San Andreas - Burglary & Compulsive Shopping Preview

The floodgates have well and truly been opened on GTA: San Andreas, as TVG continues its weekly focus on the biggest game release of the year.

To date weâ??ve checked out The Streets of Los Santos and Workouts, Cops & BMX Tricks; as today we take a more sinister side and look at the aspects of burglary and compulsive shopping.

Cash plays a crucial role in GTA: San Andreas and youâ??re going to need to keep an eye on your wallet if you wish to purchase the huge assortment of goods and get to where CJ wants to go.

As in previous GTA titles you will sometimes earn money upon the successful completion of missions, but not always; as not all missions are the kind of things you get paid for â?“ remember CJ isnâ??t a thug and his motivations and rewards are often more complex than just cash. So for that extra bit of green, side missions have taken on a new level of importance in San Andreas, and naturally one of the ways to get hold of it is by fencing other peopleâ??s stuff.

Naturally robbery is a crime so youâ??re going to have to learn how to do it properly if you donâ??t want the Los Santos cops on your back. Thankfully there are dozens of places in San Andreas to break into and make away with their precious items; for example in Los Santos there are a number of residential houses that can be broken into, many of which contain a variety of goods that you can make off with and pawn to build up your wealth.

So before you jump straight in youâ??ll need to workout a plan and find yourself a getaway van â?“ simply jack a moving truck and hit the right thumbstick and youâ??re good to go.

Youâ??ll also want to make sure youâ??re dressed for the part, and thankfully a number of shops sell ski-masks to conceal your appearance. Once youâ??ve donned a ski-mask or a balaclava, CJ enters a full-time sneak mode â?“ ideal for when youâ??re trying to avoid making a noise.

Finally youâ??re going to want the right tools for the job; although a lot of people in San Andreas are trusting folk and leave their doors open, youâ??ll occasionally stumble across houses that have people inside and will require means to â??intimidateâ? them â?“ silent weapons such as a bat or a knife are ideal for these situations.

Burglaries are only allowed during the night as unemployment appears to be a real problem in San Andreas, and as such youâ??ll have a better chance of sneaking off with the VCR or Stereo at night.

If you make a noise during the robbery youâ??ll alert the inhabitants whoâ??ll be quick to call in the ruthless Los Santos cops; however be advised to check every room in the house and keep an eye out for valuable items that are easy to carry. Itâ??s entirely possible to completely snatch every valuable item from the household, leaving the owners a nasty surprise when they wake up in the morning.

Once youâ??ve got hold of your stock youâ??ll want to find a place to sell it, however make sure to get a fair price for your efforts. Robbery is a growth industry â?“ the money can be used to purchase items, properties and even start-up businesses.

Finally one small tip for wannabe thieves; remember that a smart thief moves around.

Rules of the Thief

• Donâ??t just hit on houses close to your home.
• The ritzier neighbourhoods will have a wider selection of valuable goods.
• A risky thief will hit on the houses of his rivals for prestige.

Compulsive Shopping

Naturally with all that freshly acquired money youâ??re going to want to spend it, and in this respect San Andreas doesnâ??t disappoint, offering everything that a compulsive shopper would ever need.

As weâ??ve said before, the way you look plays an important role in San Andreas, and as a result your clothes and haircut are important factors that affect the respect that those around you show to you.

There are several barbershops located throughout San Andreas. In Los Santos, Reeceâ??s barbershop is a staple and very much part of the neighbourhood. Inside the shop CJ sits in the chair and can check out his reflection, being able to choose from a wide selection of cuts for both his hairstyle and facial hair, including bald, afro, jheri curls and many more.

The sharper CJ looks, the more he is respected; whilst a goofy cut will earn you ridicule. The women of San Andreas will take notice of CJ, as will the gangs â?“ rivals will be a little more wary if CJ is looking slick, whilst heâ??ll be able to command the Orange Grove Family gang with a little more authority.

Of equal importance are the clothes that CJ wears. CJ begins the game with a very basic, no-frills pair of pants and a t-shirt. As he progresses through the game and successfully completes missions, his fellow members of the gang will gain respect and suggest that he starts wearing the gang colours. To begin with, this means sporting the traditional Orange Grove Family colours; however wearing colours has a consequence. Other Orange Family Grove members will have more respect for you, however rival gangs and police will be able to tell your alliances straight away. If you happen to find yourself in Ballas territory or stumble into the middle of a gunfight, the impact on your colours can be extremely significant.

Gang colours arenâ??t the only choice available to CJ however; there are a number of stores throughout San Andreas that allow CJ to select a full line of clothing choices. New clothes will garnish more respect from the individuals of San Andreas, whilst some missions will require you to wear a certain outfit if you wish to complete it.

Below youâ??ll find a description of some of the places to shop in San Andreas:

Binco

Binco is a discount store found a few blocks away from CJâ??s cul-de-sac deep in Orange Grove Families territory. Itâ??s a discount store, so the clothing selection is utilitarian and cheap.

Binco features a small selection of low cost clothing. Most people in the Grove will be wearing clothes of the type sold here. The clothing choices are affordable to those in CJâ??s neighbourhoodâ?”and since the Orange Grove Families arenâ??t what they were, expect to find a selection of plaid shirts, khakis, and sneakers on a budget. This is a good place for CJ to go after he returns to the grove and needs to wear the colours - but the clothes aren't free and he will need to have enough money to get what he needs. Locals will respect CJ more after he's switched back to more familiar threads.

SubUrban

Located near the Towers in Ganton, SubUrban specializes in a full line of clothing brands, such as Mercury and Base 5.

The selection here is different than Binco. SubUrban favors name-brand apparel popular amongst those in Los Santos with a bit more disposable income, and since the store is located in Ballas territory, it is very popular amongst the gang set. The colours and clothing choice reflect the neighbourhood, and are priced to reflect the prices one of the more successful gangs in town can afford. Your respect will go up higher than if you were shopping at Binco. At first, CJ might be able to afford one or two items here. As he completes missions, his budget will increase and he will be able to purchase more items. You neednâ??t be a gang member or a Rock Star to shop at SubUrban, but youâ??ll find clothing selection that both would be comfortable wearing.

ProLaps

For a full selection of the ProLaps brand apparel and footwear, head to the flagship store located west of Downtown Los Santos.

ProLaps is the leading choice of athletic gear in San Andreas. The clothes are decidedly more athletic and are the perfect choice to show of CJâ??s musculature or just to switch his look up with shorts, sneakers, hats and other items. Also, CJ can find some very specific itemsâ?”motorcycle helmet, boxing headgear, even a hockey mask. Concerned about looking too much like a gang member? The clothing choices here are more mainstream, and though the TRAIN HARD tagline might implore you to work out, the clothes themselves are popular amongst the other inhabitants of San Andreas. The prices are a bit higher here, and CJ will have to earn a good deal of money to afford the pieces offered here.

CJ will get to keep all the clothes you buy for him, if you change your mind as to what you want to wear, you donâ??t have to go back and repurchase an outfit after youâ??ve changed into something new: just walk into your safe house, go to the closet, and every single piece of clothing youâ??ve earned/purchased so far will be there. This provides for a huge amount of customization, and adds an amazing collecting dynamic for the truly hardcore player. Want to mix and match? Once your wardrobe is stocked, you can change into any combination of shirt, pants, hat, shoes, and accessories as easily as you can save or load a game.