Grand Theft Auto San Andreaswas released in 2004, and for some, it’s the greatest game in the history of the franchise. It was a remarkably progressive game at the time, introducing features that literally screamed next-generation technology, and in many ways, it still holds up to the test of time today.
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Since the franchise moved on, countless changes have been made to the base mechanics and features of the games. As we look back now, there were so many features that were present inGTA San Andreasthat were sadly stripped clean from the series. While some of these features were nothing more than zany add-ons to the open-world adventure, some of them were core mechanics that have now been missing fromGrand Theft Autofor almost two decades.
8Eating To Maintain Weight
In the opening missions inGrand Theft Auto San Andreas, the player is taught that eating (or not eating) will impact their weight, among other things. It was a relatively unique feature at the time, and to service the mechanics, players were introduced to a range of fast-food franchises. At times, the need to eat was little more than a chore, but the fact that itimpacted the protagonist’sweight was a spectacle to behold. If the player ate too much, then Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson would quickly pack on the pounds and be unable to jog more than a few paces.
On the other hand, if a player didn’t eat enough, they’d shed weight and have little to no stamina, almost no strength, and their health would slowly drop off. That’s mostly how eating felt like a chore at times, but fortunately, the drop-off happened relatively slowly.
7Gang Warfare Mechanics
Toward the end of the ‘first chapter’ inSan Andreas, players gained the ability to seize control of vast swathes of territory. This turf was acquired by way of kicking off a gang war, fighting waves of enemies, and ultimately, securing the space. This could have been a single block or an entire neighborhood, but afterSan Andreas, the feature was dropped, never to return. While gangs and factions remained a constant inGrand Theft Auto, playerswere never again ableto push them out of their turf.
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Towards the end of the game, the Turf War feature was pivotal to the story, and without it, the player couldn’t complete the game.
6Lowrider Battles
InGrand Theft Auto Online, Rockstar re-introduced the lowrider, a car built on a hydraulic chassis that allows players to quite literally manipulate the vehicle, making it ‘dance’. It was the first we’d seen of the lowrider sinceGrand Theft Auto San Andreaswhen players were able to engage in ‘lowrider battles’ against rival gangs. It was a feature that was admittedly tied directly to the era that the game was set in, but it was a fun addition and anenjoyable piece of content, for all of about five minutes.
Following a mission that featured a lowrider battle, the mechanic became side-content, and at any point, the player could trigger another battle, provided they hadthe correct vehicle.
5Dual-Wield Weaponry
Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson was one of themost deadly, capable protagonistsin the history of the franchise. From his humble origins as a co-leader of the Grove Street Families gang, he became a military tactician, a master thief, and a titan of modern weaponry. InSan Andreas, the more the player used a specific weapon, the higher that weapon’s skill level would rise, ultimately resulting in the ability to dual-wield that weapon. It was a badass ability that hasn’t made an appearance in the franchise since.
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Admittedly, there’s a massive arsenal of weapons available inGrand Theft Auto 5andGTA Online, but none of them can be dual-wielded.
4Pumping Iron
From the moment players stepped foot intoSan Andreasand completed the opening missions, they unlocked the ability to work out at the local gym. Now, this wasn’t an arbitrary mechanic, as it had some bearing on the protagonist. Firstly, it impacted the player’s ‘respect’ in the game, and it made others look at him in a more favorable light. For some relationships, having muscle was almost mandatory to gain any ground, and if the player wanted to hit harder in a fight, they needed to up their gains.
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Similar to the hunger mechanics, lifting weights will ‘reskin’ CJ, applying a layer of muscle respective to the amount of work the player puts in. If the player visits the gym consistently, Carl Johnson will quickly go from being a slim, unassuming man to a hulking warrior.
3Buddy Up
As the players' respect rating grew inSan Andreas, so too did their ability to hire gang members to fight alongside them. If the player leveled up enough to acquire a full bar of respect, they could team up with up to seven gang members, roaming the streets and wreaking havoc together. While these gang members were far from intelligent, it enabled the player to effectively buddy up with some bodyguards if they were pushing into a tough fight, particularly if they were taking part in a Turf War battle.
It was a basic feature, with players having the ability to tell their followers to move faster, stand in place, or attack an individual, but it was a feature that hasn’t really been replicated since.
2Local Multiplayer
It wasn’t the most intuitive feature inSan Andreas, but local multiplayer was relatively unique to the release, and it hasn’t ever been seen again in the franchise. That’s understandable, as, over time, local multiplayer or couch co-op games have died out, and today, online multiplayer is definitely considered king. InSan Andreas, two players could assume the role of a random character, spawning into a non-persistent mode that enabled them to run around generally creating chaos.
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There were mini-games to enjoy and, for as long as they wanted it, players more or less had the full abilities of the base game. It was quite a clunky mode, as it featured a tethering mechanic that locked both players onto the same screen at the same time since there were no split-screen features.
1Bizarre Cheat Codes
In the old days,Grand Theft Autowas well known for the dozens (if not hundreds) of cheat codes hidden within the series. From the first game onwards,cheat codes gave playersthe ability to accomplish multiple things, from the most mundane to the downright bizarre. These cheat codes could spawn a vehicle or a weapon, or they could turn every NPC against the player, equip all pedestrians with beach-themed outfits, or makeevery vehicle in the vicinityself-destruct.
While cheats have had their presence in everyGrand Theft Autogame since they’ve ultimately been toned down and aren’t as bizarre as they once were. These days, you’re lucky to be granted invincibility for five minutes, which is a cheat inGrand Theft Auto 5.
