Detailed GTA: San Andreas info (minor spoilers)

[Sedako]

This game is set to ship in October of this year. It is set in the 90's, and features 3 variations of actual cities set in the fictional state of San Andreas, including Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco), and Las Venturra (Las Vegas). Yes, that's right, there are three different cities you can travel to, all of which are bigger than Vice City. You must also travel from city to city by actually going across country, thus greatly adding to the free-roaming experience.

You play as Carl Johnson (CJ), who is returning from Liberty City after five years following the murder of his mother. CJ gets dragged back into his old gang, the Orange Grove Families. At the same time, he must also ease the tension between he and his older brother Sweet.

Eating has also become important. Every few days, your character must eat, or he will become weak and thin, but eating too much will cause him to become fat and slow. Weight will effect your abilities, and how people view you (including insults if you become too fat.) By working out, your physical attacks will become more powerful, but if you buff up too much, you will become a little slower.

Additions

-Eat at restaurants (and gain weight)
-Work out at various gyms (and get buff)
-Improve you character's skills
-Get haircuts
-Ride bikes (tap X to pedal)
-Wear many new outfits
-Purchase and construct building (far more advanced than in Vice City)
-Gamble at casinos
-Break into houses and steal things
-Swim (meaning that crashing into water is no longer an instant death)
-Dual-wield multiple gun types
-Recruit your own gang to help out on missions
-Execute four person drive-bys
-Much more is still a secret

Improvements

-Five to six times the size of Vice City
-It's so big, it has to but put on a dual-layer PS2 DVD
-No more loading between areas
-New greatly improved graphics engine
-35-50% more on-screen polygons
-Longer draw distance
-Real-time reflections
-New lighting effects and realistic shadows
-More detailed textures
-More realistic animations
-Greatly improved AI
-More indoor locations
-More mini-games
-Improved gun tageting
-Improved hand-to-hand combat, including the addition of fighting stances and varied attacks
-Use of rag doll physics
-Much wider range of vehicles
-Improved vehicle physics
-Vehicles get dirty and rusty as time passes

Source: PSM magazine

It just keeps getting better.

 

[nw909]

Sounds cool, the ragdoll physics will be funny for ramming people over as they fly over your car and land on the ground behind it.

 

[Sai]

all of that's great, but the eating thing is just kind of out there for the gta universe in my opinion, and what did you say your source was?

 

[Sedako]

all of that's great, but the eating thing is just kind of out there for the gta universe in my opinion, and what did you say your source was?

PSM, which I added. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[Sai]

PSM, which I added. Thanks for reminding me.

no problem, and one more thing, when did the new issue come out

 

[Sedako]

no problem, and one more thing, when did the new issue come out

Actually, I just got it today. It's the August issue.

 

[FictiousWill]

It sounds awesome except for eating/working out. That sounds like a chore.

 

[Sai]

Actually, I just got it today. It's the August issue.

cool, i might check it out, but man, i can't help but think it frustrating for you to be on one of gta's many chase missions and then make a pit stop at a restaurant so you don't loose too much weight and then loose the guy and start over.......but really how do you think the new "stamina" system is gonna be implemented into the fast paced gameplay

 

[FictiousWill]

Did they mention save games? I hated how long it took to get to mission breifings and set up parts of missions and crap, even with the taxi service.

 

[Sedako]

cool, i might check it out, but man, i can't help but think it frustrating for you to be on one of gta's many chase missions and then make a pit stop at a restaurant so you don't loose too much weight and then loose the guy and start over.......but really how do you think the new "stamina" system is gonna be implemented into the fast paced gameplay

Well, not eating effects the charater, and not the driving or shooting aspects. You wouldn't have to eat in the middle of a driving mission. It will probably be more of a hinderance than a necessity.

 

[Sedako]

Did they mention save games? I hated how long it took to get to mission breifings and set up parts of missions and crap, even with the taxi service.

I'll see what else I can dig up.

Edit: Nothing on saving, although I heard somewhere that the initial loading time will be greatly reduced.

 

[Sparta]

Awesome My only wish is that is comes to PC ;(

 

[Dr. Freeman]

the eating/working out part almost reminds me of The Sims :|

 

[Sedako]

the eating/working out part almost reminds me of The Sims :|

Well, working out is something you don't have to do, but it is more like something to do when you feel like it. Did I also mention that you can somehow improve your driving ability?

