-=Pool your resources about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas=-

[orappa]

Not really breaking news, as we all expected it to be released on PC anyway, but Take 2's financial report has confirmed that a PC version of San Andreas will be shipped in the 3rd quarter of 2005:

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040909/95702_1.html

Also, the release date of the PS2 version has been changed from the 19th to the 26th of October in the US and the 29th in Europe.

[orappa]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/r/ ... ry.php(que)id=109387

C&VG has a massive preview of San Andreas.

Up on Mount Chiliad

Standing at 2,500-feet tall, this picturesque mountain is the biggest 'object' in the game. Rockstar took CJ up its many winding, narrow ledges via a quad-bike and the view from up there is really very impressive.

As well as excellent gritty terrain, you can stand at the side and peer off into the distance and get an almost dizzying perspective on the town below. Zoom in with your camera lens and you'll just be able to make out the sleepy day-to-day bustle of simple country life. Just as Rockstar says, it's almost like being on a holiday yourself, so impressive are the visual effects.

I still can't believe that this game runs on a PS2.

They also summarised two of the missions:

DECOY OF DEATH

Task:

Escape a load of mad bikers in a van.

The Story:

Some gangster chum is being hounded by a load of bikers who want him dead. Arriving at his countryside abode, you must play the decoy, which involves driving his van through a perilous forest route, while the biker gang - armed with sub-machine guns - chase after you. If they shoot your van doors off, they'll realise that you're not the target, and will leave you alone, which means mission failed.

What Happens:

This mission looks damned hard. The van, which is hardly the speediest of vehicles, twists clumsily across the gritty, narrow roads, while the persistent bikers squeal menacingly behind, pummelling your dusted chassis with endless blasts of bullets.

Our damage meter becomes dangerously low, so we decide to take a more hazardous route through the forest itself, narrowly missing trees by literally inches. Finally, we arrive at a tunnel, which enables us to be crafty and make a couple of bikers crash as we enter. Sadly, our doors are eventually blown off, and the bikers try to pull up alongside for a clear shot at us. Thankfully, our driving is just about expert enough, and after a frantic few seconds, we leave the irate gang in the distance, coughing up dust.

What We Liked:

Tense, fast, action-packed and set in an environment quite unlike any other GTA game. Well, duh...

WASTE THE WITNESS

Task:

Assassinate a key court witness and take a photo of his corpse.

The Story:

A witness due to give evidence against one of your employees is hiding out in a cabin up in the heights of Mount Chiliad. It is your job to kill him for cash, although be warned - he's being well guarded by FBI agents. Oh, the horror...!

What Happens:

A totally brilliant shoot-out followed by a dramatic chase, that's what. We hare up towards the log building on a quad-bike, CJ showing-off by performing wheelies and standing up off his seat (the animation is great, with CJ hunching his shoulders with impressive realism). There are numerous black-suited agents standing around, but being able to shoot firearms whilst riding, they are no match for us.

CJ one-handedly pumps a few of them with lead courtesy of his sub-machinegun. He then leaps off the bike and eliminates a couple of others at point-blank range with his pistol. Sensing near death, the witness makes a bold dash for freedom. He leaps into a car and speeds off down the crooked mountain ledges.

We give chase on the bike, shooting like mad. After several hits, the target falls off his vehicle and lays sprawled out on the road, breathing his last breath. Just to prove to our employer he's dead, we snap a photo of his still-warm corpse. Mission complete.

What We Liked:

Hmmm, just see what we wrote for the previous one.

[[KFC]DrAke]

the more i hear about SA. the more i want to buy it.

[Garuzzo]

heres a lil q+a from their site

Will GTA:San Andreas allow for the use of alcohol, drugs, and/or tobacco products? If yes, what effect will they have on gameplay? (Lostboy)

We feel a little adulated to reply to this question, but in fact, yes, you can consume some amounts of illegal drugs. Though this will remain under raps for now. We can officially confirm this is doable in its own right. It may even lead to some more drug related activities too, but for the time being, this is what will be said.

What movies were the primary influence behind GTA:SA (I.E. What movies should GTA fans be watching to prepare for GTA:SA's release? (Chang)

Boys N the hood and Menace 2 Society are probably the most merciful influences behind Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, orchestrated through their innovation and style. There are some negligible influences implicated to create San Andreas too, like Bullit and Casino.

