GTA San Andreas Remastered: 5 things we want to see

A remastered trilogy of Grand Theft Auto video games seems to be coming to current-gen consoles, with Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas all set to be included.

While rumors have been circulating for some time now, Kotaku appears to have gotten affirmation from some inside sources that these remastered classics shall be touchdown on PS5, Xbox Series X and even Nintendo Switch, with a mixture of “new and old graphics” that retains the texture of the unique titles whereas doubtless making them a bit simpler on the eyes for contemporary audiences.

It’s San Andreas, although, that appears to be attracting essentially the most consideration – which isn’t a shock. It was critically acclaimed on launch, and is often referred to as among the finest video games of all time – even when the violence, gangster tropes, and sexual cutscenes provide loads of fodder for the series’ detractors.

Its liberating open world managed to do with out loading screens (interiors apart), giving a way of scale and freedom to its crime-ridden metropolis nicely earlier than Breath of the Wild landed on the scene. It was additionally the primary GTA sport to introduce the sunshine RPG options which are so regular within the series at present, permitting you to customise your character’s look and prepare them in particular abilities.

With GTA San Andreas remastered doubtless on the best way, then, we requested ourselves what we actually needed to see from the up to date traditional – given we don’t understand how lengthy it’ll be till GTA 6 – and the way Rockstar might actually enhance on a sport that’s already a near-perfect realization of the GTA components.

1. Checkpoints

(*5*) (Image credit score: Rockstar Games)

What's aged the worst in regards to the PS2 GTA video games is their unpredictable problem settings. Some missions are a lot tougher than others – and the series is notoriously stingy on checkpoints, as a substitute letting you die and take a cab again to the mission location to begin once more in Vice City and San Andreas. Some elective checkpoints that simply rapidly restart the mission and provides CJ the identical stock, could be most welcome on this sport.

2. An elective problem slider

Purists hate including problem settings to outdated video games, however San Andreas might actually use them. It'd be good to management in-game parameters like how lethal the NPCs are, or how a lot well being CJ has, or how beneficiant ammo pick-ups are in-game. This appears unlikely if Rockstar is just going to protect what made the PS2 video games what they had been – nevertheless it may assist mitigate the components of the sport which have dated poorly, just like the frantic, messy capturing controls. They had been effective for 2004, however in a post-cover shooter period they're going to be arduous work except you are able to do one thing to make the sport slightly simpler.

3. The unique music

GTA's music rights restrictions are the bane of those older video games – therefore how Vice City's present digital re-releases do not function Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean', a basic a part of how that sport begins. San Andreas was dinged by lacking music in later releases, too, with the likes of Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing within the Name of' and NWA's 'Express Yourself' faraway from the sport. No re-release could be full with out all these songs coming again.

4. More responsive controls

If there’s one legitimate criticism that may be leveled at Rockstar’s titles on the whole, it’s that its video games have a tendency to function heavy, generally unresponsive controls. GTA 5 and Read Dead Redemption 2 are each responsible of creating your character really feel such as you’re dealing with an immovable object at occasions, so it will be nice if GTA San Andreas Remastered corrected this long-running grievance. It’s doable to make a personality’s motion really feel real looking with no useless quantity of enter lag, so if Rockstar can repair this, the sport shall be much more enjoyable to play consequently.

5. Returning cheat codes

The San Andreas expertise wouldn’t be full with no return of the sport’s many cheat codes, letting hardened followers reuse their favourite shortcuts for well being, money, or early entry to weapons. Here’s a tip, although – whereas ‘STICKLIKEGLUE’ will largely take the wheel when you’re driving, the sport’s in all probability a bit extra enjoyable for those who let your self crash into the odd factor.