 

[Dark Auro]

I'm really glad they are using rag doll physics. It'll look a lot better and in my opinion more realistic then just flattening under the car or flying up 50 feet without moving at all.

 

[ailevation]

:hmph: Man, looks like we're going have to spend quite time on the game now, starting to look like The Sims or something. Personally I don't want to feed the fool every once in awhile, gets boring AND then make him work out, sheesh... this reminds me of those digimonsters where you had to take care of them :x .

 

[ray_MAN]

Cool! This game is turning into an RPG. I can't wait to get this. Is it a simultaneous release for the PC?

 

[Sprafa]

I don't think this is confirmed for the PC ray_MAN, not for now at least.

I like the new eat/work out system, for a lont time I was waiting for a mega-game like GTA with RPG elements.

 

[Loke]

-Purchase and construct building (far more advanced than in Vice City)
-Break into houses and steal things
-Swim (meaning that crashing into water is no longer an instant death)
-Recruit your own gang to help out on missions
-Execute four person drive-bys
-Five to six times the size of Vice City
-No more loading between areas
-Longer draw distance
-More realistic animations
-Greatly improved AI
-Improved gun tageting
-Improved vehicle physics
-Vehicles get dirty and rusty as time passes

Those things sounds great, especially that it's NO loading times between the areas.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Dr. Freeman]

:hmph: Man, looks like we're going have to spend quite time on the game now, starting to look like The Sims or something. Personally I don't want to feed the fool every once in awhile, gets boring AND then make him work out, sheesh... this reminds me of those digimonsters where you had to take care of them :x .

yeah.
when a game starts hogging ur time for all the wrong reasons, u know its kinda starting at the top of a hill and sliding down slowly.

 

[Cerpin]

Too bad the xbox version won`t be out til 2005

 

[Bio]

At last the ragdoll and the other parts of the game sounds cool to.

 

[Harryz]

Pffft, heres my list:

• San Andreas will be a state, based on three cities; San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

• Rag-Doll Physics, yay!

• A.I to be drastically improved.

• R* have listened to there fans and have included swimming as an option in San Andreas.

• Bike to be included. The faster you press X, the faster Carl cycles.

• Real-time reflections and shadows to be improved.

• Obviously the new facial models have been improved drastically.

• Different gangs in different cities, will react differently such as gangs in a rough area, will act more violently and forceful.

• The radio-stations will contain rap and other different Genre’s of music like the previous GTA’s. R* didn’t give specifics or mention about the controversy of 50 cent being possibly in GTA.

• The interior environments will be drastically improved and also bigger.

• It is predicted that the whole size of San Andrea’s state will 4 to 6 times bigger than Vice City.

• Deserts won’t be empty.

• The main character Carl Johnson has to keep his Stamina up by eating/dining at restaurants. If he eats fatty foods such as dough-nuts, the character model will become fatter physically. The size of the character will receive comments such as “Fat bastard” in missions and by-pedestrians. To lose weight, Carl has to go the gym (not sure how this will work)

• Multi-player seems unlikely since no word was given.

•The auto-aim system to be improved again, it was hinted that it would be similar to Man Hunt’s auto-aim system. (If anyone who is unfamiliar with Man Hunt, it is another R* game)

• Los Angeles will have pollution in the air.

• The buying system of assets/properties has been drastically improved since Vice City such as you can buy a Casino and gamble.

• One of the main problems in GTA games was there was nothing much to do when the story-line missions were completed. R* have listened to the fans and are inserting a lot of features.

• There will be planes, finally!

• More vehicles will be unlockable as you progress through the game.

• As you progress through the story-line, parts of the map will be unlocked.

• Vice City had vast amount of weapons, but San Andreas is going to have a lot more. There trying to keep it sensible, no laser weapons or anything ridiculous.

• There will be ability to rob homes, which will require precision and technique.

• In-between the cities there will country-sides. There was also something about what you can do in the country-side, can’t remember what it was though. :/

• Each type of pedestrian had 10 minutes of speech in Vice City, but in SA they will have up to an hour.

• There was something also about driving up a mountain to get to a city, can’t remember 100% properly though.

• Pedestrains shade will be adjusted at night to make them look more realistic.

• You thought drive-bys were good by yourself? Well now you can have up-to 4 people do drive-bys with you in the car.


New features, from PlanetGrandTheftAuto.com:

• Swimming in the game won't be a big part, but you can climb out of your car window if you go into water.