Will GTA:SA require or make use of the PS2 hard drive? (S3KT0R)

One word, no. It was an option, but with no online feature we saw no reason for us to make use with the HDD.

One of the more frustrating things IMO about the two previous games (specifically when playing outside of the missions) was the short attention span the game engine had for vehicles you weren't either driving or looking right at. Walk a bit too far away from your ride, or let the car your chasing get out of your sight (like around a corner twenty yards away), and they vanish. I don't expect or want the new game engine to make me have to steer around every car I've ever abandoned throughout the course of the game but will it at least do a BETTER job of keeping track of game objects your character interacts with? (Cermo)

Cermo, there is no need to worry; the controls are now more responsive and even surprisingly more comprehensive and realistic than previous instalments. Though it's not an actual driving sim, Grand Theft Auto wasn't ever built for that esthetical range anyway. People who wanted the cars to perform and sound more realistically won't be disappointed.

Is Rockstar making any changes to keep every area of San Andreas populated with enough peds/cars to keep the game from feeling empty (some previews have mentioned that SA feels empty at times)? (Inky)Thanks to a new PRE engine (Provisional Rendering Engine), the state of San Andreas is 4 times more populated than its predecessors. This applies to both NPC's and traffic. This also allows it to infinite stream, so you will never be left out on the road with no cars ever again.

Over the last few months we have seen a lot of magazine articles which have seen the game in action. A number of them commented on the frame rate, draw distance and pop up's. These were made to sound like possible problems with the game, although we understand that the game was probably not complete when the previews were shown. Have these problems been fixed, or do Rockstar believe they can be fixed before the game is released?

These problems have already been addressed and repaired. As you can see from the given trailers, the draw distance has dramatically improved and pop up remains to be seen. The frame rate is now better than ever running at a high 56-60 FPS.

It sounds like there are a lot of new features in GTA San Andreas which will appeal to a large number of fans however I'd like to know what is your personal favourite new feature in San Andreas?

There isn't really a personal favourite per say, but one we agreed, and that was the weight gaining aspect. It inherits endless possibilities in terms with gameplay and character customising mechanics, and even governs and restricts certain characteristics of the game related features… By far the most initiative feature, our opinion.

House break-ins are a confirmed new feature, however we are not very sure how they will work. Could you give us some more information on this such as how they are activated, when they can be done and whether you can choose which house to rob or if it's just random?

Most houses, not all, can be broken into at free will. You are NOT restricted to doing this at night, but it is highly recommended, at daytime NPC's may of left for work leaving the house unoccupied, but then you need to face the smarts of security systems and set traps.

Rumours and magazine articles have stated wildlife and animals will be in the game, although none of this has been confirmed yet. Can you confirm whether animals will be in the game, and if so which kinds of animals? Will they be solid models or just textures similar to Vice Cities water creatures?

You guys really want to know, don't you? Well, yes, there will be at some extent, animals wandering through the wilderness; however, it doesn't initially pioneer or introduce new gameplay associated features. CJ may be able to interact with certain wildlife to a certain extent, but most of them were implemented to make the State of San Andreas a more equable, engaged, living environment.

Money seems like an important object in the game. Will the amount of cash made on specific missions be decreased (in comparison with Vice City) in order to ensure the player completes more of the game so they can save up and unlock extras?

Yes, in fact this time round it's going to be harder for CJ to rack up the cash.

It won't be too easy this time round. He may even need to consider getting some par time jobs or if you like, sell stolen goods. You can't rely on completing missions to get money. There's no easy way anymore, life's harder in San Andreas.

We have seen footage of a large aeroplane with the words Juank Air on the side, we have seen screenshots of helicopters and read about a full winged dodo, but we are still curious as to what kinds of other air transportation we can expect to see in San Andreas. Could you provide us with any more information on this?

This was one of the many things we wanted to really expand on since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. You may have recalled Grand Theft Auto: Vice City having only one plane, well that's changed. Aeroplanes are more coherently used this time round, Take Juank Air for example, not only can you take this plane to different locations around the State, but even cargo your own vehicles around too, saving any unnecessary travel. One other plane we will bring up is the Lear jet; this can be both flown and explored in, and may even be purchasable or inheritable. You'll just have to wait and see what we have in store for you, remember, there's a fully functional airport in each city.

