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This is all taken from the GameSpot PS2 Newsletter I receive.
This was a 6 page write-up, but most of the crap was reiterated a bajillion times, so I sifted through the whole thing and copy/pasted the cool new features that you might not have heard about. This game is going to own hardcore. I can't wait!
The State of San Andreas:
GTA: San Andreas will feature a quantum improvement in terms of its scope, essentially giving players the run of an entire state--not just a single city like in Vice City or GTAIII. The state of San Andreas will feature three main cities, each inspired by real-life locales. The city of Los Santos is based on Los Angeles, San Fierro is derived from San Francisco, and Las Venturas will mirror the glitz of Las Vegas. Each city will feature its fair share of distinct landmarks to ensure that you know its source material. You'll see palm trees, Compton-inspired urban sprawls, and a fair share of seedy locales in Los Santos. San Fierro will have its own Golden Gate-style centerpiece, as well as its fair share of hills. Finally, Las Venturas will undoubtedly have a neon tube or two popping away amid the casinos that will line its streets.
The Story So Far:
While Rockstar intends to keep the bulk of the story under wraps--so as to not ruin the experience for players--what has been revealed certainly feels like a natural evolution for the GTA series. The game has moved up in time from the gaudy '80s to the harsh, early '90s. It will focus on the fertile narrative-and-gameplay ground of West Coast gang life. You'll play as Carl Johnson (aka CJ), a refugee of Los Santos who returns home after having left the twisted city--which is rife with corruption, drugs, and gang violence--to seek a more stable existence in Liberty City.
Carjacking 102:
Any GTA player worth his or her Glock knows how to jack him- or herself a car. The mechanic for "borrowing" someone else's vehicle has been an easy-to-perform staple in all previous games in the GTA series. So, we're terribly sad to report that the days of wine and roses are over, friends. Whereas the previous GTA games pitted you against docile citizens who flatly refused to lock their doors, the times have changed in San Andreas. The locals will be quite a bit more savvy and aggro than the "car donors" you've dealt with before. From the sound of things, there won't be many pushovers in the game when you make moves for their cars this time around. The surly citizenry won't give up their wheels without a fight, which you just know isn't going to end well.
Getting Made and Working Out:
While completing missions and visiting the different locales in a city will all work toward helping you to become the man in GTA: San Andreas, your actions will also help build CJ up via an RPG-like system in the game. For example, shooting guns will gradually increase CJ's weapon skills, thus making him more and more accurate. Along the same lines, having CJ ride his BMX will let him build up stamina so that he'll be able to keep riding for longer durations. At the same time, his riding skill will also increase, which will both make the bike easier to control and reduce the amount of times CJ will fall off of it. While the above character developments will happen naturally over the course of the game, you'll be able to take a more active role in CJ's physical health by going to the gym.
Buffing Up:
We briefly touched on the whole workout system in our food preview last week, but now we've got some more info on the mechanic. Basically, you'll be able to visit one of several gyms spread throughout San Andreas so that you work out to stay in peak physical health. The gyms are all different in terms of equipment and patronage, but each has a variety of workout options to help you burn off unwanted pounds, build stamina and muscle, and learn to fight. You'll be able to ride stationary bikes or use a treadmill to build stamina, and you can perform barbell curls or bench presses to build strength. You can even step into the ring to spar with locals, which builds up your fighting skills. Stamina, as we mentioned, is a key component to success in the game. The more stamina CJ has, the faster he'll be able to run, cycle, and swim. Did we mention that CJ could swim (unlike those past GTA wimps you controlled)? He can also catch his breath, which should help you get through your missions faster.
Fighting Raw:
Building your strength will be a key activity at the gym, because it will increase the power of your punches and kicks. The hand-to-hand combat system in San Andreas should be more complex than that of Vice City. One thing to note about going to the gym in the game to build strength is that the relationship between fat and muscle isn't just inversely proportional. Each represents a separate stat, which allows you to mold CJ in any way that you'd like. Consequently, you can make CJ skinny and lithe, fat and powerful, or somewhere in between.
911 Is Not a Joke in This Town:
If you somehow manage to lose the ground forces, the police will also be very skilled at tracking you with the spotlights on their helicopters. Not only will this make you much easier to spot for those on the ground, but the bright light will obscure your vision, thus making it much harder to take out the helicopter or to aim at the cops on the ground in the direction the light is shining from. The police will also look out for their own safety and will seek out and use cover during gunfights, making firefights all the more challenging. The final kick to the junk comes in the form of motorcycle cops, who will have the ability to fire their guns while in pursuit. GTA: San Andreas will feature a "wanted" level system similar to that of previous games in the series, so the more trouble you make for the cops, the more trouble they'll give you in return.
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