • motorcycle cops (True)
  • much improved pedastrian and cop AI, cops jump on to the hood of your vehicles, etc (Mostly false, new Cop AI is slightly improved but cops jumping on the hood of your vehicle happens in 2 missions, the one where you break through the Sprunk sign early on and the final mission, both are scripted)
  • house robbery, requires actual planning and strategies (Partially true, house robberies yes, but no planning or strategy. Go in and go out mostly.)
  • recruit gang members and perform 4 ppl drive bys (True)
  • use the shadow like in Manhunt, so for missions, you can go Rambo style or be stealthy, adding a lot more variety to the missions (Mostly, the stealth mechanic was so overhyped. It was really, really simple.)
  • San Ferrio will have a lot of hills, with driving being the emphasis on that part of the city (True)
  • The countryside is very refreshing to drive through. It has rolling fields, farms, rivers, forests, deserts, and hills (True)
  • Stamina Meter. Carl will have to consume food on his journey across San Andreas, and will gain weight if he eats too much. Gyms will be available to work out in. (True)
  • Overhauled targeting and camera systems (True)
  • rag doll physics (False)
  • "The game is now more sharp, with weather effects and more crammed special touches than thought possible. Rockstar has borrowed a bit from Manhunt with the new lighting. Now you can see gang members in dark alleys and you can use the shadows yourself to hide under a bridge, watch an enemy run past, then leap out and jump him." (Kind of true but fairly embellished)
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TimeEffect said:
I think San Andreas was such a more personal story, which is why I enjoy it so much. San Andreas just felt like home, while Vice City and Liberty City did not. GTA IV and V also lacked what made San Andreas so great... you just start off with your family and move out and explore a larger world, but in GTA IV and V everything feels bigger than you.
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Yep. I felt like I was making a bigger impact on the game world in VC and SA, especially SA than in IV... And less so V. In IV, you are insignificant to the game world, which is a downer... and maybe that's the point, that NYC moves regardless of you. In V it was slightly improved, like when you destroy that guys house and it stays destroyed... but then 4 or 5 missions later goes back. The missions in San Andreas seemed to have a lasting effect on the game world, not huge, but meaningful. Obviously, taking over ganglands you could greatly cut down on the amount of widespread crime in San Andreas. If you eliminate a gang's territory, you don't see those gangsters appear anymore (except in the rare glitch), where as, if a gang's territory is strong they are constantly harassing you and making life treacherous for you. Additionally, with key missions like blowing up the drug factory in San Fierro, rehabbing businesses, burning down the drug farm in the hills of San Fierro, and others, your actions make an impact on the game world. Finally, having NPCs recognize you for who you are, even though it's pretty canned, is a nice addition. It's a shame in GTAV to be the head of a major drug ring in Blaine County and have nobody recognize you as Trevor, a guy who owns his own freaking airport. They also seem to setup a sort of gangland destruction in GTAV, with Trevors beef with the Lost MC, but that falls apart so quickly and makes no impact on the game.
 
I remember not being too excited about the gangster setting for GTA: SA. I decided to buy in anyway and I'm glad I did. It's still my favourite GTA (I still need to play through V). I love CJ's progression from the street gangster life and into getting involved with some weird and crazy shit with The Truth and later with the CIA.

The character has some genuine growth throughout the game and I love how it all comes full circle at the end. It's a silly but well executed story and one of my favourite gaming experiences.
 
I loved it, I felt that the game captured the essence of the 90s urban culture extremely well, especially during the first part, where you really feel like a member of that neighbourhood!
 
The 3D and HD universes being seperate from each other was incredibly disappointing. I'm not really fond of all the country terrain in HD San Andreas. Paleto Bay, Grapessed, Chumash, etc. aren't very satisfying.

Here's hoping that the 2 missing cities and characters from the previous era mysteriously appear in DLC. :p

"The state was surrounded by a giant cloud of fog."
 
CJ was fantastic.

SA was the best GTA until GTA V launched. Love all the characters of V, but especially Trevor.
 
Sure. While I preferred Tommy more CJ is second. He is by far better then any of the one to come after him and the mute from GTAIII would be at the bottom.
 
I wish I could find the gaf thread about the main character. It was interesting hah.

CJ was awesome, best GTA for me, loved it.
 
