Cole

talking about the cowboys doesn't eh? funny thing....this topic is about them

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!

Cole Killingbeck

Houston, Texas

June 30, 2004 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is getting ready to hit the PS2 like a ton of bricks this fall. Easily one of the most, if not the most, anticipated games to come out this year, San Andreas could very well have sales in the same unbelievable range as the previous two entries in the series. Moving the action from the east coast to the west coast and expanding the action to three cities instead of one, this game is going to be frickin' massive.

To help you make sense of it all, we've decided to compile tons of information about this game into one place. All the big questions about the game are answered with info about several different aspects of the gameplay. Sure, this isn't all of the info available about the game so far, but it covers the bases enough that extra searching will be only for the hardest of the hardcore out there who are going to be on the constant lookout anyway.

So for all you fans of the game who want to know just what the hell is going on with the latest in this insanely popular series, just sit back, relax, and take a deep breath before diving into the information. Special thanks to PSM, Game Informer, and Rockstar.

Q: What is San Andreas' Storyline?

A: The official San Andreas website description is as follows:

"Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas... a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. Where film stars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gangbangers.

Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster.

On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets."

 

Since that initial blurb debuted on the site during the events of E3 2004, Rockstar has remained rather tight-lipped about all other aspects pertaining to the storyline with the exception of the identities of a few characters.

Q: What characters are confirmed so far?

As of right now, there are a good number of characters that have been confirmed for San Andreas. We've listed them below.

Carl "CJ" Johnson

The game's main character, CJ is a gangster with a vengeance. His mom and younger brother were both killed thanks to gangland violence and he ended up in Liberty City for five years before coming back to Los Santos to find out who killed his moms. He's obviously destined to become an important figure in the Orange Grove Families (OGF).

Sweet Johnson

A key leader of the Orange Grove Families and CJ's older brother, Sweet Johnson blamed Carl for the death of their youngest brother five years ago. Though he's pissed at CJ for his own personal reasons, he still obviously has plenty of loyalty too -- as he's one of Carl's main supporters when he returns to the OGF.

Brian Johnson

CJ's ten-year old brother who was killed in a tragic accident five years ago. Poor kid.

Kendl Johnson

Another one of CJ's siblings, Kendl is Carl and Sweet's sister who has been at odds with the elder brother for quite some time.

Ryder

An old friend of CJs from back in the day, Ryder has a temper shorter than Tony Montana and a mean streak like few have ever seen.

Smoke

The most physically imposing member of the Orange Grove Families, Smoke is a key figure in the reunification of the gang and has been a friend to the Johnson family for years.

Frank Tenpenny & Eddie Polaski

A pair of dirty cops that knew CJ from his stay in Juvenile Hall, these two start trouble for Carl the moment he sets foot in Los Santos.

Old Reece

Carl's barber from when he was a kid, Old Reece is where players can go to get their haircuts.

Cesar

A mystery character whose purpose is remaining a mystery, Cesar looks like a total hardcore killer; complete with tattoos and his very own .45.

The Flats and The Ballas

These two gangs are the main rivals for the Orange Grove Families and have since taken over the streets since CJ left five years ago.

Q: What vehicles are in it this time?

Although the vehicle list isn't enormous quite yet, we do know a couple of details about them. Most of them, for example, will get begin to rust and get dirty the longer it is in your possession and bicycles must be driven by tapping the buttons rhythmically to simulate the use of pedals. As of right now, the vehicles listed below are all those that have been confirmed through text or screenshots for San Andreas so far. Though it should be noted that the vehicles here aren't officially licensed, but we've still used real car names to describe what they look like more accurately.

-Bicycle

-Cadillac

-Custom Streetrod

-Cutlass Sierra

-Generic Hatchback

-Generic Sedan

-Gremlin

-Helicopter

-Impala (convertible)

-Old-School Muscle Car

-Old-School Pickup Truck

-Police Motorcycle

-Semi Truck

-Van

Q: How big is the city in comparison to the other games?