What are some major improvements in the pedestrian/police AI? - Casey "Zidane" Mongillo

The NPC and police AI has significantly improved over its predecessors, NPC's literally have "Lives". They live in their own home, sleep, go to work, go shopping, meet up, go and eat, and park cars. Many of this has been mentioned already, but you can see them actually do their jobs. The attention to detail is to die for. On a side note, police AI has also substantially improved, they are more strategic and even bust others for crimes, so you're not left the 'criminal' in San Andreas for once.

Can we actually buy and build our own properties... if yes, how does building work? - Kyle "Kodo" Papke

This is a really difficult question to answer. Some properties enable, to some extent, customisation, but properties really offer more gameplay features. Take this for example; in the countryside CJ can inherit a farm and could possibly set up a drug ring. There are many other pieces of property around San Andreas for CJ to purchase, loads more.

Have the helicopter and plane height limits been increased?

The flight limit is more than 3x the height limited in Vice City, but in the countryside; it seems there is no limit of how high you can fly. This is subjected to change during the final release.

In several screenshots and the first trailer for San Andreas, Carl was playing basketball and pool. Are these cutscenes or can you play them and also what other mini-games are there? (Gangstaman590)

It is possible to partake in basketball games; it will be as an alternative to gain some fitness or you may even find some competition now and again in the local courts depending what gang occupies that area. As for pool, you'll just have to wait and see.

Will the function of graffiti be just for decoration or will we be able to interact with it somehow (draw it for example)? (Gangstaman590)

Both. You can graffiti in rival gang turf, which may or may not attract unwanted attention from both cops and gangs. You can even vandalise property just for fun. There is even tagging side missions, which will be much like rampages. Details about this feature will remain under wraps till further release.

What is the one thing the team behind San Andreas is most proud of, and makes this one stand out from the others? (ThatsWet)

How we successfully created our own living and breathing world, without a single loading screen… And still managed to outdo its predecessor's, graphically. That's our most outstanding achievement.

Will we be able to find any sub-plots in the deserts/woods or just random rampages? (smithstock)

Yes, there is a plethora of subplots that coexist in the countryside and desert regions. Not only do they have their own individual missions and plots, but have their own set of side missions too. The countryside and desert will be sure to deliver, mission and story wise.

Are you guys afraid that all the reality you've put into the game (eating/exercising) will create it into somewhat a Sims game, and what measures have you taken to prevent that? (Thorn)

At first we were a little hesitant to if it was getting to the point of a reality sim. But we think we have created it so it isn't so dubious and time consuming. The main reason it's in there is for character customisation, and I'm sure you guys can see that.

Which real life landmark is Mt. Chilliad based on? (adamcs)

Check up the word 'Chiliad' in the dictionary, that'll cover the name aspect. As for our inspiration to create Mt. Chiliad? God knows…

How long does it take to travel between each city, via air? (saunders)

It all depends on what air vehicle you are taking. If you were to use the full winged dodo for example, it could take up to 15 minutes. It varies between which air vehicle you choose and what city you wish to fly from and to. So there is no accurate answer there, sorry.

What will be blocking us from entering the other cities/locations? (Dead at 4 PM)

Well, after some recent discussion, we have officially implemented 'City Blocks' once again. It would be too hard for the usual gamer to manage if the state was open from the start and they may never realise the uniqueness of the cities and locals. We can tell you one blockage and that is the rednecks are banning the cityslickers to pass through their town towards Las Venturas. As always, some point through the progression of the story, the riot has calmed and is safe to pass on towards Las Venturas. Other 'City Blocks' won't be revealed.

Wow sounds cooler by the minute!

[orappa]

That opens up so many possibilities for MTA, particularly the ability to transport cars via plane.

[sculay]

NEW INFO:

In one of the early missions CJ will be given the choice to wear the orange clothes of his gang. Doing this will earn you respect but you will be a marked man in enemy turf. Playing the safe way and wearing casual clothes won't get you much respect.

When you buy new clothes, your old ones will automatically be saved in your safehouse.

CJ will be customisable with beards and moustaches.

A good selection of houses in the cities and towns will be enterable (and robbable).

To start a robbery mission you will have to enter a furniture van and press R3.

