Gamespot review for this one is crap. I liked it way more than San - Andreas.
The story is kind of like all rockstar games' stories. You are a person who'll do anything for money, and who can do a lot. You get pulled in the situations because of the story's amazing characters, consisting of hypocrites, sociopaths, and plain retards.
The scope of the game is amazing. You are not only bound to the school, but can go around an big enough town, on your board, cycle and more. You can even go to a carnival,swim,play games, tag,shop,dress,get property,take part in race, and a LOT more.
Your character is also very cool, who doesn't care about anyone or anything, but people seem to like him a lot because of his efficiency.
Its amazing to see how the school slowly starts coming in your control, as the story develops.
Trust me, this is a superb game and you'll love to play it, especially with the story and the characters.