There are actually three cities in San Andreas and all of them are interconnected with miles and miles of interconnected freeways, deserts, mountains, rivers, and more. The three cities themselves are based on real life locations like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. In terms of total geography, the land size is somewhere between five and six times bigger than Vice City.

Q: How long is the game and how many missions are there?

In terms of game length, an actual time frame has not been disclosed. But given the size of San Andreas in comparison to previous titles, players can expect it to be just as lengthy (and likely more so) as GTA III and Vice City. The number of story-based and sidequest missions have not been revealed.

Q: How many weapons are there?

There is no set number of weapons confirmed so far, but at least we know that some of them can be wielded in each hand at the same time. Additionally, players will be able to participate in drive-by shootings and utilize improved hand-to-hand mechanics when fighting without a weapon. Anyhow, these are the following guns that will definitely be in the game:

-.45 Cal

-9mm

-Shotgun

-Uzi

Q: What kind of environmental conditions can we expect and what types of missions are there?

From all the sources we've read, it appears that there will not only be more indoor missions, but several additional mini-games as well. By the time the game comes out later this year, players will be able to gamble at casinos, break into houses to rob them, and recruit their own gang to back them up. Other more traditional GTA missions will be included too; which include the typical fetch quest types and assassination missions. Most interesting of all is that fact that the game will even include some first-person shooting segments; quite a change from Vice City.

In terms of the environments, San Andreas features the same dynamic day and night cycles that were seen in both GTA III and Vice City. It also features dynamic weather, but exactly what kind of weather, we do not know. There is smog in Los Santos (Los Angeles). We also expect to witness falling rain, but snow seems a little inappropriate given the three areas that are said to represent Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco, especially considering that individual models are being created for day and night and snow would require even more individual models be created (the "mountains" between them still give us hope).

We unfortunately don't know if weather is bound to locale or if there is any kind of seasonal implementation. For instance, will it ever rain in Los Santos during August? Is there an August?

Q: What new abilities does CJ Have?

Yes ladies and gentleman, a Grand Theft Auto character will finally be able to swim. But CJ can still drown too, so don't go hopping in the ocean thinking that you can turn into Aquaman at the drop of a hat.

Additionally, CJ has improved hand-to-hand combat skills, has the ability to recruit NPCs to follow him in his gang, can wear various new outfits, and can work out at a gym to become stronger. CJ can even improve specific player attributes and skills!

Q: Is there Online or HDD Support?

There is no online multiplayer support. This is official. Hard drive support is officially unannounced, but San Andreas revolves around a clever piece of DVD streaming technology that helps the experience remain load-free, except during transitions between interior and exterior environments. This load-free streaming doesn't require the hard drive, so what would be the point of having one? Still, it would be nice to see support included so that our MP3 tracks might be added to the game.

Q: Is it true that Carl has to eat to survive?

Yup! Every so often Carl must grub to keep himself kicking. Eating too much -- or too much crap -- will make Carl fat. This not only causes NPC characters to react differently to him, but may also cause adverse performance effects, including slower speed, a weaker character, and altered physics (apparently measured by a stamina meter of sorts). To work off the weight, Carl can hit up the gym. Working out too much, however, may actually add too much mass and cause Carl to slow a bit. So, if you ever find yourself crashing into water and panicking, you'd better hope you're in the right shape to escape before your stamina meter runs dry and you drown.

Q: Will characters from other GTA games make appearances?

Apparently so. Few specifics are currently known, but we do know that recognizable and obscure names and faces from Liberty and Vice City could make return appearances in San Andreas. Interestingly, Frank Vincent, the voice actor who portrayed Don Salvatore Leone in GTA III, stated not too long ago on his personal website that he had been commissioned to reprise his role for "the sequel to GTA 3". That statement has since disappeared without a formal retraction.

For the diehard, there will also be plenty of Easter eggs hidden throughout the game that reference those previous GTA titles.

Q: How has the targeting system improved?

