Why GTA San Andreas Tops GTA 5 in These 5 Aspects

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) San Andreas is one of the most popular installments in the GTA series. Fans have always compared it with the latest game in the series, GTA 5. Despite the almost nine-year gap between the two games, there are still a few elements missing in GTA 5 that were present in San Andreas. These missing features have been a topic of debate among the gaming community, as fans reminisce about the aspects in which San Andreas excelled compared to its successor.

In this article, we will highlight five aspects, including gameplay mechanics and story elements, in which San Andreas outshined GTA 5.

1) Character Customization

One of the fascinating features in GTA San Andreas was the ability to change the appearance of the protagonist, CJ. Players could start with a normal physique and then transform CJ into a muscular character by working out at the gym or make him gain weight by consuming unhealthy food. This feature added an incredible level of immersion as CJ’s physical condition could affect his performance in certain missions, such as pursuits. Unfortunately, GTA 5 lacks this character customization feature, which greatly disappointed fans, as it would have provided them with more freedom in shaping their character and introduced elements of role-playing.

2) Melee Combat

While GTA primarily focuses on firearms and explosives, it also allows players to engage in melee combat. The older installment, San Andreas, had an exceptional melee combat system, where players could learn different fighting styles and execute combos to defeat opponents. On the other hand, in GTA 5, although there are three protagonists, melee combat is fairly generic for all three of them and does not add any significant depth to the gameplay.

3) Diverse Side Missions

GTA San Andreas was also more unique than GTA 5 in terms of diverse side missions. Players could take on roles such as a firefighter or paramedic, helping the residents and earning extra money in the process. The varying difficulty levels of these side missions made them even more interesting. Unfortunately, GTA 5 lacks such diverse side missions, making the game feel relatively dull after completing the main story. Rockstar Games even canceled eight single-player campaign DLCs that were found in leaked source code files. Fans were outraged by this as they felt deprived of a significant part of the gaming experience.

4) Varied Map Design

GTA San Andreas received much praise for its diverse map, featuring three distinct cities, each with its own climate and atmosphere: Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas. Additionally, the map included forested and desert areas, which kept the gameplay intriguing and fresh. In contrast, GTA 5 only has one expansive city, Los Santos, along with a relatively barren rural area. There aren’t many missions or side tasks that attract players to explore these areas, resulting in a relatively bland and uninteresting overall map design for most players.

5) Overall Story and Characters

The GTA community generally considers the story of San Andreas to be superior to that of GTA 5. The main reason behind this is that the main storyline in the latter game is divided among three protagonists. While this is acceptable, it takes away some of the immersion in gameplay. On the other hand, San Andreas had only one main protagonist, CJ, and the story revolved around him and his character development. The supporting characters in the game were more memorable, and the antagonist was truly despicable. Therefore, witnessing her demise was incredibly satisfying. This is one of the reasons why GTA San Andreas is regarded as one of the best games of all time.

Despite these aspects, GTA 5 is still a good game, revolutionary in its own style.

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The source of the article is from the blog dk1250.com