Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (pc: 2005): Reviews

> Switch to Advanced Search

Games Homepage
Best of 2007 | 2006 |2005
Advanced Search

PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

xx 4 Elements
xx Age of Booty
xx Aion: The Tower of Eternity
55 Alone in the Dark
xx Ancient Quest of Saqqarah
50 Art of Murder: FBI Confidential
xx Backyard Baseball '09
xx BattleForge
22 Beauty Factory
49 Beijing 2008
53 Belief & Betrayal
87 Bionic Commando Rearmed
xx Birth of America II: Wars in America 1750-1815
xx Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
xx Building & Co: You Are The Architect!
xx Burnout Paradise
xx CellZenith
xx Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island
xx Combat Arms
xx Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
xx Concerto Gate
71 Crazy Machines 2
85 Crysis Warhead
xx Dark Horizon
xx Dead Mountaineer's Hotel
xx Dead Space
xx Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm
78 Devil May Cry 4
xx Disciples III: Renaissance
63 Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon
xx Dreamlords: The Reawakening
xx Duke Nukem Forever
xx EA Sports GameShow
xx Everlight: Magic & Power
xx Exodus from the Earth
xx FaitH
xx Fallout 3
xx Far Cry 2
xx FIFA Soccer 09
79 FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
xx Galactic Civilizations II: Endless Universe
xx Galactic Dream: Rage of War
xx Geo-Political Simulator
83 GTR Evolution
xx Happy Tree Friends False Alarm
xx Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft, The
xx Hei$t
xx Hell's Kitchen
xx Hinterland
xx Hunting Unlimited 2009
xx Igor The Game
xx Imperium Romanum: Emperor Expansion
31 Incredible Hulk, The
65 Insecticide: Episode 1
xx International Cricket Captain 2008
xx Kharkov: Disaster on the Donets
xx King's Bounty: The Legend
xx Laxius Force
xx Legendary
81 LEGO Batman
xx Line Rider 2: Unbound
xx Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, The
73 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
xx MindHabits
74 Mount & Blade
xx Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest
58 Murder in the Abbey
xx Mythos
69 Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice
xx NHL 09
74 Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
xx Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy
xx Operation Mania
xx Orb and the Oracle, The
62 Outcry
36 Overspeed: High Performance Street Racing
xx Paws & Claws: Pet Vet Australian Adventures
84 Peggle Nights
73 Penumbra: Requiem
xx Pipe Mania
xx Planet Busters
73 Political Machine 2008, The
xx Price is Right, The
xx Princess Bride Game, The
xx Prison Tycoon 4: SuperMax
46 Pro Cycling Manager: Season 2008
83 Pure
xx Quantum of Solace
29 Racing Team Manager
xx Requiem: Bloodymare
xx Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches
72 Romance of The Three Kingdoms XI
72 Roogoo
xx Runes of Magic
74 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
xx Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
xx Saints Row 2
43 Samurai Warriors 2
66 SBK-08 Superbike World Championship
xx SCORE International Baja 1000
xx Shattered Suns
84 Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization
xx Silverfall: Earth Awakening
62 SimCity Societies Destinations
75 Sims 2 Apartment Life, The
xx Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff, The
68 Sinking Island
39 Sniper: Art of Victory
xx Space Chimps
59 Space Siege
xx Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
85 Spore
83 Spore Creature Creator
xx StarCraft II
xx Still Life 2
xx Storm of War: Battle of Britain
73 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
82 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free
71 Summer Athletics
xx Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
65 Supreme Ruler 2020
xx Sword of the Stars: A Murder of Crows
xx Talisman
xx Terrorist Takedown: Conflict in Mogadishu
xx Twilight War: After the Fall
65 Ubersoldier 2: The End of Hitler
xx Vampyre Story, A
58 WALL-E
xx War Leaders: Clash of Nations
88 Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
66 Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Battle March
xx Wartime Command: Battle for Europe 1939-1945
82 Witcher: Enhanced Edition, The
xx World of Goo
71 WorldShift
xx X3: Terran Conflict

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas


7.8

based on 47 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 155 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

GAMES:

Cheat Code Central

Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas... a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. Where filmstars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gangbangers. Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets. [Rockstar]

PUBLISHER:	Rockstar Games
DEVELOPER:	Rockstar North
GENRE(S):	Action, Racing
PLAYERS:	1
ESRB RATING:	AO (Adults Only)
RELEASE DATE:	June 6, 2005

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

WHAM! Gaming

PC owners definitely will fare better than their Xbox counterparts in this particular gang war.

100

Stuff

How do you improve on perfection? We’ll tell you how: Take the same genius game that you played last fall on the PS2 and give everything a fresh coat of pixel paint... Then, remove the long load times, allow us to save 30-second replays to the hard drive for those you-won’t-believe-this-booshiz moments and create personalized radio stations by ripping your CD collection to the hard drive.

100

GameSpy

The PC version suffers from a few technical glitches and generally looks a little dated compared to other PC titles, but still feels like an improvement over the PS2 version, and is filled with weeks of gameplay and unforgettable moments. It's not to be missed.