Reportedly, it's now more like Man Hunt, which is to say the camera takes a much closer over-the-shoulder view of the action, and by using the right analog stick to aim, should allow for more precise shooting, including vicious headshots. The game apparently also boasts a much more in-depth melee combat system when compared to Vice City or GTA III. This means that there are different attack "stances" and even some rudimentary combinations to be toyed around with. This all leads to more fighting and even carjacking variation.

Q: What are the radio stations and what licensed music is in here?

This hasn't been revealed at all yet, but we do know that San Andreas is intended to be a representation of California as a whole, which we know from experience to be a mixture of various styles, including alternative, hip-hop, rap, metal, and everything in-between. Since the game takes place during the turbulent early 90s, it wouldn't be surprising to hear Guns 'n Roses, Vanilla Ice, NWA, and the Beach Boys. It's definitely not rap specific, anyway.

Interestingly enough, we've received reports that several radio stations in Los Angeles have reported that Nine Inch Nails "Head Like A Hole" will make an appearance in the game, but that report has never been substantiated by a Rockstar spokesperson.

Q: What actors can we expect contributing talent to the game?

Current rumors suggest that Dave Chappelle or Ice Cube may be voicing Carl Johnson, but then we could start a rumor that says it's going to be Mary Kate and Ashley Olson. There's just no way of telling for sure right now. Rockstar is adamant about not selling a game based on recognizable celebrity. Their goal is to find actors who fit the roles, not big names that happen to have an open schedule. Basically, it could be anyone. The only known actor is Frank Vincent, returning as Don Salvatore Leone from GTA III who, as we mentioned earlier, stated on his personal website that he had been commissioned to reprise his role for San Andreas. That statement has since disappeared without formal retraction, but he remains credited on IMDB.com.

Q: When will the game be released?

October 19th, 2004.

Q: Will San Andreas be released on any other platforms?

Though no official word has been given and the game is currently dubbed a "PS2 title," early rumblings (prior to the official announcement of San Andreas, even), mentioned the development of a PC version. Of course, an Xbox port is not completely out of the question. Timeframes on these iterations are entirely unknown. They could come out months or years later. Or, they could never, ever, ever come out. Either way, as it stands right now -- it's PS2 only.

Q: What kind of mini-games can we expect?

There will be on-rails shooting segments where we have to gun people down while literally riding shotgun in a car that someone else is driving. There are also gambling mini-games of unknown type that apparently makeup a fully operational casino.

More cab-missions (pizza deliveries, ambulance driving stuff, vigilante stuff, et cetera) will also be included. Side-missions also now help develop "skills" for use in later plot-critical missions. How playing around in a fully operational casino boosts Carl's skills, we still do not know.

Q: What kind of buildings can we own / buy? What purpose do they serve?

Interiors and the ownership of buildings will play a far more important role in San Andreas than they ever managed to in Vice City. You can even run a casino that you have built and now own. How building works, we can't say. But, running an operation isn't supposed to be a tedious checklist and inventory management debacle. According to the printed word, Rockstar is aiming for a managerial system that revolves around the completion of missions and sub quests.

Since it's gang-based, can we actually have a gang?

During the 90s there were some 15,000 active gang members. Because ganging it up, or whatever the proper term is, was so popular, the game naturally allows players to recruit non-controllable comrades for select missions. The specifics behind this functionality are still unknown, but it is possible to enlist the aid of fellow Orange Grove Family "soldiers" (up to three, we believe) and then undertake entire missions with them at your side.

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That about wraps it up for now, but as you can imagine, there's still plenty of info left to talk about over the coming months. You can bet your bottom dollar that we'll be the number one place to visit for new San Andreas info too, so be sure and check back with us often to find out exactly what's coming next!

IGNPS2 would like to thank Game Informer Magazine, PSM Magazine, GTA Gaming, and GameSpy for their silent contributions in the creation of this article. Industry Love folks. Industry love.

-- Jeremy Dunham, Ivan Sulic, Ed Lewis

Credit IGN

QUESTION: Where is WrestleMania XX? Are they still making it?

