5 things that make GTA San Andreas so unique and different from the other games in the series

What made GTA San Andreas so unique and different was that it completely revolutionized the Grand Theft Auto series, especially because of its differences from its predecessors when it came out in 2004. Almost a decade later, it still feels vastly different from any other game in the series. This uniqueness is not just thanks to its features, but also the storyline, the map, and so on.

With Grand Theft Auto Online about to receive a new DLC and Grand Theft Auto 6, the next instalment in the franchise, set to release in Fall 2025, let's explore what made GTA San Andreas so unique and different.

Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer’s opinions.

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5 reasons that make GTA San Andreas so unique and different compared to anything else in the series

1) Multiple cities

A major reason that makes GTA San Andreas so unique and different is that it's the only game in the series that has multiple cities in its map, which are Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas. As the naming suggests, the three cities are based on Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas respectively, since the state of San Andreas itself is based on California and Nevada.

No other 3D Grand Theft Auto game so far has had multiple cities of the same size and detailing. When Grand Theft Auto 5 revamped San Andreas for the HD Universe, it only brought forth one city - Los Santos.

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2) Massive map for its time

The GTA San Andreas map was massive for its time, and the jump from Vice City to San Andreas was substantial. As mentioned before, there are three different cities, and each has a surrounding region. The biome diversity also feels unique, as the three different regions of the map have separate types of terrain and even vegetation.

Although it might be small by modern standards, the game uses many tricks to make the map feel big. For instance, most of the skyline is covered by fog. This not only helped performance back in the PS2 era, but also helped hide the map's real size and make exploration more rewarding. As such, the map is also what makes GTA San Andreas so unique and different.

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3) Extreme customizability

One of the biggest factors that make GTA San Andreas so unique and different is that it's the most customizable Grand Theft Auto game, at least when it comes to the protagonist. There's a massive selection of clothes, hairstyles, tattoos, and clothing accessories to choose from in the game.

Later titles like Grand Theft Auto 5 also have plenty of clothing items as well, but there are certain restrictions as to how much you can mix and match them.

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4) RPG-like elements

San Andreas often felt like an RPG (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA San Andreas is often considered a true RPG by Grand Theft Auto standards. The heavy customization mentioned before is complimented with the ability to build muscle, lose weight, or even get fat instead. There's also weapon and vehicle skills that you can develop over time, and the more advanced you get, the better you can use the affected weapons and vehicles.

There are several martial arts styles you can learn as well, which makes melee combat much more interesting.

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5) Feature-rich gameplay

The number of features this game has is unparalleled (Image via Rockstar Games)

Most of the features mentioned before, such as body fat and muscle, advanced weapon and vehicle skills, and much more have never been featured in any other Grand Theft Auto game. This is another factor that makes GTA San Andreas so unique and different. It's jam-packed with features, many of which were quite advanced for their time.

There are so many side-activities, mini-games, and unique missions that make the game feel so different even today. Features like basketball, gang warfare, drivable trains, and other unique vehicles haven't been seen since.