...or the last mission in the storyline, anyway. Still haven't reached 100% completed in the game yet (and may not be able to, read below).
First let me say the gameplay is fantastic; I have to give props for Rockstar taking an awesome platform and adding more and more detail to the games. All three cities and the terrain/townships inbetween look fabulous. The car customization, clothing, tattoos, girlfriends, personal stats etc. are all great ideas. And you gotta love CJ's quips: "I take that paper." and "Gimme that grip!" are just classic.
I have two things I don't like about the game. #1 is the plot, there are a lot of holes and unexplained business in the main storyline, plus the ending was kind of a disappointment; the game really builds itself into a situation for all-out mayhem at the end but it's really kind of tame; I was expecting Armageddon on the streets and instead you get one long-drawn out mission that ends on a rather unsatisfying note. # 2 is the bugginess of the game. Yes, there are some pretty big bugs in the game - including one that prevented me from getting the last mission in the Heist thread, thanks to that stupid croupier you have to date (wish I had known you could cap her instead!) and issues with the flying engine and targeting system. I know it was an ambitious undertaking but some of the flaws are pretty frustrating.
I'd give it a 9 out of 10...although I still think Vice City was a better overall game. There's just no beating Ray Liotta on the landing of the Scarface mansion facing down two dozen guys with a minigun; that's a hard act to follow.
Anyone else finish the game and/or have the same issue with the Heist mission? I got one of the early copies so maybe I just got unlucky.
Finished GTA: San Andreas last night...
Re: (Jesda)
I loved GTA3...it was the reason I bought a PS2 in the first place! Definitely grab a copy. It did have a unique inner-city kind of atmosphere, much different than San Andreas or Vice City - very gray, gritty and densely packed. The missions were definitely more challenging, I think. It seems like the cop A.I. was much tougher in GTA3 or maybe you just had worse cars to drive in, but a lot of the missions took me 3-5 tries to complete. San Andreas I blew through 80% of the missions on the first try.Jesda wrote:How do you like GTA 3? I heard Liberty City was kind of nice, with a gritty urban feel. Im trying to find a used copy.
Taking over territories is kind of interesting, it does get tedious though after you blast the 1,000th thug and then have to repeat again...and again...
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gniknave
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Re: (Meantime)
I need to pick up San Andreas. I'm still going around shooting random people in the head and making tanks drop from the sky and setting bombs under police cars in Vice City. I'm scared to see how much time I'll spend doing crazy stuff in San Andreas. You mean there's actually a purpose in the game besides doing everything in the game that we'd like to do in real life sometimes in our heads daily? Wow...
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Slappy
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Re: Finished GTA: San Andreas last night... (Meantime)
do you want any of the crazy codes?Meantime wrote:...or the last mission in the storyline, anyway. Still haven't reached 100% completed in the game yet (and may not be able to, read below).
First let me say the gameplay is fantastic; I have to give props for Rockstar taking an awesome platform and adding more and more detail to the games. All three cities and the terrain/townships inbetween look fabulous. The car customization, clothing, tattoos, girlfriends, personal stats etc. are all great ideas. And you gotta love CJ's quips: "I take that paper." and "Gimme that grip!" are just classic.
I have two things I don't like about the game. #1 is the plot, there are a lot of holes and unexplained business in the main storyline, plus the ending was kind of a disappointment; the game really builds itself into a situation for all-out mayhem at the end but it's really kind of tame; I was expecting Armageddon on the streets and instead you get one long-drawn out mission that ends on a rather unsatisfying note. # 2 is the bugginess of the game. Yes, there are some pretty big bugs in the game - including one that prevented me from getting the last mission in the Heist thread, thanks to that stupid croupier you have to date (wish I had known you could cap her instead!) and issues with the flying engine and targeting system. I know it was an ambitious undertaking but some of the flaws are pretty frustrating.
I'd give it a 9 out of 10...although I still think Vice City was a better overall game. There's just no beating Ray Liotta on the landing of the Scarface mansion facing down two dozen guys with a minigun; that's a hard act to follow.
Anyone else finish the game and/or have the same issue with the Heist mission? I got one of the early copies so maybe I just got unlucky.