ANSWER: WrestleMania XX (ie. The next WWE game for Nintendo Gamecube) has been renamed “WWE: Day of Reckoning”. THQ made this decision simply because the games rarely have any relationship with the event itself, so there is no real point to having the name “WrestleMania”. Day of Reckoning is still the next WWE game for Gamecube, it has merely been retitled. That’s it.

QUESTION: Will there be a Story Mode this time or do we have to put up with that damn Revenge Mode again?

ANSWER: Have no fear, Revenge mode is dead. THQ listened to the feedback (or rather, the complaints) of their audience and have completely scrapped the idea of the story mode taking place outside of the ring. In fact, they’ve done a complete 180. In WWE: Day of Reckoning, gamers will be faced with the most realistic storyline to date. Not only will gamers have to put together a successful career based on their wins and losses in the ring, they’ll have to start at square one just like any professional wrestler. You will take your character from “small time” events in which you will face original, non-WWE characters until you’ve put together a reputation and garnered the attention of WWE. At that time, you will be brought into the “big time” of World Wrestling Entertainment. From there, you will work your way up from Velocity or Heat to the main weekly shows Raw and SD before finally getting a spot on Pay-Per-Views and eventually getting your chance at the WWE Championship.

The Story Mode has been said to last roughly a year and a half and will take around 50 victories to beat. Also, your character will indeed switch from Raw to Smackdown (or vice versa) at approximately the half-way point of the season mode.

QUESTION: I’ve heard that you can’t use WWE superstars in the Story Mode. Is this true? If so, to quote the Hurricane, “Wassupwitdat?”

ANSWER: Yes, this is true. In season mode, you will take control of a CAW (Create-a-Wrestler). You will literally build not only your superstar’s career, but your superstar him/herself, from scratch. If you can’t figure out why, it’s quite simple. Why would Triple H have to work his way up from small-time events? The storyline you will be faced with has been designed specifically so that the gamer can build an entirely new career and take their wrestler to superstardom. As you can imagine, THQ has also promised to “overhaul” the whole CAW system.

This also prevents you from choosing the superstars with very high stat points and just annihilating lesser superstars. It might actually force you to actually play the game with a bit of effort.

QUESTION: Is (enter any superstar’s name here) in WWE: Day of Reckoning?

ANSWER: So far, the following ten superstars have been made for Day of Reckoning and shown to the public: Triple H, Chris Benoit, Kane, Booker T, Christian, Batista, Randy Orton, John Cena, Stacy Keibler and Trish Stratus.

THQ has confirmed a total of at least 40 wrestlers in the game, so that leaves another 30 still to be named. THQ has also said that it would include a number of Legends. The main reason for this is a disk-space issue. The titantron videos, entrance music and so forth take up a lot of space, so to compensate THQ will be including legends (who naturally, do not have any space-consuming entrance videos). There have been a number of rumours as to who this will include, with Andre the Giant looking to be certain. Other names such as Ted Dibiase and Jimmy Snuka have also been mentioned. Other than that, we can look forward to “new” legends not featured in a Smackdown game, as THQ will want to give each system something unique.

As it relates to the remaining 30+ current WWE superstars, there is no need to worry about people such as the Undertaker. It can be assumed that anyone who is a regular fixture on Raw or Smackdown will be in the game, especially someone with as much name value as Taker.

QUESTION: Will Steve Austin, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar be in the game?

ANSWER: To give you a nice, short answer: No. None of these guys are affiliated with World Wrestling Entertainment at the present time, and thus, will not be in Day of Reckoning or any upcoming WWE game. So if you can’t live without Goldberg, despite him being one of the most useless wrestlers in history, you’ll just have to get over it.

QUESTION: WrestleMania XIX didn’t have that many arenas, will Day of Reckoning have more?

ANSWER: Yes, many more. THQ has stated that every TV arena (Raw, Smackdown, Heat and Velocity) will be included, as well as all the PPV arenas (everything from the Royal Rumble to Armageddon). There will also be “a gym”, although it hasn’t been revealed exactly what this is for. Perhaps it will be the setting for your matches with fabricated character before getting to WWE in the story mode, or it could be for some other use, such as Tutorial mode.

