Well I have only played GTA: San Andreas for only a couple of hours - but a few things do stand out to me as vast improvements over the previous two GTA's. First off, the dialogue is top notch - by far the best of the last three GTA games. I'm really amazed at how this game is able to capture the true feel of the 90s in the hood. Its funny, a few years ago before GTA: Vice City came out I always wondered what would come after it - would they take on the 90s? Would it be to early to do that - would it be to familiar and not be quite as funny or engaging as Vice City. Well all my fears were put to rest when I popped this game in and it felt 'right'. You know that feeling - when a game that tries to do so much just doesn't feel right - that is not this game.

The whole stats thing adds a very interesting component to the game, you actually WANT to get CJ in shape because it allows you to make your character very unique in a game that is highly scripted but doesn't feel like it. The replacing of the secret package missions with the tag missions is a VERY welcome change - oh my goodness, I can't tell you how annoying those things were. But now, its all a matter of looking at walls and figuring out how to get to it - no more little white packages that pop up only when you're 5 feet away from them.

Anyways, if you have any doubts about getting GTA: San Andreas - you really should, but don't expect the soundtrack to be quite as memorable as the previous GTA soundtracks - something's just off in that regards. It might be because I haven't spent enough time playing yet or the music is just to 'known' to me - I don't know. But other then that this game is another homerun by the fine folks at Rockstar North!