For a successful robbery you need to outfit yourself with ski goggles (enabling you to sneak around), and a furniture van where to load everything you are stealing.

During a robbery you will be presented with individual items to carry out of the house into your van, one by one. When you're done, drive on to a courier who who you will sell the stolen merchandise to.

Drives between cities take at least 15 minutes.

It will take several minutes to drive only halfway up Mt. Chiliad with a dirtbike.

Underneath Mt. Chiliad there is a tunnel.

An advantage of training in the gym will be that you can hit harder and climb better.

CJ will be able to climb around obstacles and fences in the same manner as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. He will be able to hang onto ridges and pull himself up.

If you get too heavy training for muscle, you will run slower.

Experience with weapons will increase your accuracy with every weapon. (Not only the deagle as we've heard before)

Every gang will have a favourite car that you will see them driving around in.

Leaving cars on the street will get them towed, and you can steal them back from the impound yard.

It is possible to open the roof of convertables, and shoot from inside the car.

Police will communicate through the radio, and set up roadblocks. They will also discuss shortcuts to "catch" you.

A bulldozer can be operated using the right analog stick. It is possible to destroy areas of the landscape.

Waves/sea will change depending on the weather and wind speeds.

There are more "alternative incomes", such as farming on a rapeseed field, or truck driving.

CJ can take part in a bike race down Mount Chiliad.

[ekin113]

R* said that theres No multi player...but now there saying theres a co-op mode.

Spong, a relatively small gaming site were lucky enough to visit Rockstar's headquarters in the last few days and view a preview of the game. As you'd expect they asked about multiplayer in San Andreas, but were told there is no multiplayer. What they did find out is that eventually you will unlock the ability to do some co-operative missions with a character who will be controlled by a second player. There's not too much information on this, although it could be* a brand new huge feature made public just days before the game is released.

* From reading their article, it really doesn't make too much sense as to how they know all of this, but it could very well be true. Make your own decisions until we have official confirmation.

QUOTE (SPOnG.com)

There will, however, be a dedicated co-operative mode for two players. During the game, a scene ensues when the player rescues a girl from a burning building. After this act of gallantry, she becomes your in-game girlfriend and also, a playable second character. Most of the co-op action takes place inside vehicles, with player one driving and player 2 shooting. When the co-op mode is opened, icons will display the missions available to two player on the game's map.

What's more, a plethora of two-player minigames will be included in San Andreas. Unfortunately SPOnG has no specific details regarding these right now, though we can confirm that various parlour games will be included.

Source: Spong.com

[orappa]

The official site now has radio station previews (under the Soundtrack section).

[sculay]

Rockstar Games and Interscope Records Reveal Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Soundtrack Details

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Double CD and 8 CD Box Soundtrack Set available in November

New York, NY – October 18, 2004 - Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Interscope Records, a part of Universal Music Group, proudly announce the release of a double CD soundtrack as well as an 8 CD box set soundtrack to the highly-anticipated videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the next installment in the best-selling Grand Theft Auto franchise. The double CD and box set are scheduled for release on November 23rd, 2004 in the US and November 22nd, 2004 throughout Europe.

As a bonus the official soundtrack double CD will feature a separate stand-alone DVD containing 'The Introduction', the cinematic prologue to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. ‘The Introduction’ tells the full story of the events leading up to CJs return to San Andreas. Why was he forced to come back? What is he leaving behind and what is he really walking into? This exclusive prequel is not available anywhere else and has been crafted with the highest production standards Rockstar is famous for. Look for some familiar faces making a surprise return. With the game set in the early 1990’s, the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack will feature a large variety of tracks spanning the FM radio dial of the West Coast during this particularly influential period in American music and culture. The double CD will feature a mix of select tracks from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ many in-game radio stations while each album of the 8 CD box set will replicate a music station from the game featuring a broader selection of tracks ranging from contemporary west coast and classic east coast hip-hop, funk, rare groove, new jack swing and contemporary soul, alternative rock, classic rock, reggae and country.