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BB Turbo
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I'm 60% done with the game.
I modded my Elegy to resemble an R34. All I did was put on the wing that looked like a GT-R wing and put some gold rims on and painted it black. I love ricing the cars though, like putting nitrous and hydraulics on the taxi cars.
My number favorite thing though is skydiving, coolest part of the game. Just flying up way high in the air and jumping out of the airplane is pretty badass.
I modded my Elegy to resemble an R34. All I did was put on the wing that looked like a GT-R wing and put some gold rims on and painted it black. I love ricing the cars though, like putting nitrous and hydraulics on the taxi cars.
My number favorite thing though is skydiving, coolest part of the game. Just flying up way high in the air and jumping out of the airplane is pretty badass.
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gniknave
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Re: (BB Turbo)
Can you shoot at the same time?BB Turbo wrote:My number favorite thing though is skydiving, coolest part of the game. Just flying up way high in the air and jumping out of the airplane is pretty badass.
^no you can't shoot and skydive, at least not while your parachute is open, i'm not sure about freefalling thought. But you can get the jetback and fly around in that while shooting.
I loved GTA:3 it was and still is a great game. I think Vice City was alright, it definetly could have been better. And San Andreas is just awesome,there's just so many more things you can do in it that you couldn't do before
I loved GTA:3 it was and still is a great game. I think Vice City was alright, it definetly could have been better. And San Andreas is just awesome,there's just so many more things you can do in it that you couldn't do before
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MinisterofDOOM
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Re: (Jesda)
I like the jetpack. Dual mac10's and a jetpack. Die piggies die.
Jesda, GTA 3 is great. There's something that was present in GTA 3 that has been missing in the two more recent ones. I mean, there's new stuff, and bigger maps, and al that good stuff, but there's just something about the feel of GTA 3 that isn't entrely fulfilled by VC or SA. It's definitely worth picking up a used copy...
Hell, dude. I just remembered. A year ago my sister lost my copy of GTA 3 so I bought a new one. Then I found the original. I have two now. You want the spare one?
Jesda, GTA 3 is great. There's something that was present in GTA 3 that has been missing in the two more recent ones. I mean, there's new stuff, and bigger maps, and al that good stuff, but there's just something about the feel of GTA 3 that isn't entrely fulfilled by VC or SA. It's definitely worth picking up a used copy...
Hell, dude. I just remembered. A year ago my sister lost my copy of GTA 3 so I bought a new one. Then I found the original. I have two now. You want the spare one?
Re: (MinisterofDOOM)
Yes i totally know what you mean about GTA3 having something the others don't. It's hard to explain it but GTA3 was incredible especially when it first came out. I actually like GTA3 better than Vice CityMinisterofDOOM wrote:I like the jetpack. Dual mac10's and a jetpack. Die piggies die.
Jesda, GTA 3 is great. There's something that was present in GTA 3 that has been missing in the two more recent ones. I mean, there's new stuff, and bigger maps, and al that good stuff, but there's just something about the feel of GTA 3 that isn't entrely fulfilled by VC or SA. It's definitely worth picking up a used copy...
Hell, dude. I just remembered. A year ago my sister lost my copy of GTA 3 so I bought a new one. Then I found the original. I have two now. You want the spare one?
I defintely prefer vice city to san adreas, althought I do like the larger map thats available... the "map" feature sucks ***, the icons suck, and thats on our bigscreen... can't imagine trying to read that on a smaller TV.I am disappointed with how you get shot and hurt during the "dead space" when you enter or exit a building. I also hate the way other cars jerk when you are speeding next to them. The motorcycles can barely keep up with traffic on the interstate even when everything is blurry and you should be going 160mph...and when your stars get up, its a lot harder to stay alive, but thats not necessarily a bad thing.I also hate the way you have to "unlock" everything, either because its not available, or because you need to exercise your skills to make it avaiable. The idea is nice, but in practice they applied it to EVERYTHING, from riding a motorcycle to shooting a guy, and it just gets annoying to be able to do nothing well without practicing that skill for an hour.