QUESTION: Will there be more than four wrestlers on the screen at one time? Will we see a 6-man tag or 6-way match?

ANSWER: While an interview with a THQ developer said that this would indeed be an option, it hasn’t been mentioned since. This has led most fans to believe that it was an unintentional slip of the tongue and that the game will feature four wrestlers on the screen, and a referee. Perhaps more info on this subject will be unveiled in the near future.

QUESTION: What stipulation matches are available?

ANSWER: So far, outside of the usual 1-on-1 and handicap matches (and so forth), THQ has confirmed an Iron Man, First Blood, Hell in a Cell, Steel Cage, TLC and the new Bra and Panties match. It has also been said that there will be two additional match types announced at a later date.

QUESTION: Can you focus on the referee and deliberately attack him?

ANSWER: Yes. Recent videos has shown this, and this time the referee stays down for a considerable amount of time after being attacked.

QUESTION: What’s this “Tug-of-War” system I’ve been hearing about?

ANSWER: When you are either applying or taking a submission move, a see-saw-like bar (the submission meter) will appear. At this point, players will tap the A button as fast as possible, bringing the marker to either cause a submission or break. Moves are no longer controlled by the game, the players button-pressing will determine how successful a hold is. As an added bonus, new animations show wrestlers physically grabbing the bottom rope to cause a break, rather than it being done automatically when the wrestler is in the right position. Also, Smackdown’s character model method of showing location-specific damage has been brought over to Day of Reckoning. That’s right, we’re stealing all the good stuff and leaving them with their gameplay!

QUESTION: Will there be entrance attire?

ANSWER: Yes. Wrestlers will have entrance attire and cut-scene attire where applicable.

QUESTION: Will wrestlers wear title belts to the ring?

ANSWER: Yes, wrestlers will finally wear their titles and be able to show off their hard fought for hardware. Logic would also say that they will then be able to defend them ala No Mercy, although THQ might choose to keep the titles as rewards at the end of Season Mode, not something that can be traded between character in one quick exhibition match.

QUESTION: Will there be interference, like there was in No Mercy.

ANSWER: Once again, yes.

QUESTION: Any other general developments on the presentation or models?

ANSWER: Day of Reckoning is said to have a much more “cinematic” feel, with much more effort going into having perfect entrances and dramatic new camera angles during the matches. Also, there is a new presentation to many moves, such as a brief slow-motion effect for finishers, a 1-2 second “photographic negative” effect to accompany a change in momentum and many more.

QUESTION: Will (any wrestler) have his correct move this time?

ANSWER: Yes. In cases such as John Cena and his FU finisher, THQ had minimal time to animate it before WMXIX, so they quickly included moves they already had animated. This time around, all the moves will be fully animated and unique. To be specific, at least FIFTY new or reanimated moves will be included in Day of Reckoning.

QUESTION: Can women bleed in Day of Reckoning?

ANSWER: No, graphic violence towards to female superstars is still impossible, likely to appease censors in countries like those in the UK that have been known to edit man-on-woman violence from WWE programming. Odds are that they wouldn’t appreciate it in a game, so THQ is simply avoiding the whole subject.

QUESTION: Will the wrestlers have their real entrance music? I’m sick of listening to a bad rip-off of Matt Hardy’s theme!

ANSWER: THQ has promised to included ALL the authentic entrance songs into the game. Recent videos have shown that Booker T now has his real music, however Kane’s is currently using his original theme. This is most likely just a temporary thing, as the game is less than 50% complete and THQ may have a few legal battles or contract negotiations to get through to get a few of the songs in the game (specifically those performed by recording artists, such as Kane’s theme being done by Finger Eleven or Hardy’s by Monster Magnet). This is merely contractual and an issue about royalties. THQ has promised to work through it, so the videos at the moment include some dated entrance videos or songs simply because either a) THQ doesn’t have the rights to use the song yet or they are yet to load the video onto the game. Keep in mind that it is still in production, the majority of these things will be accurate by the release date.