Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

What is there to be said about San Andreas that hasn't been said before. For me I had played (likely rented) GTA III and had my mind blown. The freedom, the humor, the ability to do fucked up stuff all struck me as amazing as a teenager. Then I somehow convinced my mom to let me get Vice City and I spent even more time on that game. But while I loved the story I didn't connect that much to the 80s vibes.

Enter San Andreas. It was so uber hyped. I even bought the Prima guide (wonder if I still have that...). I immediately loved the subject matter and vibe of 90s LA. I already loved hip hop and violence and having a badass but relatable black dude to be able to play as like CJ was the cherry on top.

I actually loved the story of Vice City and this one was no different. Though seemingly more epic. The way it starts off very small--just a couple dudes on Grove Street--and turns into a crazy conspiracy involving the whole city and betrayal was really fantastic. Helps that the main villain was voiced by Samuel L Jackson. I was immediately like "Wait is that fucking Samuel L Jackson? Fuck this game is amazing."

Of course it's a game I poured hundreds of hours into. It was the little things I loved though. The little RPG mechanics. I loved taking CJ to the gym and min-maxing those minigames so that he became this giant swoll muscle monster. Maxing out sprinting and the bicycle skill. The bicycle was maybe the best vehicle in the game. You maxed out the skill and you could jump like 10 feet up and ride as fast as most cars. Then I would take that thing to the tallest mountain, race up a straight incline due to my maxed stats, and then ride off the ramp at the top and fly thousands of feet through the air.

What a game.