Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ["AO" Version] [PS2]

Set in a 1990s West Coast gangster's paradise, the latest episode in the violent, morally bankrupt Grand Theft Auto saga is here. Faced with the task of improving on two of the shiniest jewels in the PlayStation 2's lineup, developer Rockstar has done the seemingly impossible. There's so much crammed into San Andreas it's a wonder they can fit it all in the box. It's going to take some beating.

Unlike Vice City's somewhat flat and faceless setting, San Andreas' three cities all have strong identities. Each one -- the LA-like Los Santos, the neon gambler's delight of Las Venturas, and the Frisco-clone San Fierro -- is huge, not far off the size of the cities in previous GTA games. The countryside between them is also included, together with hick towns and a full complement of missions. Even in a strictly geographical sense, this game is vast.

Somehow, Rockstar has managed to add more detail to Vice City's engine, remove the intrusive jagged edges that plagued the previous games, and improve the framerate -- all at the same time. Sometimes distant objects can pop into view without warning, and the rain effect looks more like Manhunt's fuzzy video-camera filter, but other than that, San Andreas is stunning.

Perhaps the game's strongest feature is its lead character, CJ. Rockstar's stars have evolved from GTA3's voiceless thug, through Vice City's Scarface-like Vercetti, to a fully fleshed-out, deep, and interesting protagonist. Voiced by the outstanding Young Maylay (who, on this evidence, is destined for great things), he overcomes the difficult task of making a hardened, unscrupulous criminal substantive and, yes, loveable.

His supporting cast tend to be more one-dimensional, but they're just as well acted. Samuel L. Jackson's bad-cop routine is delightful, Chris Rock's sexually ambiguous failing rapper is hilarious -- there's never been a game as star-studded or convincingly characterized as this one (except, possibly, for Vice City). There are still no kids around, but just a moment or two's thought should make you realize why that is.

Now that society has somehow weathered the release of two GTA games without descending into anarchy, San Andreas doesn't seem so eager to shock. The dialogue is realistically profane, but it's apt and unforced. Drugs, both hard and soft, are everywhere. Gratuitousness is a charge that could be leveled at the preceding games -- and at some aspects of San Andreas -- but the language, drugs, and violence are necessary.

Working your way through the plot for yourself is one of the most enjoyable things about this game, so we'll spare you too many details. Suffice it to say that the game starts with CJ returning to his childhood home following the murder of his "Moms", and rejoining his local gang. Although the main plot threads are linear, you'll nearly always have three or more missions to choose from at any time, and there are hundreds in total. Get bored, and you can take your girlfriend on a date, start a turf war with a rival gang, burgle houses, or any number of other possibilities.

San Andreas mimics countless other game styles, including Dance Dance Revolution-like rhythm mini-games, car races, Japanese dating sims, basketball, occasional (and brilliant) on-rails shooter moments, car modding, stealth burglary missions, two-player cooperative destruction rampages -- and that's just a few examples. That Rockstar was able to cram so much more into their game defies belief.

Controls are largely unchanged, although CJ does have his share of new moves. He can scale walls and fences, there's a new manual aiming mode for most weapons, and he (unlike earlier protagonists) can swim, at last. The lock-on system for fighting has been tightened up, but there's still the occasional moment when CJ ends up facing the wrong way, being shot in the back. Not very "gangster".

Like Vice City, San Andreas owes much of its atmosphere to its epoch-defining soundtrack. 2 Pac, Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Slick Rick and Eric B, and Rakim, among many others, provide the game's rap and hip-hop tunes -- but if you're not a rap fan, there's plenty of 90s soul, house, rock, and country to keep your foot tapping. Even the commercials and DJs continue the series' fine tradition of satirical, irreverent wit -- the soundtrack is impossible to fault.

How can Rockstar follow this? San Andreas is a masterpiece; the outstanding gameplay from the first two games has been extended, tweaked and applied to a fresh, original and fascinating setting. There's more than enough meat to keep you going for months, and the sheer variety of gameplay is bewildering. Whether you're an OG, a buster, or a balla, San Andreas is an essential purchase.