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San Andreas - Workouts, Cops & BMX Tricks Preview
Chris Leyton
05/08/2004
We didn't think they would be able to do it; but somehow RockStar North are making vast improvements with San Andreas...
Following on from our earlier look at GTA: San Andreas, RockStar Games today sent us new details on what is set to be the biggest game release of the year.
Ready for a workout?
As fans will no doubt realise by now, CJ needs to eat; however there are consequences to this ā“ eat too much and youāll grow fat, donāt eat enough and youāll find clothes hanging from CJās body along with his stamina dropping dangerously.
Like most of us, CJ can benefit from a little time at the gym, of which there are several throughout the county of San Andreas; with the promise that much like the people within it, the Los Santos gym is a hard and dirty place!
Gyms vary from one another in terms of the equipment available, however we can now reveal exactly what the Los Santos Gym will offer, with a variety of workout options to burn off calories and build stamina.
CJ can develop his strength by doing barbell curls and bench presses, whilst the treadmill is an ideal way to shake off those pounds. Working out gives CJ the strength and stamina necessary to have any chance of surviving the tough streets of Los Santos; with a healthy CJ able to run, cycle and swim faster then before. As CJ becomes fitter his stamina will increase, allowing him to run for greater periods and also take less time to recover.
Itās not just the gym however that has a beneficial impact on CJās wellbeing; those who insist on running around instead of hi-jacking the nearest vehicle will reap the benefits and find CJās stamina improving.
Although previous titles in the GTA series featured the ability to increase your stamina by running, San Andreas links CJās increased performance to his ability to complete missions and tasks successfully.
Itās not only his stamina that increases with exercise, but also his strength and muscle will be enhanced, putting CJ in a better position when it comes to a punch up. However fat and strength are not automatically the inverse of each other, leaving it entirely possible for the player to have a main character who is both overweight and strong.
As youād expect from Los Santos, the gym is a typically, grungy location ā“ the type of place where youād expect gang members hanging around and sparring. Not only can CJ tone his body and improve his stamina here, but itās also a great place to practise your fighting skills and to learn new techniques to compliment the ones that you begin with at the start of the game. By taking on an opponent in the ring, CJ can perform a variety of tricks to put his newfound strength and stamina to the test ā“ punch combos, punching on the ground and running punches are all new skills that will come in handy for the tough streets of Los Santos.
In contrast the San Fierro Gym is a serene dojo, a place to learn and master an entirely new set of fighting techniques that weāll talk about more at a later date. Whilst finally the Gym at Las Venturas is a seedy, down-on-its-luck boxing facility with a ratty ring in the middle and numerous holes in the concrete floor! Itās here that CJ can develop his brutal tendencies, learning the art of streetfighting and some pretty aggressive, below-the-belt techniques.
In keeping with the vast improvements being made to the combat system, the guys at RockStar North have incorporated an entirely new ālock-onā feature during melee combat and the ability to use a second button for more advanced moves and combos; whilst CJ can now defend himself from enemy attacks with a selection of self-defense techniques.
BMX Tricks
Naturally itās the BMX that has become the focal new introduction to be found within San Andreas (although certainly not the only one), and itās a particularly apt choice of wheels for getting around the Los Santos neighbourhood. Itās great for short distances because of its convenience and inconspicuous nature, whilst CJ can easily nip through traffic-clogged areas of Los Santos and down narrow alleys that pursuing vehicles canāt follow him down ā“ itās also a lot of fun to ride!
As previously reported players need to rhythmically tap the X button to build up your pace, making the bike highly controllable and ideal for strutting your stuff and showing off a few tricks. As with the nature of San Andreas, the more CJ rides his bike the better he gets at it. Not only will his skill increase but also his stamina, allowing him to ride the bike for longer and not suffering from too many falls.
However a large part of the fun to be had with the BMX comes from the tricks that you can pull off, including bunnyhops, wheelies and endos; whilst those with a bit of skill will also be able to perform a variety of combinations including 180s and 360s.
Police
Those thinking that the streets of Los Santos will be an easy ride are in for a surprise, as RockStar North have been busily making vast improvements to the police AI. Not only will squad cars and police bikes follow after you and take pot-shots, but also come at CJ from all angles ā“ head-on, down side streets, cutting him off or ramming his car to end the pursuit.
They are also very skilled with the spotlight on the helicopters, blinding CJ whenever they direct him towards it and making it much, much harder to take out the helicopter or aim at the cops on the ground in the direction that the light is shining from. Shining bright lights in the eyes of the criminal to paralyze him is a well-known tactic that is frequently used by LSPD. They also will look out for their own safety and will seek out and use cover during gunfights.
Lighting
As you can no doubt tell from the screenshots the lighting within San Andreas is certainly something to shout about. Whereas the lighting in Liberty City was designed to be grim, distinctly urban and rather depressing; Vice City was completely the opposite, bright and sunny, giving the city a warm, friendly and optimistic (yet superficial) glow.
Having modelled an entire county with three cities each with different atmospheres, lighting was deemed to be crucial to setting the mood that RockStar North wanted to create. As such the lighting in downtown Los Santos feels very different to the light in the open countryside, which in turn is very different to the artificial glare of Las Venturas.
Every item within the game has been modelled for both day and night, with shadows and textures not only unique to individual items but also specific times of the day; as such cars look different from day into night, whilst shadows will change depending on the time of the day.
The cities within San Andreas have been designed with very specific lighting schemes; for example the streets of Los Santos were designed to reflect the lighting environment of Los Angeles, with smog in the atmosphere at times being a physical presence leading to some dramatic sunsets.
Lighting was used to give each city a distinct physical presence. San Fierro and Las Venturas have very different lighting effects ā“ as you can imagine based on the cities that they are inspired by. In San Fierro for example the changeable weather with crisp blue skies and fog and rain call for very different lighting from the oppressive, dirty heat of Los Santos. The glitz and neon of the Las Venturas strip contrasts with the blistering heat of the desert where you can literally see the shimmering heatwaves coming off the ground.
Carjacking
Whereas carjacking was a simple affair in previous GTA titles, with the residents of Liberty City and Vice City not putting up much of a fight; the people of San Andreas are fairly street-smart in comparison and not unused to dealing with car thieves. As a result youāll find many of them putting up a fight instead of just giving them youāre car, with CJ having to resort to āstronger methods of persuasionā when jacking the vehicle of your choice.
For example CJ may have to kick, punch, pistol-whip or bash the head of the driver into the dashboard of the car to gain control of it.
TVG will have more on GTA: San Andreas very soon.
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