In-game radio stations have become one of the signature aspects of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, delivering a realistic radio experience by allowing players to tune the radio station in the huge selection of vehicles in the game to any station they like, complete with hours of satirical commercials and DJ banter that cleverly parodies a wide mix of radio formats. The radio stations in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will feature the most staggering selection of music ever assembled for a video game with over one-hundred and fifty tracks from artists including James Brown, Willie Nelson, 2 Pac, and Rage Against the Machine plus many, many more that encompass a great deal of the radio spectrum of the early 90’s The double CD also includes as a bonus track an exclusive cover of the Nine Inch Nails early 90s industrial staple “Head Like A Hole” by Northern Californian punk band AFI, who formed in 1991. The track has been recorded by AFI specifically for the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack album and as a tribute to this unique era in music.

The complete track listing for the double CD is as follows:

CD 1

1. The Theme From San Andreas

2. Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name

3. 2 Pac - I Don't Give A f*ck

4. James Brown - The Payback

5. Ronnie Hudson - West Coast Poplock

6. Guy - Groove Me

7. Eddie Money - Two Tickets To Paradise

8. Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man

9. The Maytals - Pressure Drop

10. Slick Rick - Children's Story

11. Rick James - Cold Blooded

12. Raze - Break 4 Love

CD 2

1. Ohio Players - Funky Worm

2. Heart - Barracuda

3. Compton's Most Wanted - Hood Took Me Under

4. Lyn Collins - Think About It

5. Public Enemy - Rebel Without A Pause

6. Faith No More - Midlife Crisis

7. Bell Biv Devoe - Poison

8. Max Romeo & The Upsetters - Chase The Devil

9. Eric B & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul

10. Willie Nelson - Crazy

Bonus Track:

11. AFI - Head Like A Hole

[orappa]

The official site has a new gameplay trailer entitled "Homecoming" (the music has adult lyrics btw).

[sculay]

The official site has a new gameplay trailer entitled "Homecoming" (the music has adult lyrics btw).

lol yer i no 2 pac *just dont give a fuck*

Video

WMV 9

El Linko

and manual

which i got yesterday and the site got updated today cos there is 1 pic dat shows its da real deal

c dat pic

well look at the manual at the airport section

1 cool part in the trailer

nice aint it sky diving

my observation[/img]

[orappa]

HomeLanFed has an article announcing that SA has been shipped to US stores:

http://www.homelanfed.com/index.php?id=27042

It comes out on Thursday doesn't it?

[sculay]

HomeLanFed has an article announcing that SA has been shipped to US stores:

http://www.homelanfed.com/index.php?id=27042

It comes out on Thursday doesn't it?

no tomorrow

[ThugMakaveli]

My EB Games just called and said that they get the shipment of SA at 5pm Est. so I can get it after 6pm Est.

[orappa]

San Andreas reviews:

Gamespot. They gave it 9.6 / 10.

IGN. They gave it 9.9 out of 10.

They have also updated their screenshot galleries.

The most interesting screenshot in my opinion shows off the new co-op mode:

One of the many interesting wrinkles in GTA's gameplay is that the game now has a two-player cooperative mode. Now, before you get too excited about this, you should know that you can't actually play the entire game with a friend. Instead, you'll run into little two-player icons in certain spots in the gameworld. Walking over one with a second controller plugged in lets you start up a series of special objectives that work sort of like the rampage icons in previous GTA games. You and a friend will be able to wreak havoc in a car or on foot, though the game requires that both players remain on the same screen. While the concept of a multiplayer mode in GTA is pretty mind-blowing, the implementation here makes it more of a fun little addition that, along with all the other crazy things you'll come across as you play, contributes to the feel that the game has a million different things for you to uncover.

Also, check out GTABoards to see what the fans think:

http://www.gtaboards.com/index.php?showforum=51

I'm am so jealous because I don't have a PS2 (it's not out in Europe yet anyway).

Also, it would be great to hear what people think of it. Try to warn people before you post spoilers though.

[ThugMakaveli]

I played SA last night and so far its good. The city is way too fuckin big, so you could get lost and a big ass headace, but its good. I just dont like the new health bar...

[Scorp]

Jon go buy one ;p or you can wait for the pc version eh?

Today the world is a better place with San Andreas on the road, you plp that are playing it right now... lucky bastards

My PS 2 has been malfunctioning on newer games (loading screens just stopping up.) But I guess its been damaged from falling down on the floor

anyways I'm gonna occupy my friends console if necessary

Also have to wait some days for SA, I'm just gonna buy it in the retail store.

[Ransom]

GTASA is finally out! This thread is locked. Go buy the game! New topic for GTASA now.