With over 17.5 million copies sold, San Andreas is PlayStation 2's best selling game of all time. You might remember it from the old days when you'd sit in front of your CRT and spend your afternoons, or from the countless of memes you see online today. Either way, this is a classic and for many the best entry in the franchise. San Andreas, alongside Vice City, arrived together for GTA 3's 20th anniversary in the DEFINITIVE package. Definitive money making package at least...



Much like all 3 definitive versions, this one is also based on the mobile port from 10 years ago. San Andreas was notoriously the worst mobile port of the original trilogy and is absolutely the worst definitive edition as well. Countless of bugs, physics issues, missing textures and so much more. Pair that with lighting that is completely screwed in some places and controls that will make you want to question your sanity. The technical aspect of SA is mostly the same as GTA 3 with a few exceptions, which are mostly negative.


This is something that is puzzling me. San Andreas had vehicle camera movement ever since its original release and somehow out of all 3 definitive editions the mouse movement in this one is the worst. Vertical camera movement is basically non-existent and the camera constantly fights with you to snap in place when you try to move it. In GTA 3 it also tried to snap in place but for some reason everything feels worse in San Andreas.


"Hardworking professionals" decided to max out the draw distance because, you know, new hardware and whatnot. In the original game a sort of fog effect was used to hide the low draw distance present in the PS2 version. In the definitive edition you can see all parts of the the map from anywhere. I don't know about you, but seeing Mount Chilliad from Grove Street just doesn't feel right. This is another one of those changes that was never really tested properly. After some backlash on social media they added a "Ground Haze" effect to try and fix this, once again it was made very lazily and only renders at very high altitude.



Notorious bug that has plagued San Andreas since day one of its release. In short, after getting into a car the AI in the game becomes more accurate to accomodate for the large object you are driving. All fine and dandy as when you get out of the car the accuracy would reset... right? It does not and people in the mid 2000s were constantly complaining about this on various forum threads. It was quickly understood that taking a car to a shooting mission will almost certainly cause death. Later it was found that taking a bike instead will help lower the accuracy. Well in the definitive edition, instead of trying to fix this bug, they decided it would be a great idea to make the AI just have 100% accuracy all the time. No need to bother looking for a bike now, chump!


SA is THE GTA when it comes to physics issues related to FPS (at least from the 3D era). Playing on more than 30 will break animations, swimming, some cutscenes, ammo depletion and much, much more. Unlike 3 and VC, here you pretty much can't play with anything other than 30. Well the "hardworking professionals" decided that variable physics were not needed anymore and just decided to lock them to their 60 FPS behavior. Yep, I was sure that they would never fix physics for these definitive edtions but hoped that they would at least lock them at 30. Because of their laziness we are now stuck with this mess and while there is a Frame limiter in-game it won't do anything to help with the problem.


Major changes were made to the control scheme of San Andreas when it was released on mobile phones. These changes were mostly ok for a touch screen device but questionable for a big console and PC release. Most gym minigames are a cake walk now with these changes and menus in stores are also very odd (shoutout to the "T" on your keyboard). The biggest problem are helicopters, they fly with the mouse now and it's really unintuitive and annoying to use them. Most people just plug in a controller for this part but that's not something you should have to do when playing on PC.


Like in all 3 games, the atmosphere and feel of the original version is completely gone. San Andreas had 16 different weather types on PS2. Definitive Edition has about 6 and they are almost all identical with only minor changes. It really is a shame as these effects looked great in-game. There's no need to mention the goofy character models and AI upscaled textures, most of them look cheap and worse than many fan made projects.


Another absolute classic butchered by Rockstar and Take-Two's corporate greed. A shameless slap in the face to the millions of fans who've grown to love these games over the years. While 3 and VC may be barely salvageable if you look past their many issues, San Andreas Definitive is not. Not for a dollar and certainly not for $60. The best thing you can do is get the original version on PC and mod it. If you have a PlayStation 2 lying around, you can also get it there for the REAL definitive experience.

