Although PC gamers have to deal with all sorts of headaches foreign to console gamers (tech-support, compatibility, outrageous video card costs, etc.), they have historically slept well knowing their platform offered the best that gaming had to offer. At least, they did until Grand Theft Auto 3 hit the PS2 in 2001. Even though the first two GTAs appeared on the PC, neither could hold a candle to GTA 3, one of the most revolutionary titles of all time. Is it any wonder PC gamers seemed so bitter?

Hardly, considering GTA 3 was quickly surpassed by GTA Vice City, which was then one-upped by last year’s San Andreas. But while PS2 gamers again got first crack at this hood rat, it’s now available for both PC and Xbox owners. While the PC version of San Andreas is not necessarily better than the others, it is definitely the best looking and benefits from the keyboard and mouse control scheme.

Set on an island off the West Coast in the 1990′s, San Andreas follows the hard-knock life of Carl “CJ’ Johnson and his travels through Los Santos (L.A.), San Fiero (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas). After moving to Liberty City (see GTA 3) for five years in an attempt to escape the gangster lifestyle, Carl returns home upon learning that his mom has been gunned down by a mysterious assassin. Vowing to avenge his mother’s death and restore glory to his neighborhood gang, the Grove Street Families, Carl and his crew battle rival gangs, drug dealers, cops and mountain militiamen until everyone bad and good is dead, including your mother’s killer.

The PC version is pretty much a direct port of the PS2 game, containing all of the data, missions, features and story of the original. You jack cars, shoot everyone, kick ass and take no names. Bicycles, food, clothing, hairstyles, the gym, turf wars – it’s all here. Rather than re-explain the massive list of features, I implore you to read the original San Andreas review. Seriously, get to it. We don’t have all day to rewrite things.

Back so soon? Then you’re clearly wondering what’s new in the PC version. The answer is a few things, actually. While driving in the GTA games has always been ghetto-fabulous, it’s even better now thanks to the ability to check out your surroundings with the mouse. Couple this with much greater draw distances and resolutions and you’ll spot short-cuts like a pro and dodge oncoming traffic with ease. OG GTAnuts can hook up a gamepad to make it feel more old-school, but frankly, the mouse-keyboard is pretty darn comfy.

Out of your car, you’ll be able to pick off pesky cops, thugs and civilians with greater accuracy than PS2 or Xbox gamers could dream of. Auto-aim has been completely excluded, so taking aim for head-shots is far easier. CJ’s enhanced aim is a double-edged, uh, gun, due to the fact that the enemies aren’t smart or lethal enough to cope with somebody who can regularly shoot them in the head. They don’t ever seem to exhibit much intelligent behavior, and picking them off becomes more of a sadistic pleasure than a challenge. Still, sadistic pleasures are why people play the GTA games in the first place.

As before, the numerous, varied and largely exciting missions make up the bulk of the game, but can still get on a playa’s nerves. Many are long and difficult, and getting back on track once you screw up can take forever, especially if the mission has you traveling out into the boondocks. Although checkpoints wouldn’t do anything for the game’s awesome sense of realism, reloading every five minutes doesn’t do much, either. This hasn’t been fixed in the PC version.

But that’s okay, because the PC version has the best, albeit most difficult to find and use, replay feature of the bunch. With the F1, F2 and F3 keys you can watch, save and load replays of CJ’s greatest hits. By pressing F1, you’ll be treated to a replay of the thirty seconds of game time immediately prior to your pressing F1. After the replay ends, you can press F2 to save it, and then you can press F3 anytime to watch it again. While it’s too bad that you can only store one replay, that’s more than can be said for the PS2 and Xbox versions.

To go with its best replay feature, the PC version also has the best graphics. Though San Andreas’s visuals won’t impress fans of Half-Life 2, the adjustable draw-distance, better textures and overall improved look exceeds the console versions significantly. The hood has never looked so good.

And the sounds are still unrivaled. San Andreas‘ level of audio detail is overwhelming. Tractor motors sputter and stall, guns pop-pop-pop in the distance, and sirens blare to add ambience. The radio stations provide a schizophrenic soundtrack for your adventures in pandemonium, and the fantastic voice-acting makes the PC move without any sort of hiccup.

While PC gamers have every right to be bitter about the fact that one of their favorite franchises left them for the consoles, they should rejoice in its return. Sure, the instant replay feature was left out, but this is a mostly untouchedGrand 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. Clearly, PC gamers aren’t the only ones who should be bitter.