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MinisterofDOOM
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Re: (andrave)
No there's nothing to unlock. You UPGRADE everything. The second you start the game, you have every ability, skill, and object available to you that you did in the other PS2 GTA games. Then you can improve them by using them. It's a great way to go, especially since that keeps your abilities on par with the difficulty of the missions as you progress.
I know what you mean about the "map" sucking. I played it on an ~11 inch TV until just recently. It sucked, I had to crank the contrast and get close to even tell what I was seeing. But I still really enjoyed the game.
I've always been able to outrun traffic on bikes, even the slowes one, the Freeway. And the jerky traffic is irritating, yes. But that is mostly only present on older PS2s, it appears. I've got botha first gen and a third gen PS2, and the first gen the traffic is very jerky. On my two month old third gen, it rarely happens.
I know what you mean about the "map" sucking. I played it on an ~11 inch TV until just recently. It sucked, I had to crank the contrast and get close to even tell what I was seeing. But I still really enjoyed the game.
I've always been able to outrun traffic on bikes, even the slowes one, the Freeway. And the jerky traffic is irritating, yes. But that is mostly only present on older PS2s, it appears. I've got botha first gen and a third gen PS2, and the first gen the traffic is very jerky. On my two month old third gen, it rarely happens.
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nametakennow
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I finished it last week.
The maps aren't that difficult to read... I dunno...
Anyways, I'll agree with you in some areas...
Ending was a disappointment, all that build up... woo... it is buggy as well, but no buggier than the others... in fact, I'd say a LOT smoother than the original GTA3. The flying engine can be a frustration, but if you fool with it some it's really as effective as it can get.
However, I disagree with your assessment that Vice City was better. I detested a lot of VC... the city pretty much sucked, the gangs were far too aggressive (you get shot any time you go in any of their areas), and a lot of things seemed half complete (the city itself included).
With San Andreas, a lot of the map isn't even used much in the main storyline, which really opens it up... it all becomes useful later when looking for stuff and just exploring. Moreover, each city has a distinct feel to it, similar to the original 3 districts in Liberty City.
One thing that VC did better was use of the property system. San Andreas properties are pretty much useless. Most of the ones that make money don't make much, and most of the housing doesn't have a garage (the entire point of the houses, if you ask me... there's so many of them, having a nearby save point isn't an issue).
The skill system ROCKS. The weapons are a huge step above the other two. The variety of vehicles is amazing. The motorcycles in particular are a ton better than VC... there's also an airliner that's pretty sweet for novelty (but it's a biatch to fly!).
For those who haven't finished the game, get a Desert Eagle and max out your skill (you can do this quickly by shooting a tire over and over)... it's a bit expensive, but one shot kills with an easy-to-carry weapon rock. In fact, I used it almost exclusively in the last mission...
Anyways, San Andreas is a good step up, IMO.
The best feature of the game, 2 player mode. There's a distance restriction (you're both on the main screen, no split), and you can't go inside buildings, but even with those lackings it's still amazing. Each person starts out with the ammo/loadout of the 1p. Tag team destruction! Your wanted level also decreases a little faster, so that, even with 2 stars, you can stay out of the cops way for a little while and get rid of it without having to find the remover thingys (you can't use the Pay 'N Spray)...
For those who didn't know that feature existed, here's a map of the locations... http://gtadomain.gtagaming.com/2pmap.html
I stumbled on one in Los Santos one day and wanted to try it, later I was roving around Redsands and had my brother join me.
Anyways, yeah, definitely $50 well spent. Takes quite awhile to finish the story and I only have about 80% done, so I've got plenty of work ahead of me.
The maps aren't that difficult to read... I dunno...
Anyways, I'll agree with you in some areas...
Ending was a disappointment, all that build up... woo... it is buggy as well, but no buggier than the others... in fact, I'd say a LOT smoother than the original GTA3. The flying engine can be a frustration, but if you fool with it some it's really as effective as it can get.
However, I disagree with your assessment that Vice City was better. I detested a lot of VC... the city pretty much sucked, the gangs were far too aggressive (you get shot any time you go in any of their areas), and a lot of things seemed half complete (the city itself included).
