IGN REVIEW Closing Comments

I've spent the last six pages making my case for why Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is best game I've played on the PS2 thus far, and I still haven't even begun to touch on how much it really has to offer. I've spent almost every waking moment of last week doing nothing else but playing this massive beast and have put well over 60+ hours into it. And yet despite that fact, I'm only barely hovering over the 50% finished mark (which is all you really need to complete the story), and I still have a ways to go. Hidden horseshoes, graffiti tags, special photographs, and a myriad of other hidden items still elude my grasp (nearly 300 of them), while a huge assortment of things I can't even tell you about make me wish that I wasn't so protective about spoilers -- there's some seriously cool secret stuff in here.

But that's why San Andreas is so awesome: it's a world that can offer different people different things. If a solid storyline and some incredibly tough missions are all that you're looking for, then you can have them. If you'd rather spend your time doing nothing but exploring the city and finding new ways to make money, destroy property, and dress like a pimp, then you can do that too. Live the life you want to live, do the things you want to do; it's entirely up to you. But however you choose to do it, do it now. Drop everything and do it right now. This is the best PlayStation 2 game ever made. Period.

Rating	Description
out of 10
10	Presentation If you remember what it was like in the 1990s and have lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Las Vegas, then you'll be able to immediately appreciate how accurate San Andreas truly is.
8.5	Graphics The framerate, pop-in, collision and streaming issues that plagued the earlier games are back once again, but at a far less frequent rate. The rest of the game is absolutely beautiful, though.
9.5	Sound GTA sports a powerful 90s-era fully licensed soundtrack and a broad range of sound effects. Plus, there's great digital encoding and terrific vocal talents (Samuel Jackson!). It's all you need.
10	Gameplay The often-chastised targeting system has been improved, the vehicle physics have been reworked, and the mechanics feel terrific. There's a wide array of gameplay styles too and its hard as hell.
10	Lasting Appeal To complete storyline-related challenges, it'll still take you anywhere from 40-60 hours… and that's only half the game. It's five times larger than Vice City and has more sidequests than most RPGs.
9.9 Incredible	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)