So I've been playing Just Cause 2 a lot (my friends joke about my Xbox Live status always saying I'm "free-roaming in Just Cause 2") and it is a lot of fun, if more buggy than a CIA washroom.

So many things in this game would be awesome, but glitches and bugs ruin all of it:
Managed to land a helicopter in a truck -- game then vanishes said helicopter leaving me $35k down and less than impressed.
Tried to ride a motorbike down some steps into a government poison gas facility -- but the steps are clipped off for vehicles.
Wanted to land a jet on an airship but awful hit detection makes it bomb every time.
Wanted to get the low flying achievement -- JC2 often doesn't recognise low flying.

In summary it just made me want to play an openworld game that actually works.

So I downloaded GTA: San Andreas from Xbox Live, for about £10.20 (or $15.07 if you're one of those at last enjoying state healthcare). Download rocks up at about 3.5gb.

I tell you -- I'd forgotten how much fun San Andreas was.
Vehicle stunts off a mountain: better than JC2
Hit detection and clipping: better than JC2
AI: sweet Jesus better than JC2
The sweet sweet feeling of playing a game that actually WANTS to be played: you guessed it, better than JC2.
Oh and let's not forget the sheer orgasmic joy of playing a game which DOESN'T have a constant heartbeat noise.

If you have those precious few pounds or even those dirty dirty dollars, I suggest you get it. Unless you were wise enough to keep your original copy, in which case, party on, Garth.

PS

Admittedly, the Zero missions are still controller throwing frustration.
I threw a controller for the first time ever last night, on the Red Baron mission.

Still better than JC2 though.

San Andreas is simply a beastly game and I doubt we'll ever get a better free roaming "do what the fuck you want" game.

Fucking Red Barons.

When I left Abbey, it was just after the release of San Andreas, and I was short of cash for it (we were a close knit team of banking support and gamers), so as a leaving gift, they got me San Andreas.

I still have the receipt and the card they got me still in the box.

Legendary game, truly.

Park up on the highest mountain, shut your engine off, and listen to Freebird as the sun sets.

This alone made it one of the best games of all time.

Yup, awesome game. Second only to Vice City, but that's more theme and atmosphere and story, as opposed to game mechanics.

Party on Wayne.

I always enjoyed the flying car cheat.

escaping from oncoming trains by taking off was always hilarious.

Dude I actually did that the other day -- went and stole a car and put the radio on while I scranned some dinner.

It makes me happy in a time where so many other games are making me drop my controller in disgust and sadness.

Now if you will excuse me, some Ballaz fools are lurking in Gro Street, and I have 250 gallons of flamethrower fuel I got at discount.

The only GTA game I ever beat was Vice City. I think SA might be a bit too big, though what I played of it, it was miles ahead of VC. But VC hooked me in till the end.

I think it really came down to listening to "I Ran" or "Freebird", and I like my music videos with tin foil in them, thanks

Vice City had more flavour than San Andreas, if you get what I mean.

Yeah I get it man, VC did more for me in terms of atmosphere, cos it had Atomic and Billie Jean on the soundtrack, and there was neon lights. Man I love the 80s -- reminds me of my childhood.

Then again, San Andreas really captures the feel of the 90s. Fuck it they're all awesome. Even gta iv, when they put a grey brown filter on everything and you could never actually play the game cos of your cazin wanting lifts everywhere.

you can turn your phone off.

I know you can turn your phone off -- but doesn't it suspend the story?
Sure you can be free of him once you'd completed the game, but what if you're going through the missions?

San Andreas was definitely my favorite, then VC.