With San Andreas, a lot of the map isn't even used much in the main storyline, which really opens it up... it all becomes useful later when looking for stuff and just exploring. Moreover, each city has a distinct feel to it, similar to the original 3 districts in Liberty City.
One thing that VC did better was use of the property system. San Andreas properties are pretty much useless. Most of the ones that make money don't make much, and most of the housing doesn't have a garage (the entire point of the houses, if you ask me... there's so many of them, having a nearby save point isn't an issue).
The skill system ROCKS. The weapons are a huge step above the other two. The variety of vehicles is amazing. The motorcycles in particular are a ton better than VC... there's also an airliner that's pretty sweet for novelty (but it's a biatch to fly!).
For those who haven't finished the game, get a Desert Eagle and max out your skill (you can do this quickly by shooting a tire over and over)... it's a bit expensive, but one shot kills with an easy-to-carry weapon rock. In fact, I used it almost exclusively in the last mission...
Anyways, San Andreas is a good step up, IMO.
The best feature of the game, 2 player mode. There's a distance restriction (you're both on the main screen, no split), and you can't go inside buildings, but even with those lackings it's still amazing. Each person starts out with the ammo/loadout of the 1p. Tag team destruction! Your wanted level also decreases a little faster, so that, even with 2 stars, you can stay out of the cops way for a little while and get rid of it without having to find the remover thingys (you can't use the Pay 'N Spray)...
For those who didn't know that feature existed, here's a map of the locations... http://gtadomain.gtagaming.com/2pmap.html
I stumbled on one in Los Santos one day and wanted to try it, later I was roving around Redsands and had my brother join me.
Anyways, yeah, definitely $50 well spent. Takes quite awhile to finish the story and I only have about 80% done, so I've got plenty of work ahead of me.
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driverdriver
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I just got the game this Christmas and I just started playing it last night after all my relatives left from the holidays. I'm still stuck on the first mission-the one with the bikes and the gang members chasing you around. That bike is really hard to steer and pedal. Anybody have any advice on the best way to complete this mission?
I agree the maps sucks compared to Vice City.
I'm tempted to get one of those "Official GTA San Andreas Game" Books put out by the game maker. Anybody have any expereince with these or are they a waste of money? I completed Vice City without one.
I agree the maps sucks compared to Vice City.
I'm tempted to get one of those "Official GTA San Andreas Game" Books put out by the game maker. Anybody have any expereince with these or are they a waste of money? I completed Vice City without one.
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MinisterofDOOM
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Re: (D1SR240)
Nah, the guide is essentially useless. The only thing I like mine for was the car-exporting. I crossed them off as I got them in the book, and I new what I was unlocking. The list of cars made it easier to know what the hell I was looking for (there are a LOT of cars in that game!). I finally got the hovercraft, and it was...well...pretty dumb. It blows up after about two crashes. But it's insane to have a three star wanted rating and be in that thing. You feel like a hockey puck...not always fun, but sometimes it's hilarious. But I've got my Monster and Bullet (which I get for free from a gas station in San Fierro, near that one girl's house) and Elegy in my garage, and that's all I need. Oh, yeah, and my XXX900 (can't remember the letters right now). That bike is insane!
Some of the other cars in the game and their apparent "equivalents": (feel free to add or amend)
Alpha - Dodge StealthBanshee - ViperBlista - Honda CRXBullet - Ford GT40Buffalo - Camaro Z28Cheetah - FerrariComet - Porsche 911Euros - Z32 Fairlady?Elegy - R32 SkylineEmporer - 1st gen Q45Flash - VW GTIFZR-350 - FD RX-7Infernus - Acura NSXJester - Mk III Supra?Phoenix - late 70's TransAmStratum - Passat Wagon?Sultan - Subaru WRXSuper GT - Lotus?Turismo - LamborghiniUranus - 1st gen Eclipse
Modified by Meantime at 9:11 AM 1/4/2005
Alpha - Dodge StealthBanshee - ViperBlista - Honda CRXBullet - Ford GT40Buffalo - Camaro Z28Cheetah - FerrariComet - Porsche 911Euros - Z32 Fairlady?Elegy - R32 SkylineEmporer - 1st gen Q45Flash - VW GTIFZR-350 - FD RX-7Infernus - Acura NSXJester - Mk III Supra?Phoenix - late 70's TransAmStratum - Passat Wagon?Sultan - Subaru WRXSuper GT - Lotus?Turismo - LamborghiniUranus - 1st gen Eclipse
Modified by Meantime at 9:11 AM 1/4/2005
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MinisterofDOOM
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Re: (Meantime)
http://incessantdoom.com/ipw-w...?t=63
Pretty much all of them. I got bored. I think a couple are wrong, but I haven't changed them...maybe I should do that now.
