Few games have been as unanimously well received, and so uniformly controversial, than the Grand Theft Auto series.
 
By its very name, this conjures up gameplay that involves criminal activity, however the design, interface, plot and overall style that the series offers is unmatched by any other game in the genre. San Andreas is the latest of the lot, after debuting on the Playstation 2 last year, and it’s taken the series to even further heights.
 
San Andreas is the game’s eponymous location, which is a mythical replica of early 1990s California. You start out as Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson returning to his old neighbourhood for your mother’s funeral. As is typical of the GTA series, you’re thrust into a deviant life as you embark on a swag of classic crime capers like drive-bys, mob hits, and, of course, auto theft. The free-form exploration that made the game so famous is back – you can spend hours just roving around the city.
 
Unfortunately, while this is as good as GTA gets, it’s starting to fray around the edges. Our PCs are far more capable than the current crop of consoles, and the graphics in San Andreas just can’t compete with the most recent 3D games we’re used to. That aside, the interface has made the move to PC quite well – the mouse control is more than an adequate substitute for a console controller.
 
Ultimately, while there are enhancements over the series, this is still the same GTA we’ve grown to love. If you’re fan, you should already have it, and if you’re new to the series, there’s no better title to cut your teeth on.