When it comes to guaranteed blockbusters in the game industry, there are only a few titles that immediately come to mind. Halo. Mario. Zelda. Of course, there's one franchise that dwarfs all of its competitors, both in the number of units sold and in the amount of rabid fans it has produced. The Grand Theft Auto series first entered the public consciousness in 2001, when Grand Theft Auto 3 hit the PlayStation 2. The game was unlike anything anyone had seen before, and cultural phenomenon was born. Love it or hate it, there's no denying that Grand Theft Auto made just about everyone sit up and take notice.

Fast forward to October 2004, when gamers were eagerly awaiting the most newest title in the franchise, a little game called Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. As always, the new title made its debut on the PlayStation 2, as Xbox and PC gamers were told that they'd have to wait a while before the game made it onto their chosen platforms. San Andreas was met with nearly unanimous critical acclaim (including GameSpy's award for PS2 Game of the Year), as introduced a bevy of new features to the series, as well as giving gamers a chance to explore a world that was multiple times larger than any that had come before it.


San Andreas tells the story of one Carl Johnson, a former gangbanger who is returning to his old stomping grounds after the mysterious death of his mother. Although he's not eager to get caught back up in the life, he's quickly thrown into danger thanks to the machinations of a few dirty cops. I don't want to give away much of the game's insanely deep, twisting story, but your adventure takes you all over the fictionalized state of San Andreas, from a familiar-looking city by a bay to Rockstar's version of Las Vegas. As you progress, you'll meet dozens of off-the-wall characters, some of which are voiced by some major-league Hollywood talent.

If you're an Xbox owner and a fan of the series, there's a good chance that you read all of the reviews way back in October. Rather than simply rehash everything that the game has to offer, I'd rather use this space go a little deeper into what makes this version different than the PS2 version of the game. To that end, I'll point you toward Miguel's excellent, comprehensive review of San Andreas, as he touches on all of the new features you'll find in the game, including the deep RPG elements, the new modes of transportation, and some of the other gameplay tweaks that make this game the best in the series.