5 old features that GTA San Andreas removed

GTA San Andreas changed a lot from its predecessors in the series, and that included removing old features and replacing them with new ones.

Removing old aspects of a video game isn't necessarily a bad thing. In some instances, GTA San Andreas makes up for it with better features. If something is outdated, then it's reasonable to remove it. However, some players might not like some of the other decisions GTA San Andreas made in this way.

This article will only focus on features that GTA San Andreas removed. Hence, these features must have been prevalent in at least one GTA game before GTA San Andreas. It won't include features found in later titles.

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Five old features that GTA San Andreas removed

Here are the top 5 features from previous GTA titles that Rockstar Games removed from San Andreas:

5) Good Citizen Bonus

An example of what Good Citizen Bonus looks like in GTA Vice City (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA San Andreas removed some features that were exclusive to GTA Vice City. Good Citizen Bonus is an example of one of those features. Essentially, Tommy Vercetti would get $50 if he helped beat up a criminal that a cop was chasing.

Players only got the bonus if they used their fists or a few select melee weapons. It was simple, but it was also one of the few times players could willingly help cops in the GTA series and be rewarded for it.

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4) User-defined skins

The screen for equipping skins in GTA Vice City (Image via Rockstar Games)

This feature refers to how players could make a skin for Tommy Vercetti or Claude in the PC ports of their respective GTA games. It's worth noting that user-defined skins were an official feature in these games and weren't classified as mods.

Still, GTA San Andreas has numerous customization options for players to enjoy. User-defined skins weren't as necessary, so it's understandable why Rockstar Games removed them. Not to mention, it wasn't a particularly popular feature.

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3) Single-player Rampages

A single-player Rampage in GTA Vice City (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA San Andreas has multiplayer Rampages but no single-player Rampages. This old feature was an alternative way for some GTA players to earn money on the side. As the name implies, it was ruthless and involved the untimely demise of several pedestrians and gang members.

The game still has its brutal moments, but Rampages aren't among them. GTA San Andreas has several other collectibles in its place that don't involve belligerent behavior.

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2) Hidden Packages

A player collecting a Hidden Package in GTA 3 (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA San Andreas has numerous collectibles, yet none of them are Hidden Packages. It isn't just the appearance of new collectibles that differ, either. GTA San Andreas players no longer get incremental rewards for every ten items they collect.

Instead, they must collect every collectible to acquire its rewards. This approach is more all-or-nothing than the previous GTA games, and this philosophy would continue to the next mainline GTA games.

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1) Splash screens

A splash screen in GTA 3 (Image via Rockstar Games)

The removal of loading screens between islands is an example of how removing a feature can be valuable. Back then, this feature existed to help load a whole new area in GTA 3 and GTA Vice City.

As GTA San Andreas doesn't have that problem, there was no need to have loading screens. While they looked nice, it would have been more cumbersome to include them when traveling between GTA San Andreas's numerous islands.

Loading screens now only exist when the player boots up the game.

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Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.