Jesus I played so much San Andreas. I 100% it like a year or two ago just out of sheer summer boredom. Dat soundtrack, dem characters, dose options! It might be my favorite one in the series. I much rather whould've had a remaster/expansion in the gta v sense than gta v itself. If anybody is trying to double dip, gamersgate is having a bundle sale for the pc. Have every gta made for $10!
 
Playing gta v at the moment has brought home that I can't remember much about San Andreas. I do know that I loved the game at the time and thought cj was a great charachter. It probably helped that I was a young teen when gangsta rap broke big.
 
GTA:SA was a good game no doubt, it set the bar for other sandbox games outside of plot with the variety of side missions and extra activities you could do. Unfortunetaly I hated playing as CJ and could not get into the game due to the whole "gangsta" life theme.
 
The Albatross said:
A post from the OP's link looking forward to SA had a bunch of new things. I'm sure these were fed by PR and rumors but let's see how many held up.
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The crazy thing was how much else they wanted to put in the game but eventually cut.

They were going to release the expansion pack but never did.
 
MisterHero said:
The 3D and HD universes being seperate from each other was incredibly disappointing. I'm not really fond of all the country terrain in HD San Andreas. Paleto Bay, Grapessed, Chumash, etc. aren't very satisfying.

Here's hoping that the 2 missing cities and characters from the previous era mysteriously appear in DLC. :p

"The state was surrounded by a giant cloud of fog."
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The transitions and countryside in GTA V just dont have the amazing impact San Andreas did. San Andreas' countryside just felt so huge... I think the 90s vibe was also just much better, and I just loved how I could drive on the highway and just feel like I was having a roadtrip across desert, forest, and city.

GTA V actually feels a lot smaller in that regard. I would buy the HD version again if the DLC expansions improve that feeling
 
TimeEffect said:
The transitions and countryside in GTA V just dont have the amazing impact San Andreas did. San Andreas' countryside just felt so huge... I think the 90s vibe was also just much better, and I just loved how I could drive on the highway and just feel like I was having a roadtrip across desert, forest, and city.

GTA V actually feels a lot smaller in that regard. I would buy the HD version again if the DLC expansions improve that feeling
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Another poster here explained why but I think it came down to a balance of playability vs representation. GTA V ered on the side of being more playable, making it easier to travel around and harder to spend tons of time just running around in the countryside/wilderness if you list a vehicle. Because of that it came across as "smaller" and more "game" like in representation than SA where you really got the full feeling of being a large empty countryside, even if it meant it took a long time to get around
 
BeatResetsTheWorld said:
Another poster here explained why but I think it came down to a balance of playability vs representation. GTA V ered on the side of being more playable, making it easier to travel around and harder to spend tons of time just running around in the countryside/wilderness if you list a vehicle. Because of that it came across as "smaller" and more "game" like in representation than SA where you really got the full feeling of being a large empty countryside, even if it meant it took a long time to get around
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I think another thing is that you had access to the whole world in GTA 5. I remember that scene in SA where you get knocked out and wake up in the country... just felt so cool.

Also, I dont know what it is, but SA just had a ... filter? Color scheme? Something that made the game just look so authentically 90s, and it just felt so good as a result.

In GTA V, I never really felt that the trees were as daunting as they were in San Andreas' countryside, or that the highways stretched into busy cities and lonesome countrysides.

You may be right though.. it was easy to switch characters, fast travel, call a cab, etc. In San Andreas, when you were alone, you were really alone in the middle of nowhere.

Also, collectibles in San Andreas were different in all 3 regions, and I just think that having 3 distinct areas where 2-3 big transitioning areas full of countrysides, little towns, and desert areas was awesome.

It may also just be that I'm older, but I beat GTA V pretty fast and lost the will to explore...didn't care about online play which is where the focus seemed to be postgame.
 
Ingueferroque said:
Thats not the impression I got from CJ, at all.
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Not CJ. I said I liked CJ. It's everybody else.
Even if the protagonists are sometimes cool guys, then end up doing bitch work for a bunch of morons.

The crime world should be more exciting than bitches and gold.

BeatResetsTheWorld said:
So CJ?

That's why I said CJ was cool.

See above reply ^


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0j2dVuhr6s&t=58s
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Acquiescence said:
You absolutely should play GTA V. It's the best entry in the entire franchise, and that's coming from someone who's been there since the very beginning.
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I definitely will be on PC!
 
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