5 redeemable qualities of GTA San Andreas that GTA Online needs

GTA San Andreas is one of Rockstar Games' most influential releases. It has a nice plot, several unique features, and interesting gameplay mechanics. While Grand Theft Auto Online has made the most money for the studio, fans would like the developer to add certain mechanics from the previous title to the game to improve things.

This article highlights five things from GTA San Andreas that Rockstar Games should bring back and use in the online multiplayer mode of Grand Theft Auto 5 to make it more interesting.

Note: The article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

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5 things from San Andreas that will improve GTA Online

1) Character customization

While some would argue that Grand Theft Auto Online allows you to customize your character, it doesn't come close to what GTA San Andreas offers. Not only can you decide what CJ wears, from his pants and shirts to the bandana and masks, but it is also possible to adjust his body mass.

One can visit the gym to make CJ muscular or eat a lot to make him fat. The best part is that this was not just for the aesthetics because his body shape affected how well a mission would go. Fat CJ would fail to catch the target and get a sarcastic call from Big Smoke.

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2) Give more personality to the character

While Grand Theft Auto Online has some really interesting characters that fans would also like to see in GTA 6, the protagonist is not so interesting. While it makes sense to keep him a blank slate that transforms alongside his actions and businesses, there is no actual growth for the character.

This is something that Grand Theft Auto San Andreas handled quite well. Not only is CJ one of the best protagonists in the series, but he also stays interesting and relatable throughout the story. So, it would be more fun to play Grand Theft Auto Online if Rockstar Games gave more personality to the protagonist instead of keeping him a mute puppet.

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3) Enterable properties

Among the several amazing GTA San Andreas features, the redeeming one was the ability to enter and explore a ton of buildings.

This is one of the highly-requested improvements that fans would like to see not just in Grand Theft Auto Online but also in Grand Theft Auto 6. Adding enterable buildings will encourage players to explore the map more and interact with various NPCs, like the cashier at the food joint or the gym instructor.

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4) Active rival/gang system

There are several things that San Andreas did right compared to GTA 5 and its online multiplayer mode. The gang system is one of the features that makes it interesting to this day.

Since CJ belongs to the Grove Street Family gang, he often comes across Ballas and other rivals who are after his blood. Things become even more heated once players start taking over enemy territories and engaging in gang wars.

Adding an active gang system to Grand Theft Auto Online would instantly make it much more interesting. Players who have accomplished most of the things in the game would also get something new to do.

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5) An interesting combat system

While GTA San Andreas does have several glaring flaws, the combat is one of these redeeming features that players would like to see in GTA 6. It will also improve Grand Theft Auto Online a lot.

Not only can CJ dual-wield most of the guns, but he can also use martial arts. Players can visit the gym to learn new techniques and moves and deliver sick combos during hand-to-hand combat.

On the other hand, the fighting in Grand Theft Auto Online is relatively bland, and the player with the better weapon will almost always outclass others. It would be interesting if Rockstar Games introduced more sophisticated melee combat to freshen things up in the game.

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In other news, the ongoing GTA Online weekly update is offering great discounts on many items, including property and its upgrades. Players are recommended to check them out before they're gone.