The first thing you will probably notice when playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas…well, maybe the second after the gratuitous usage of expletives, is how the GTA world has blown up in proportion to the previous GTA games. You all probably know that the physical size of the map dwarves the other two GTA console titles, withGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas being about five times as large as all of Vice City. Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas all get representation in the form of sister cities based closely on the geography and general personality of these Western metropoli. Connecting these major cities are vast amounts of concrete and dirt, along with a few small boroughs and other areas that have a slight pulse. The idea with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was to create a large, free-roaming environment that would allow the gamer to experience something other than skyscrapers and pavement. Yes, your street-tough gangster who grew up on the streets will discover what country livin’ is all about. Going hand-in-hand with the more remote parts of the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas map is a new sense of vertical scale. Miami is a sea level area so it’s no surprise that Vice City is played mostly in the horizontal plane. Such is not the case with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which has a mixture of flatland and mountainous regions.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is not only a game of massive proportions because of the sheer size of the map. Weapon counts have grown, with nine being reserved just for melee actions (brass knuckles not included). There are over twenty handguns, rifles, and projectile weapons which can be used blast or blow up your adversary. Weapons are also tied into a skill level which will improve every time you land an accurate shot (hit detection rules apply). Efficient killing will eventually increase CJ’s ability to fire accurately while moving, increase lock-on range and rate of fire, general accuracy, and strafe speed. Weapons skill upgrades will eventually allow CJ to wield double weapons, such as pistols, Tec-9’s, shotty’s, and SMG’s. Sorry- two rocket launchers won’t happen, even in a game as open-ended as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Vehicles have also been included in Rockstar’s idea of GTA: San Andreas being simply a massive game. There are over seventy cars and SUV’s, which doesn’t include box trucks, tri-axles, and, er, hotdog vending vehicles. CJ can pilot go-karts, hovercraft, dune buggies, and even airport baggage cart vehicles. There are both bicycles and motorbikes of different qualities, and a sizable collection of boats. The vehicular fun doesn’t stop there. CJ can pilot various helicopters and planes, take control of heavy equipment such as dump trucks and tractors, and even take the Soul Train. Even military tanks and S.W.A.T. vehicles are fair play in GTA: San Andreas. Vehicles come equipped with a certain Sex Appeal rating which will largely affect CJ’s RPG stats. It makes perfect sense though; guys don’t buy sports cars because they love them but because the ladies dig them them.

Just like the past GTA titles (and what made them so popular) you’ll have the ability to completely work toward completing main missions or just kick around with some mini games or just drive or walk around town looking for trouble. The mini-games may involve (cold) shootin’ some hoops, playing a classic videogame or two, or riding a BMX ramp on your California Freestyle. The mini games are taken one step further in GTA: San Andreas with the addition of “odd jobs” which must be completed for the game to be considered 100% complete. Many of these skills focus on bicycle riding, whether it’s hitting a checkpoint course in Los Santos or racing to the top of Mt. Chiliad on a mountain bike. You might also be asked to win a sparring match at the gym, pump some iron, or show off your kung-fu skills. Of course, I haven’t even mentioned the numerous car racing challenges, the aerial events, gambling, or taxi and trucking missions. Did I mention that GTA: San Andreas is vast? There’s much, much more, but much of it is worth keeping a surprise.

Each and every main mission and side mission of GTA: San Andreas has a much greater effect on your player character than in previous GTA titles. You may have experienced some RPG-like changes inVice City or Grand Theft Auto III, but nothing like in San Andreas. For instance, CJ must eat to keep his energy stores high, but too much food will make him look like Biggie Smalls (R.I.P. homie). Your controller will shake to mimic stomach “grumble” which means that it’s time to get some eats. You can choose from high fat or low fat foods from fictitious places such as “Burger Shot” or “Cluckin’ Bell”, with each affecting CJ’s overall build. Eat healthy, hit the gym, and ride your BMX bike a lot, and CJ will be as hard as nails. The converse is true if you never work out, eater burgers six times a day, and always pimp a ride. CJ’s physique will change his street cred and how other Grove members perceive him. Expect to be chided even by Big Smoke if you let yourself go to hell. Just remember; every action you take, whether choosing a ride, picking out a hairstyle or outfit, or beating up innocents will have a profound effect on CJ’s RPG stats, and therefore, a profound effect on how the rest of the world in GTA: San Andreasemerges. The left trigger can be used at times to view your RPG stats, so you’ll always have at least a clue as to how your actions are affecting the rest of your experience in GTA: San Andreas.

GTA: San Andreas is better across the board than the previous GTA titles. The aforementioned scope of this title makes it easily one of the most ambitious non-RPG (yes, it has RPG elements) titles every made, and easily the most ambitious third-person action/shooter ever devised. Rockstar also added camera control that allows gamers to constantly be in the action via the right analog; you no longer have to worry about popping around the corner and being surprised by a thug or five-oh.

Although the differences between the PS2 version of GTA: San Andreasand prior iterations of the GTA series are noticeable, the difference between the PS2 and Xbox versions of San Andreasis immense. Feature-wise, Xbox’ers get a replay function that GTA fans have been moaning about for years. You’ll be able to record about twenty seconds worth of action; good enough to watch a sweet kill or a death-defying vehicle stunt. Those who have waited for the Xbox version will also be greeted with dynamic weather effects, and 480p widescreen support. Graphically, the game is enhanced through the aforementioned resolution bump and weather effects, more characters per screen, additional objects per map such as trees and distant filler, and an extended draw distance. There’s also a noticeable yellow-ish hue to the entire PS2 game, which is thankfully absent in the Xbox version. The overdone heat wave effect is still there, but everything looks less washed out, at least when the weather is programmed to be sunny and clear. Audio-wise, Xbox’ers will, of course, get to use their own tracks (although this is one of the few games where custom soundtracks aren’t a necessity). And, as an added bonus, GTA: San Andreas will take ripped tracks and create a “pirate” station; adjusting the levels and adding commercials and call-outs just like a standard GTA channel.