Pretty much all of them. I got bored. I think a couple are wrong, but I haven't changed them...maybe I should do that now.
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Bronze MFP
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Is the XXX-900 faster than the NRG-500 race bike? if so, cuit lord...
back to GTA3, I liked how the radio stations on there were all made up and had original music, instead of using real tracks. I think i liked the techno station the best, but all the other stations had hilarious commercials on them... same with vice city. San andreas, i didn't find myself laughing much at the radio stuff.
back to GTA3, I liked how the radio stations on there were all made up and had original music, instead of using real tracks. I think i liked the techno station the best, but all the other stations had hilarious commercials on them... same with vice city. San andreas, i didn't find myself laughing much at the radio stuff.
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MinisterofDOOM
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Re: (Bronze MFP)
Yeah, it's faster than the NRG. I think I remember the letters...FCR-900 if I'm right. It's insane. It's one of my favorite police chase vehicles. I nearly kills you if you crash at high speed. I really enjoy the KDST classic rock (Tom Petty's Running Down a Dream!!) and RadioX the best. And yeah...the talk radio isn't near as funny as Chatterbox or VCPR or Kchat. The radio commercials are pretty funny though.
you talking about the 900 cc sport bike that sounds like a V twin and has a burbly idle?cause I was riding one of them and it seemed about as fast as the pcj 600...the lil 400 cc bikes aren't that quick at all. what is the nrg 500 race bike? damn I guess I need to keep playing. So far my favorite set of wheels is the super GT with nitrous... looks like a 300zx front mated to a supra rear and it goes like stink.
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Bronze MFP
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The soundtrack for San Andreas was also a bit of a downer...not up to either of its predecessors, it seemed like they tried to please too many people and wound up not really pleasing anyone.
The Super GT is way too unstable for my tastes...I prefer either the Bullet or the Buffalo.
There's also an NRG-500 down by the import/export pier at Easter Bay, next to the drydock. Hopping on it starts a waypoint challenge.
The Super GT is way too unstable for my tastes...I prefer either the Bullet or the Buffalo.
There's also an NRG-500 down by the import/export pier at Easter Bay, next to the drydock. Hopping on it starts a waypoint challenge.
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nametakennow
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You also unlock bikes in the following order at the bike school in Las Venturas:
All Tests Passed/Bronze - FreewayAll Tests Silver - FCR-900All Tests Gold (100%) - NRG-500
The NRG is actually faster, but I enjoy the FCR for the awesome exhaust note, it's definitely quicker than a PCJ-600 or BF-400.
100% is really frickin hard at the bike school, btw... the last test, a jump to a stoppie is on an NRG and that thing is a bit twitchy.
Oh, you get cars at the car school (in San Fiero) for each level as well... SuperGT for bronze, Bullet for silver, and Hotknife for gold... that's the only place the Hotknife appears... it's an old hotrod thing that's got a good bit of torque... top end is lacking though. Still a fun ride.
All Tests Passed/Bronze - FreewayAll Tests Silver - FCR-900All Tests Gold (100%) - NRG-500
The NRG is actually faster, but I enjoy the FCR for the awesome exhaust note, it's definitely quicker than a PCJ-600 or BF-400.
100% is really frickin hard at the bike school, btw... the last test, a jump to a stoppie is on an NRG and that thing is a bit twitchy.
Oh, you get cars at the car school (in San Fiero) for each level as well... SuperGT for bronze, Bullet for silver, and Hotknife for gold... that's the only place the Hotknife appears... it's an old hotrod thing that's got a good bit of torque... top end is lacking though. Still a fun ride.