100

Game Revolution

Sure, the instant replay feature was left out, but this is a mostly untouched Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, one of the best games ever made, and now a version of it can be played on the PC with the best controls and graphics available.

100

Gaming Age

Tallying things up, that’s three points (improved graphics, load times, custom music) that put the PC version above the PS2 for everyone and one (mods) that appeal to some, with two slight negatives (gamepad glitches and lack of multiplayer missions) that bring it down a bit, but only affect a small chunk of users.

100

Computer Games Magazine

The soundtrack is inspired, with a heavy emphasis on late-'8s/early '90s rap and alternative rock. [Sept 2005, p.50]

100

Games Radar

What does make it great is that it actually delivers on nearly everything it promises while still being fun to just pick up and play.

Game Informer

A fantastic port of a stellar game. [Aug 2005, p.98]

Next Level Gaming

Kudos to Rockstar for actually including gamepad support for the PC!!

PGNx Media

It will surely take up hundreds of hours to even the most casual of gamers.

IC-Games

More cars, bikes, planes, helicopters and boats (and even a hovercraft) then any previous GTA title plus the sheer size and longevity of San Andreas mean this just has be a part of any self respecting gamers collection.

Worth Playing

Given the wonderful environment design, new RPG elements, and extremely well done "gangsta" theme, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas comes as close to perfect as anything in the past few years.

AtomicGamer

Rockstar has delivered their best PC port of a GTA game yet with San Andreas.

eToychest

The greater sense of immersion provided by the crisper graphics and big improvements to pedestrian combat make this a vastly superior version of the game.

PC Gamer

Easily the best game in the GTA series, and an all-time classic. [Aug 2005, p.52]

2404.org

This game is more than a game, and it's also more than a movie. It's a virtual playground, true, but its characters and main protagonist are human and real--albeit living by an extremely warped version of the conventional system of morals.

ActionTrip

It is the perfect crime game.

Gaming Horizon

If you already own another version, you’d be silly to purchase it again, but if you don’t have any copy of the game yet, you should only opt for a console version if you want to play in the living room with some friends watching. Otherwise, grab the PC version for the best experience.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

It’s not perfect – there’s still the odd gripe here and there, and wheeling the same game engine out for the next instalment would be unforgivable – but SA is easily the most polished instalment of the series to date.

IGN

A huge game. If you're into exploring and finding all the secrets, this should keep you entertained forever. Story gamers will find plenty to keep them occupied as well.

Game Over Online

There’s an unbelievable amount of things to do and fun to be had, much of it at the player’s whim.

PC Format

A jack of all trades and a master of some - San Andreas tries astonishingly hard to let you do anything. And so long as you don't crave any meaningful character interaction outside of mow down with a monster truck first, ask questions later, it very nearly manages to pull it off, too. [Aug 2005, p.88]

Computer and Video Games

There's a mind-boggling amount of stuff to do.

GameZone

The crown jewel of GTA games. The most missions, the biggest cities and the most immersive character building of any previous GTA games makes this a sure-fire hit.

Computer Games Online RO

I wish you all the fun in the world playing GTA: SA but I should also warn you about its length. Be prepared with lots of smokes and beers around (I’d rather have a few bottles of tequila, but that’s just me), because it could keep you busy for a very long time.

Pelit (Finland)

San Andreas (Rockstar Games) is neither PC nor up to general PC standards, but damn great fun anyway. [Aug. 05]

Gaming Target

Why is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas such a great game? To put it simply, the game is huge. It has such a variety of things going on that almost everybody can find a part of it that they enjoy.

GamePro

San Andreas for the PC has the most to offer. But considering the steep system specs and the key binding headaches, casual players may find that it's more trouble than it's worth. [Sept 2005, p.52]

Computer Gaming World

This latest GTA is an epic, involving experience, no doubt--but when you get past the expansive world and the RPG-like elements, it's the same epic, involving experience it was last year.

GameSpot

With its strong story, well-written dialogue, terrific voice cast, impressive graphics, and extremely entertaining and varied gameplay, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a stupendous thrill ride that shouldn't be missed.

Inside Gamer Online

A high brandwidth assault on the senses.

Cheat Code Central

By far this is the best version of the game available, simply because of the graphics and reduced load times. You will need a workhorse to have it run smoothly, but it's definitely worth it in the end, whether you've an old homie of CJ's or you've just been introduced.

Total Video Games

The mouse-keyboard combination does take some time to get use to, but if players have a good gamepad then San Andreas PC becomes much easier to overall control.

Yahoo! Games

By far the biggest game in the series. Gamers who aren't turned off by the nefarious and illegal activities will find this to be one of the most engrossing games ever produced.

PC Gameworld

A game with atmosphere and style, and should keep anyone busy for months.

3DAvenue

It has the same impressive depth and ability as the highly acclaimed PS2 version.

Boomtown

Casting morality aside for one moment, GTA: SA is a glorious thrilling ride of delinquency. It offers just enough freedom, and more than enough violence, to make for a truly epic game.

