Before we had a chance to explore modern Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V, it was Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that brought the sunny city into our lives. Originally released for the PlayStation 2 back in 2004, the 90’s set epic will now be coming to iOS and Android platforms this December.
Developed, of course, by Rockstar Games, San Andreas places gamers into the shoes of Carl “CJ” Johnson as he comes back to the West Coast in the wake of his mother’s death. There he reunites with the members of the Grove Street Families, his old gang, but soon falls back into a feud with the corrupt Officer Tenpenny. CJ is forced to not only deal with the police, but other gangs as well in what I consider to be one of Rockstar’s finest stories.
While I find that just getting Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas onto a mobile platform is impressive enough, Rockstar is also providing newly remastered graphics for the title that will enhance the character models and provide a richer color palette. The title will also feature both touch controls and full controller support, as well as a new checkpoint system that will hopefully help curb the frustration provided by a few of the missions included.
Every time a story like this comes up, I say the same thing: I’m constantly impressed by what developers are fitting onto mobile platforms these days. When San Andreas originally came out, it was arguably the most impressive title to be released on the PlayStation 2 and now almost 10 years later, we will get to play it on the go. Besides making me feel old, I’m pretty excited to play through the title again as I haven’t touched the game since it was released to the Xbox Live Arcade back in 2008.
While Rockstar has yet to reveal an official date for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, we will let you know when they do. Anyone excited to explore Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas once again? Let us know in the comment section below.