We compared the load times between the two games here at the office and there is a definite advantage for the Xbox. Load times aren’t a huge deal inGTA: San Andreas since the whole game is pre-loaded and run seamlessly from city to city, but going into buildings or picking new cars and clothes does bring about disc access. There seems to be at least a five second load time advantage for the Xbox, and, in some instances, it’s even longer than that. Bottom line: GTA: San Andreas is better on the Box in nearly every way, which makes it well worth checking out, even if you are already intimately familiar with the ps2 version.

GTA: San Andreas is a bit overwhelming, but in a very, very good way. You’ll hear many gamers complaining about videogame “value”, saying how their fifty bucks was not warranted due to a title’s length. This will NOT be an issue withGrand Theft Auto San Andreas, since there is seemingly an endless amount of things to do. Even if you stay on the main mission tip, you’re still in for more hours of gameplay than most third-person action titles. If you add in the mini-games, the required side missions and some general pimping, then GTA: San Andreasbecomes an absolutely massive game that has the ability to engulf large chunks of your free time. GTA: San Andreas isn’t just a long game without any substance; in fact, it’s the exact opposite. Rockstar’s ability to mix RPG and action elements in a massive, free-roaming landscape (with no load times) is revolutionary in many ways. The story is also good enough to stand on its own, allowing players to become immersed in 90’s gang activity without any of the actual ramifications of being a gang-banger. The sheer amount of hours that you spend as CJ, coupled with the clever dialogue and on-point motion capture will make you feel for this player character like no other before him. In this respect,GTA: San Andreas is about total gameplay immersion; an intangible that is rare to encounter and hard to categorize. Pick this one up and play it for an evening- you’ll see what’s up. Good luck putting the controller down…

If there’s anything negative to say about the gameplay it would have to do with the Black and White buttons coming into play so much. This is more of a problem with the controller than it is with the layout. You will use so many of the buttons in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that it’s hard to configure a controller S without utilizing some of the more obscure controls. Heck, you’ll even use the back button during gameplay. You’ll quickly learn to use the Black/White buttons effectively and stop with the newbie gripes; it’s all emergent gameplay bliss from there.

In a perfect world, GTA: San Andreaswould be able to retain its amazingly massive scope while at the same time having the graphical quality ofRiddick. Unfortunately, the beautiful Riddick was an eight hour game for a reason. The current Xbox has more strength than the PS2 but it still can’t handle the massive graphical load of an open-ended action title such asGTA: San Andreas (the 360, however, is a different story). Rockstar cleverly uses tiered resolution to keep things looking good close up, while still retaining richness in the background. The detail in the distance is scaled way back, but it doesn’t matter; objects are far enough away that the lack of detail can be considered a part of the “haze” or lack of eye strength – just like the real world. While the Xbox version looks worlds better than the PS2 version, it could still be considered weak graphically if the overall scope is not taken into account. Pop-in is a matter that you’ll have to deal with. Framerate seems pretty darn good, and the lack of load screens from world-to-world is impressive, but the overall attention to detail suffers. It’s immediately apparent that the motion capture is top notch and, even without highly modeled characters, the body language tells worlds about the scene, the character, and the moment. But, it’s still hard to take even a bad ass thug like Ryder seriously when it looks like he’s wearing brown oven mitts. You learn to live with the low polygon counts and to appreciate the motion capture and overall artistic composition of GTA: San Andreas however. The hardware is holding San Andreasback; deal with it or wait until Rockstar’s 360 releases.

Far different from the memory-gobbling graphical side of videogames, the audio track is a pretty simple, low-resource addition that can make or break any game. In the case ofGTA: San Andreas, the audio is a colossal breakthrough that is nearly as impressive as the game’s colossal nature itself. On top of custom soundtracks you have the ability to rip personal tracks that are cleverly edited in with commercials and talk radio banter. The problem is, even Napster abusers may not even have as good of a collection of tracks that come preloaded with GTA: San Andreas. As you probably know, the GTA series splits tracks up into radio stations, so you’ll have a wide array of genres to choose from. GTA: San Andreas has to be the single most ambitious soundtrack in any videogame since it crosses so many musical boundaries to arrive at a complete compilation that represents 90’s radio to a T. You’ll have reggae, funk, soul, rap, and rock tunes at your fingertips, and we’re not talking B sides from hardly known artists. Guns N’ Roses, Ice Cube, The Who, Stone Temple Pilots, and even Willie Nelson drop science on one of the amazing stations on your radio dial in GTA: San Andreas. Once again, Rockstar has done something revolutionary; they have created a soundtrack that can stand on its own. Those who don’t even own a console would be impressed with the tracks included in the San Andreas box set. And the tables have turned – videogames now have the ability to “officially license” items to other mediums, similar to the way movies extend their worth (or try to anyways) on our beloved Xbox.