GameBiz

The fact you can complete the main storyline and still only be 30% into completing the game really shows you how much depth Rockstar have included in the game.

PALGN

The best version of one of the top games of this generation - buy it now.

Pelaaja (Finland)

Despite the niggles and the fact that the game could be so much more expansive and technically improved on the new platforms, Carl Johnson and his homeboys epic odyssey is something everyone interested in games should check out. [July 2005, p.74]

Game Chronicles

The standout feature of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the expected graphical superiority over its console counterparts. But for the audiophiles, the ability to design and play your own custom radio station is a feature every game needs to have from this point forward, end of story. DEMAND IT!

Gamer's Hell

A remarkable roster of stars help voice many of the characters, and an important part of the era’s music has also found its way into the game.

1UP

The experience is still amazing... and that the gameplay is still really, really broken in many areas. Each new port brings with it a handful of new features, yet none of them are anything more than mere tweaks.

GamingTrend

I don’t enjoy the gameplay enhancements that Rockstar put on the game where it becomes more of an RPG with doing the upkeep on C.J. I also don’t enjoy the subject matter much with all the racial epitaphs flying around.

Armchair Empire

PC diehards will be less tolerant of its keyboard/mouse control scheme, poor save system and lack of “Restart Mission” option, even if the game does have a lot of positives.

Gamezilla!

Just seems to be a poorly designed port of a rather good console game.

GameShark

I honestly cannot give Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas a decent score in good conscience just because this could have easily been so much better as a PC title Let’s hope some patches roll around quickly to resolve the worst of the damage.

The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 155 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

GT gave it a9:
I recently purchased SA after completing Vice City. Both games are great with different themes and nice soundtracks. I did prefer the control of Vice City slightly more, as this version took some getting use to. However, I felt that Vice City was just too short. This game seems to have far more depth and length. There are different gang territories you can take control or lose control of, character attributes and custom character appearances. I also like the fact that you can gain hit points by stopping in at a fast food joint. This gives you slightly more options than finding a heart or picking up a hooker. I've had a few cut scene glitches which made some of the dialogue hard to comprehend. The AI for the rival gangs during the gang wars / territory disputes also seems a bit glitchy. Sometimes they run out of the territory all together or get stuck behind a wall or in a canal. If you run out of the territory to kill them to kill them, you are quickly prompted to head back to the war zone. The fun factor of the game far outweighs the problems though. I would recommend this game for anyone (17+ years of age) that enjoys this genre or the other GTA games.

Jonas H. gave it an8:
This game is alright, but nothing new from older titles, really. It quickly becomes boring and repetitive, and the port isn't especially well made. That being said the gameplay value is pretty high, and some of the side-missions and additions are somewhat entertaining, although seemingly forced on the gameplay, rather than blended in.

Trieste L. gave it a9:
This game is by far the best I have played. The only things that I feel are depreciating the rating that I give it is the fact that the second edition is non moddable, which somewhat ruins the fun of using other mods. The other factor is that the planes are difficult to control. That may be mostly my fault, since I can't drive anything non-terrestrial with proficiency. The rating stayed as it is since the NRG-500 is so fast, powerful and easy to maneuver.

Wes M gave it a0:
This game sucked major. The graphics were something to be desired and there were too many glitches/bugs. As for the story line, IT WAS POINTLESS! And the dialog, wtf with that!? Who calls their mother "moms" all the time, and what kind of black trash would be lowlife enough to call their own kind a "nigger"? This game fails hard.

Morgan L. gave it a2:
This game is a poor translation of a console game. The graphics are ugly, the controls and physics are worse and the camera is blare witch mess. The mini games are just button mashing exercises while the camera points everywhere except the direction you are going. Not that you are missing much; the graphics are washed out and sparse. Unlike other GTA titles the hoods' lack any personality or flavor.. Skip this one until the next real PC version of the GTA franchise comes out.

Chaos J. gave it a10:
The bad user comments seem to be based on Viewpoints (That you can change anyway) and graphics (And they are quite good anyway), but to be honest with you, this game is amazing. The graphics are acceptable, the physics are nice, and the gameplay is unbeatable. They didn't HAVE to unclude quite so much swearing, and it's not a very good game to play when parents are around, but all in all, it's deserving of a 10. You start as a gangster, but after a few missions you give up on that and there is (slightly) less swearing, so just put up with the vulgarities. Also, there are a few... dodgy scenes, but you don't see anything so it's not a problem.

John K. gave it a9:
GTA SA is one of the best games ive ever played its car mods are really making it cooler.. The Hydra is a cool plane to go in the only thing i have to say is NICE..I also play on the GTA SA MP(multiplayer) its funner than singleplayer(duh) Graphics are great,gang attacks are always good because i can always do i drivebyXD!! The Storyline is good To much cursing though but im cool with it.. There are some lag in the game but Still a great game. The Cops on singleplayer is Not too good i mean like u die very easy on like the 4 to 5 stars the 6 star is even hard..Only i have to say is Best Game Ive Ever Played