This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Chuck Landry.

There really isn’t much I can say about GTA San Andreas that you shouldn’t already know.  It’s the one - the game that started it all.  The game that has been cloned so many times unsuccessfully by other developers hoping to recreate its sandbox, do-anything, go-anywhere style.  It’s the game politicians hate, players love, and of course, the home of the infamous “hot-coffee” mod.  The Grand Theft Auto series is, very truly, a cultural icon of our generation.

Let’s not waste anybody’s time here.  If you’re looking for details about the 4,391 different things you can do in San Andreas, go read Aaron’s review of the PS2 version, or maybe John’s review of the Xbox version, or one of the over 13 million (no kidding) pages that Google returns in a “GTA San Andreas review” search query – because I’m not going to tell you what you should already know.  I’m here to tell you whether or not buying the PC version of GTA: San Andreas is a smart move for those of you who have other options in the form of said consoles.

The biggest thing the PC version of GTA: SA has over both the PS2 and Xbox version is the capability for better graphics.  You can turn the resolution way up, making all of the textures sharper than on the consoles.  You’ll also find a sliding bar in the settings that can control draw distance to lessen those annoying draw-ins the series is kind of known for.  With a 3200+ Athlon, Nvidia 6800 and 1.5 GB of RAM, the game can run pretty smoothly with all of the options turned up, and it certainly is a step up from the original PS2 release.  The game really only stutters when you first get into a new vehicle and that only lasts a few seconds.

Not far behind the graphics on the list of improvements for the PC version are load times.  Assuming your machine is up to the task, load times are definitely fastest on a computer – and noticeably so.  Somehow that makes the annoying need to run into the gym for a quick workout slightly less frustrating.

Of course, combat controls (given the fact that only the PC has a keyboard and mouse standard) are infinitesimally better on a PC rig.  All of the auto-targeting in the world can’t match the precision a mouse gives you when you’re shooting on the run.

This leaves us with the sound.  While San Andreas does support the newest EAX effects, I can’t honestly say that the sound effects themselves sound much different than they do with a nice speaker setup in your average living room.  It is worth noting, however, that like the Xbox version, the PC game does include custom soundtrack support so you can create your own in-game radio station with your mp3 files.

Technically speaking, San Andreas is superior on the PC version in almost every way.  The only major gripe I have on the PC is that, even though shooting is hands down a better experience with a mouse, the driving controls (read: the fun part of GTA games) feels much better with a controller in your hands.  True, you can have a joystick hooked up to your PC, but assuming you do would be like assuming everyone who plays Gran Turismo has an optional PS2 steering wheel – it would be nice, but not everybody does.

How important is that gripe?  I’d say it’s of pretty moderate importance.  The best part of GTA games is causing havoc in a vehicle, doing stunts, causing wrecks, and outrunning the law, only getting out of the vehicles to run and hijack another one.

It’s not like you won’t get used to driving on the keyboard, though, so I can’t say I’d rather play the console versions.  Once you get the graphics and load times on the PC (which still aren’t outstanding in today’s standards but are much better than the consoles) it’s tough to swallow the alternative.  The port of San Andreas to the PC may have been uninspired and straightforward, but since it was such a great game to being with, it’s hard to fault Rockstar for that.  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.

Once you get used to driving with WASD, everything is excellent.

Compared to everything else, they suck. Compared to the other versions, they’re great.

I’d have given Vice City a 10 for its soundtrack alone. The 90’s weren’t bad either though.

I don’t know how anyone gets bored with these games.

Even once you’ve done everything, causing general havoc is great fun.