Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open-world action game developed by Rockstar North, an enormous crime epic set across a fictionalized version of early-1990s California and Nevada. It follows Carl "CJ" Johnson as he returns home after his mother's murder and is drawn back into gang life, corruption and a sprawling criminal saga.

The game dramatically expanded the series' scope, offering three full cities, open countryside, desert and mountains in between, and deep new systems including character customization, role-playing-style stats governing stamina, muscle and driving skill, eating and exercise, gang territory control, and the ability to fly aircraft and own property. Its ambition, sharp satire, licensed soundtrack and sheer scale made it one of the defining games of its generation and a massive commercial success.

San Andreas remains hugely influential and beloved, and it has been re-released and remastered for many platforms over the years, keeping its vast, freewheeling world accessible to new players.