You can click here to check my review for the OG version of SA.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an action-adventure game following the end of the 19th century, the end of the Wild West. The prequel follows the story of Dutch van der Linde's gang of outlaws, fiercely fighting to escape the inevitable faith in store for them, the new "modern" world. The second game presents us with a brand new protagonist, Arthur Morgan. Just like the original's protagonist John Marston, he is also an outlaw - Dutch van der Linde's most trusted associate. Honorable at heart, but at the same time stuck on a crossroad between what's right and what he believes is right. Taken on a massive rollercoaster ride through the ~50h campaign, our main protagonist evolves so much when his world views get taken apart.

Positives:
+ A massive open-world that feels like a living and breathing creature, filled with breathtaking views. From the gorgeous snowy mountains to the giant muddy streets of Saint Denis, all the way back west to the deserted town of Armadillo. The world "talks" and responds to you and your actions.
+ The most detailed animal wildlife featured in any video game so far. Incredibly extensive list of different animal species that act just like they would in real life.
+ Technologically astounding weather system, most probably the best weather system of any video game so far as well. You will "feel" when it's hot outside or when a massive storm approaches.
+ Rich AI behaviour for all NPCs, they remember the player's actions! Whether he robs a store or helps someone in need, everything reflects on those around him. They also have daily routines - eating, sleeping, doing some work, etc. Rockstar nailed this part here compared to GTA V.
+ Incredible story, full of twists and turns, pinnacle of what video games have to offer. Rockstar made us care so much for some characters on our screens. Thanks to incredibly mature writing and the phenomenal delivery of the actors who portrayed them, those characters feel so alive and real. As if they are right in front of us. The protagonist is the main focus, but the side cast in this game is also staggering and adds so much to the whole experience.
+ Huge emphasis on realism in this game, even more than GTA IV or even the original RDR. The stamina, health, and deadeye cores drain over time, there is a need to eat and sleep in the game to replenish them. They drain quicker if the player is poisoned or has a sickness. Weapons also have to be picked up from the horse, we can't carry all of them on our back like in GTA. This is not to everyone's liking, but it's important to note that this game is artistic, and art is often not appreciated by all.
+ Incredible cast of actors that poured their heart and soul into these characters, possibly the best ensemble in any video game.
+ Great and extensive customization options - Arthur's hair and beard grow over time. There are loads of different clothing, beard and hairstyle options. Same applies to weapon and horse customization.
+ Astonishing soundtrack that deserves to be heard at least once, by everyone. Absolutely vital part of the whole experience this game presents.

Negatives:

I am almost at loss, but there are minor things that could have been better in this overall masterpiece.

- A lot of emphasis on animal hunting and plant collecting. This applies to people who want to 100% the game, of course. If you plan to start this journey be warned, you are bound to get fed up by the amount of hunting and picking you have to do.
- Gambler Challenge 8 (Soul Draining!!)
- The missions are a lot slower and "calm" compared to GTA V, for example. This is necessary, as it goes hand in hand with the heavy narrative-driven experience. I am absolutely fine with this and can appreciate the decision. You need to be aware, however, if you are primarily a GTA fan or don't have patience to take this game slow, like it should be taken.
- Not exactly a negative, but I will put it here anyway. The game requires QUITE a powerful computer in order to run smoothly on high settings.

Overall:
Red Dead Redemption 2 is true art. If the original was a masterpiece among video games, this one is a masterpiece in all of entertainment. Elegantly and masterfully crafted, even after 4 years, this is the best example of games being on par with movies and books. Featuring one of the vastest and most detailed open-worlds, arguably the best story in video game history and the most detailed wildlife in gaming. All this brought to life by an astonishing cast of talented actors makes RDR 2 a concrete 10/10! Game of the decade and one of the best pieces of entertainment of all time.

Thank you for reading this lengthy review. A small point to mention is that the score and everything mentioned concerns only RDR 2 and not its Online mode. I know how poorly Rockstar treated the online for this game, but I've never really cared for it so it does not bother me personally.

For anyone interested in doing 100%, I have a great guide you can follow, which features optimal strategies and routes!

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2487669306