If you own a ps2 and do not have this game you shoul be shot where you stand. Free roaming, gangster shooting magic.
Now if your not familiar with GTA then heres the basic outline, you plays as a character in a thrid person perspective in a free roaming style, then you can pretty much do what you want.
San andreas is based on california and nevada and you play through the cities of Los Santos (LA) san fierro (san franciscio) and las venturas (Vegas). each city resembles the reall life version with many landmarks such as the Golden Gate bridge recreated so the game feels realistic.
Also many new vehicles have been added to the new roster and even the old classics have been remodeled to fit the time period, in addition to new cars there is a new wider selction of planes featuring a jumbo jet and a fighter jet which means you have alot more time in the sky.
New additions to control is thew feature of swimming, in previous versions if you fall in the water you would die but now you have the abilty to swim which is a nice touch as i was constantly drowning in the earlier games. Another is the abilty to climb, not literally climbing but when you jump near a fence you will grab onto the top and hop over it very helpful when being chased or needing some cover.
Another great touch is the customization of your character. There are several ways to make your character different, first you can change his hair style at several different barbers scattered around san andreas, then you can change his clothes, there are 6 different shops and several branches of each of these also in and around each city. with buy able tops, hats, shoes and even jewellry. And finally your physical shape, you can be fat by eating nurgers all the time so you are a slow runner or a toned strong man who can run, and swim all night, whatever you want, this really adds to the quality of the experience as you really feel your part of the game.
The main story line puts you in the place of carl johnson who has just returned to los santos to bury his mother. He is then catapulted back into his family ties with his brothers gang. The addition of a new feature supports the idea of warring gangs as you can now recruit gang members who then follow you around and you can even conquer territories which when taken over light up on the map the colour of your gang (green) or who ever owns it although this gives you no real advantages it is satisfying to see the map lit up with green.
Aswell as playing through the epic main story the game also features many side missions and tasks. Like the familiar vigilante missions or the new burgular ones where you can actully rob houses their are tonnes of them so you always have something to work towards or just to have some more fun. Plus you are rewarded for completing them that will help you in later stages of the game. We again see the return of the hidden packages but in a different form, in fact in 4 different forms tags in los santos, photo oppurtunities in san fierro, horseshoes in las venturas and oysters in any water on the map so there is plenty to keep you busy. Another new side activity you can do is dating, yeas there are several luckky ladies scattered around the game each with there own turn-ons and style, wine and dine them or just take them on a drive-by its your way to play.
Graphically its not the best game frequently there are glithches where things appear only after you have driven into them and where you can see right through the pavement to the sea but other than that every things fine graphics wise and the added effect of weather sequences really plants the game in your mind as real.
If you enjoy playing any console game and don't live in a remote rainforest in brazil you have to get this game.