GTA San Andreas: CJ makes his law!
The biggest Grand Theft Auto game yet is almost upon us, and like always, the amount of information that Rockstar lets out the gate is barely enough to get our minds reeling, let alone whet our appetites. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas promises to be the most ambitious and expansive entry yet into the pivotal series, and given what's come before, that's saying a lot. Recently, Rockstar gave us a glimpse of one of the game's three major metropolitan areas -- San Fierro, its take on San Francisco, California. Judging from the brief demo, it's simply huge, and it's hard to believe that it's infact one of three major geographical areas in the game. But that's the truth.
California Dreamin'
Rather than present literal representations of the cities that its games are based on, the Grand Theft Auto renders them in broader strokes. Names are changed, sometimes drastically, and while major landmarks are represented and immediately recognizable, more liberties are taken in regards to actual cityscapes. Neighborhoods will blend into one another, and the geography is generally condensed. But as any native of a city whose received the GTA-treatment will testify to, the distinct character of the various hoods that are recreated always emerge intact.
San Fierro is no different. In terms of essential San Francisco landmarks, most made the cut: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and the Transamerica Building. There will be working streetcar networks, whose individual lines CJ can jack, and use as instruments of mayhem. The winding streets of Chinatown look every bit as dense and bustling as their real-life counterparts, and the Haight district (called "Hashbury," in San Andreas is populated with just as many "tobacco" shops as it is in the non-virtual world. Of course, it's what's in these worlds that ultimately determines their value, but you can't downplay how amusing it is to drive through these altogether loose takes on real-life cities, and almost feel a familiar vibe.
Smash Your Brain with Your Nosebone
That said, the all-too-brief demo that I was treated to made evident that there will indeed be a whole bunch of stuff to do within the idyllic (relatively speaking, anyway) confines of San Fierro. Some of San Andreas' most intriguing new elements are actually accessed by geographical sites in the city.
You earn the right to stand around looking this tough after taking 1,001 beatings.
Take the Cobra Martial Arts Dojo. Located in San Fierro's Chinatown, this is where CJ will hone his scrapping skills, and the process is far more involved that you might imagine. The resident sensei (who's voice seems like it pulled straight from chop-socky Hong Kong cinema, but that's a whole other story) will drill CJ on the art of the beatdown. This entails going round after round with him, as he teaches the budding warrior-thug new moves and combos that will eventually compliment (and sometimes supplant) the rough and dirty street-style that his upbringing taught him. Among the moves I saw shown during the demo were running front kicks, vicious heel drops, and powerful roundhouses.
Ultimately, it will work like this: the moves CJ learns at the dojo will incorporate themselves into his standard hand-to-hand moveset. As he learns more moves, better ones will replace inferior ones in his repertoire. Presumably, the fully-developed CJ will boast a wicked style the blends the brutality of streetfighting (think all other GTA games) with delicate, and deadly martial arts. CJ will benefit from training in this manner in much the same way as he would from working out in a regular gym, so those of you prone to putting down multiple pizza pies, take note. Oh, and there's also an autolock built into the fisticuffs system, so If you're were one of those people that thought that hand-to-hand combat in previous GTAs was a little bit janky (read: everyone), then feel free to rejoice.
California Dreamin'
Rather than present literal representations of the cities that its games are based on, the Grand Theft Auto renders them in broader strokes. Names are changed, sometimes drastically, and while major landmarks are represented and immediately recognizable, more liberties are taken in regards to actual cityscapes. Neighborhoods will blend into one another, and the geography is generally condensed. But as any native of a city whose received the GTA-treatment will testify to, the distinct character of the various hoods that are recreated always emerge intact.
San Fierro is no different. In terms of essential San Francisco landmarks, most made the cut: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and the Transamerica Building. There will be working streetcar networks, whose individual lines CJ can jack, and use as instruments of mayhem. The winding streets of Chinatown look every bit as dense and bustling as their real-life counterparts, and the Haight district (called "Hashbury," in San Andreas is populated with just as many "tobacco" shops as it is in the non-virtual world. Of course, it's what's in these worlds that ultimately determines their value, but you can't downplay how amusing it is to drive through these altogether loose takes on real-life cities, and almost feel a familiar vibe.
Smash Your Brain with Your Nosebone
That said, the all-too-brief demo that I was treated to made evident that there will indeed be a whole bunch of stuff to do within the idyllic (relatively speaking, anyway) confines of San Fierro. Some of San Andreas' most intriguing new elements are actually accessed by geographical sites in the city.
You earn the right to stand around looking this tough after taking 1,001 beatings.
Take the Cobra Martial Arts Dojo. Located in San Fierro's Chinatown, this is where CJ will hone his scrapping skills, and the process is far more involved that you might imagine. The resident sensei (who's voice seems like it pulled straight from chop-socky Hong Kong cinema, but that's a whole other story) will drill CJ on the art of the beatdown. This entails going round after round with him, as he teaches the budding warrior-thug new moves and combos that will eventually compliment (and sometimes supplant) the rough and dirty street-style that his upbringing taught him. Among the moves I saw shown during the demo were running front kicks, vicious heel drops, and powerful roundhouses.
Ultimately, it will work like this: the moves CJ learns at the dojo will incorporate themselves into his standard hand-to-hand moveset. As he learns more moves, better ones will replace inferior ones in his repertoire. Presumably, the fully-developed CJ will boast a wicked style the blends the brutality of streetfighting (think all other GTA games) with delicate, and deadly martial arts. CJ will benefit from training in this manner in much the same way as he would from working out in a regular gym, so those of you prone to putting down multiple pizza pies, take note. Oh, and there's also an autolock built into the fisticuffs system, so If you're were one of those people that thought that hand-to-hand combat in previous GTAs was a little bit janky (read: everyone), then feel free to rejoice.
Philippe La PlastiQue - 19. Nov, 11:42
