Is GTA San Andreas the best GTA game ever?

There is no question that GTA San Andreas is one of the most popular games in the series. The only GTA title to sell more copies than it is GTA 5.

Likewise, GTA San Andreas is one of the highest-rated GTA games on Metacritic. Yet, there is also a timeless aspect about it that transcends it to the next level.

It's not too much of a hyperbole to say that GTA San Andreas is the best GTA game ever created.

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

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Why GTA San Andreas is the best GTA game ever made

Technically speaking, there can't be a definitive "best game ever made." Every gamer has different preferences when it comes to what they enjoy in a video game. Various players have other GTA games as their favorite title, and they're not wrong for having an opinion.

However, it's still worth analyzing why some gamers prefer GTA San Andreas over the rest of the series. It has some subjective and objective qualities that make it appealing to players around the world.

Significant improvements over its predecessors

GTA San Andreas makes several improvements over GTA Vice City (Image via Rockstar Games)

A good sequel should always make improvements. GTA San Andreas does precisely that. It introduces several new features that differentiate itself from its predecessors. Not only that, but it also adds to previously established features in ways that make the game more convenient and fun.

Some of GTA San Andreas's successors haven't made similar improvements. In some ways, they can feel like a downgrade. Some of the later games removed the popular customization features, with a few titles scrapping features like climbing and swimming.

In this way, it's easy to see how GTA San Andreas compares to some other games in the series.

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One of a kind customization

CJ wearing a necklace (Image via Rockstar Games)

Some gamers love customization. In a way, GTA San Andreas has more RPG elements than most other games in the series. While it lacks the sheer amount of vehicles and clothing customization from GTA Online, it makes up for it in other areas.

For starters, GTA San Andreas is the only game in the series where the player can become fat or muscular. Likewise, it's also the only game with customizable fighting styles.

That's not even mentioning how the vast majority of GTA games lack the basic vehicle and character customization features that GTA San Andreas possesses.

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The leading contenders for being the best GTA game

GTA 5 is widely considered to be the best GTA game in some circles of the Internet (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although everybody has their personal favorites, some GTA games pop up in this type of discussion more than others. Games like GTA 5, Online, 4, and Vice City are sometimes compared to GTA San Andreas.

In terms of sheer numbers, the first two titles do eclipse GTA San Andreas. Likewise, GTA 4 is the most realistic, while GTA Vice City tends to appeal to people who are nostalgic for that era.

However, GTA San Andreas has advantages over all of those games. Its gameplay is far more fluid than GTA Vice City's, and not every gamer loves realism in video games. GTA San Andreas's character cast is unique and beloved. Also, the game has several innovative features that make it a terrific game to play from start to finish.