Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Limited Edition (PC DVD)

Although the game itself is very similar to the previous instalments in terms of looks and gameplay, it takes it much further. For example, there is almost nothing that you can't do in this game.

Steal vehicles, shoot people, run your own gang, date girlfriends, eat at restaurants, go to the gym, buy weapons, rob houses, etc. The "city" is not a city at all but rather an entire county! Three cities (Los Santos, Las Venturas and San Fierro) are all linked together with miles and miles of countryside, smaller towns and villages, all with their own unique characteristics. Of course, you can only explore the area of Los Santos and the surroundings when you start as you need to "unlock" the other areas via missions.
However, even just Los Santos is enormous and will take you ages to explore.

The storyline is thus: you play a black American guy called Carl Johnson, commonly known as "CJ" who has returned to San Andreas to bury his Mum and take revenge on those who are to blame, restoring the neighbourhoods' credibility and power in the process.

Just as in Los Angeles, there are areas of the city of Los Santos that are controlled by rival gangs who will stop at nothing to take you down. Of course, the entire city isn't a gang-infested hellhole, only certain parts (mainly the eastern and south-eastern parts of the city) There are also extremely wealthy and aesthetically pleasing parts of the city, mainly in the north and west of the city.

All I can say is, if you've played GTA3 and GTA: Vice City and enjoyed them, BUY THIS IMMEDIATELY! If not, buy this anyway. I can't believe that anyone would not appreciate the time and effort gone into creating such a work of art. Long live Rockstar!

The game is set in a huge and varied world, which takes in areas from small towns, mountains, major commercial centres, huge tracts of open countryside, and a lot more. There are 3 major cities, each with up to 30 distinct neighbourhoods, all of which have their own feel and look. You can explore this world on foot, on a bike, in one of a hundred different cars, trucks and motorcycles, in a boat, or in a helicoptor or plane (there is even a fully functional James Bond style jetpack, which is incredible fun). Take a job in a quarry, in haulage, driving a taxi, as a fireman, paramedic or all of the above and more. Or don't bother working, and go in for a life of crime instead!

Develop your character by dressing in clothes from one of six distinct shops, by visiting the gym, by getting your hair cut in one of about twenty styles, by customising your car. You will get better at the things you do most - build skills at driving cars, riding motorbikes or bikes, flying planes, using guns. Date one or all of six women you meet during the game.

For entertainment, visit the betting shop, enter competitions at the local stadium, go to a strip club or a bar, play pool for money, lose your life savings at one of several casinos, enter a triathlon, go dancing at a club, enter dozens of different street races, go base jumping, sky-diving or many other things I can't remember right now.

This game is massive in scope, and will eat your entire life for weeks if you aren't careful. All of the above examples are actually in the game, and many more besides, and I haven't even mentioned the main game missions which are superbly varied and rewarding - using all areas of the game world, and a huge range of vehicles, characters and special locations. And if you don't want to follow the story (which is richer and better implemented than in any previous GTA title) then you could spend huge amounts of time just roaming and having fun exploiting the opportunities open to you outside the main missions. Once again, there are rival gangs to rumble with - in San Andreas you can fight gangs to capture neighbourhoods from them, and this is both financially rewarding and very addictive.

This is a superb game, whether you want to complete 100% of everything, or just to spend a few hours acting like a maniac with 2 sawn-off shotguns and a helicoptor gunship. Rockstar have created a monster, a definite classic, and the only problem will be how to follow a triumph like this. Buy it today!