• Wheelies can be performed with bikes.

• To pedal a bike, repeatedly tap (X).

• For the game's opening, you arrive from Liberty City at the airport where Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Polaski (two corrupt cops) pick you up. Instead of taking you home, they drop you off in a rival gang territory where you must get the BMX bike and get away.

• Car-jacking has an even more sinister and threatening vibe than before.

• "The only loading times in GTA:SA are slight pauses when entering buildings."

• Different hair styles that people on the streets will make remarks about.

• People will treat you by the way you dress and look.

• The game will be five times the size of Vice City.

• Compared to Vice City, draw distance has doubled in.

• Urban areas and is four times as far as in rural areas.

• Tumbleweed is present in the desert.

• The auto-target system has been improved in that targets are green (healthy), yellow (below average health) and red (near death).

• The "Well-Stacked Pizza Place" restaurant returns from Vice City.

• The cops are very reminiscent of the California Highway Patrol (CHiPs) and ride on motorcycles.

• Cops can hold on to the back of your car to try to catch you.

• LSPD (Los Santos Police Department) helicopters are present and look like the Maverick helicopter from Vice City.

• More cars and pedestrians on the screen at the same time.

• The game is so big that it needs a dual-layer DVD (in case you want to learn).

• Police helicopters can aim their blades near the ground to stop your car or cut you up.

From PSM MAG:

• On the game map Los Santos is only a tiny bit in the lower right corner.

• You can wear a lot of new clothes.

• Dual wield multiple gun types.

• More mini games.

• Vehicles get rusty and dirty as time goes by.

• Carl's customizations include: Hairstyle, Physique, Weight, Driveing Skills, Clothes, Possessions, Weapon Skills, Chracter, Relationships, Gang.

• The art team has snuck in plenty of special pictures and messages for fans.

• For the first time in a series the game will adjust its diffculty if the player becomes stuck. Rockstar assures that that the adjustments will be minimal and almost invisible to the players, so the missions won't become a breeze.

• At least once every couple of days your characer has to eat. If you skip meals he will be come weak, and if you feed him too much he gets slow and then gets fat. There is a wide selection of places to eat... so what you each counts as well. Strength will effect his punches, but bulk up at the gym too much and he will loose speed.

• San Andreas has its own version of Hollywood called Vinewood.

• When the OGF fell from power, the new rival gangs The Flats and The Ballas moved in.

• Brian Johnson is CJ's 10 year old brother that died in an accident and the reason he went to Liberty City prison for five years.

• The Johnson family is in disarray as Carl and Kendl can't get along with Sweet.

• Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Polaski know CJ from when he was in juvenile hall, and now they harass him in SA.

• Cesar, a new Latino character wearing baggy slacks, an undershirt, tattoos, and a buzzcut has been confirmed.

• Old Reece is CJ's old barber that still gives him haircuts anytime he comes in.

 

[ray_MAN]

Thank you so much for that, Harryz!

 

[DarkStar]

all of that's great, but the eating thing is just kind of out there for the gta universe in my opinion, and what did you say your source was?

Yeah, that really doesn't sound very fun.

 

[DarkStar]

Hopefully there will be more hilly areas. I'm guessing the San Francisco-type area will feature some elevation shifts. I always got annoyed at how flat Vice City was.

 

[Sedako]

Hopefully there will be more hilly areas. I'm guessing the San Francisco-type area will feature some elevation shifts. I always got annoyed at how flat Vice City was.

Yeah, San Fierro has hills and jumps galore, as stated in PSM. Don't worry, there will be plenty of jumps and such, including outside of the actual cities.

 

[mortiz]

I doubt it's like you have to Eat or you die, it'll probably just be a nifty little feature than you can use to make your character into a "fat cat".

 

[Murray_H]

It better be just a small thing, dunno why but it sounds really annoying to have to go out of your way to eat/keep fit and monitor that :/

Maybe it works in practice....the rest sounds cool though, i wonder how they've managed to squeeze more performance out of the game? Maybe they've just taken their time for this game?

 

[Sedako]

It better be just a small thing, dunno why but it sounds really annoying to have to go out of your way to eat/keep fit and monitor that :/

Maybe it works in practice....the rest sounds cool though, i wonder how they've managed to squeeze more performance out of the game? Maybe they've just taken their time for this game?

Well, with a dual layer DVD, they can fit a hell of a lot more into the game.