5 incredible gameplay features GTA 5 did better than GTA San Andreas

Naturally, a newer game like GTA 5 is bound to implement some gameplay features better than GTA San Andreas, an entry nearly a decade older. It's not as if modern titles are always 100% better than their predecessors. For example, some aspects of the older Grand Theft Auto titles are more fun than what appears in the later entries in the franchise. Not to mention, some gameplay features oddly get dropped in the current games.

That's why it's worth looking at some examples where both GTA 5 and GTA San Andreas have a gameplay feature, except the former game executes the idea better. The following list is not ranked in any particular order. As an honorable mention, graphics could be an example, but that's way too obvious and boring to discuss, so let's look at other features below.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.

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Five examples where GTA 5 executed a gameplay feature better than GTA San Andreas

1) Multiplayer

Online is basically a whole other Grand Theft Auto game to play through (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA San Andreas multiplayer was nice, except it was only limited to the PS2 and PS3 ports (at least via official means). Most other games in the series paled in comparison to Grand Theft Auto San Andreas in this regard, yet one title noticeably stood above it.

Grand Theft Auto Online is the title for GTA 5's multiplayer mode, and it's basically a whole other game in and of itself. Whereas CJ could just shoot with or at another NPC or kiss them, GTA Online had far more content for a player to do. For example, one could:

• Customize a protagonist however they like
• Do several missions (including heists)
• Play in a lobby with up to 30 players

The only downside was that it required an Internet connection to play. Still, the success of Online shows how beloved the title is to millions of players compared to a small but fun feature from a nearly two-decade-old game. There are still many wacky things like GTA Online money glitches, updates, and other new features keeping the gameplay fresh.

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2) Cover system

An example of Michael taking cover (Image via Rockstar Games)

There wasn't a modern cover system in the Grand Theft Auto series until Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA San Andreas players had to manually move CJ behind some walls, vehicles, etc. while engaging in a gunfight with other NPCs. This gameplay feature was much more difficult for the younger generation compared to what they're used to now.

In Grand Theft Auto 5, players could tap a button to automatically take cover against a nearby object. Thus, this system is much easier for the average player compared to how this sort of mechanic used to work in previous games within the series.

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3) Vehicle customization

Some of the customization available in Online looks great (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA San Andreas had impressive car customization for its time. However, GTA 5's version of this gameplay feature naturally powercrept its older predecessor. The most obvious thing is that there are far more vehicles in Grand Theft Auto 5 (305 in single-player, over 700 in multiplayer).

CJ could only have access to 189 by comparison in GTA San Andreas. It's not just quantity where such differences are notable, as not everything can be customized. However, Michael, Trevor, and Franklin could modify many cars with several features more detailedly than CJ could. If one brings Grand Theft Auto Online into the mix, the difference is even more glaring.

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4) Accessing weapons

What a Weapon Wheel looks like (Image via GTA Wiki)

Older Grand Theft Auto titles like GTA San Andreas required players to manually switch between each weapon in a set pattern. It's not too bad once they get used to it, but it's nowhere near as convenient as what's possible in GTA 5. That game has a Weapon Wheel, allowing players to access guns and explosives quickly.

Not to mention, the single-player version of GTA 5 slows down time to a crawl, so one can easily access what they need right away. Such a gameplay feature is useful as the player won't have to worry about dying while trying to find the right gun or explosive for the situation.

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5) Countryside

Trevor hunting a deer (Image via Rockstar Games)

The rural areas of GTA San Andreas are pleasant to visit, yet the features found there are more or less the same as anywhere else in the game. There isn't much to do in the base game in the woods or near Mount Chiliad.

GTA 5 has a lot more to do. Not only is the map bigger (since some fans care about size), but there is some extra content to do. Animals make the countryside much more lively, including cougars that can easily get a player Wasted. Hunting is also available for Trevor Philips to spice things up in GTA 5.