San Andreas PC details
A new replay mode, MP3 radio station and other adjustments should make for a slightly more satisfying experience.
We have a feeling that PC-owning Grand Theft Auto fans would be happy enough to play any port of San Andreas at this point, having watched the PS2-owning world lap it up since last October, but according to details released by Rockstar this week there will be a few changes beyond the obvious technical enhancements.
Everything in the PS2 version, which moved GTA into the ghetto with a tale of hero CJ's rise from low level thuggery to top-level gangsta, will be making the transition intact. But although there will be no new content per se, San Andreas PC will apparently feature a new replay mode for recording and playing back brief snippets of gameplay, which sounds like a good idea.
The PC version will also include an additional radio station (making for a total of 12), which you can populate with your own MP3s (ordering or randomising them), and will be optimised to a greater extent than previous PC ports in the series, with only a fraction of the load times by comparison.
The control setup remains consistent with previous 3D GTA titles on PC, but there will be a few minor adjustments to reflect iterative improvements made in the PS2 version.
Visually the game will obviously be a step up, too, with soft shadows that change length depending on the time of day, and a much better draw distance. Also, finally, we'll get to see it all in high resolution the way it was designed - rather than the way it was broken down to work on the creaking PS2.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is due out on PC on June 10th in Europe, with an Xbox version - which will presumably benefit from similar adjustments - arriving on the same day.