5 reasons why GTA San Andreas is still popular in 2021

GTA San Andreas is sometimes considered the pinnacle of what a GTA game should be.

Very few video games have the legacy GTA San Andreas has. It was well-received by critics when it was first released, and fans still love it today. There might be debates as to which GTA game is the best one, but there's no denying that GTA San Andreas is one of the most popular GTA titles out there.

Naturally, it should go without saying that there are more than just five reasons why fans love GTA San Andreas to this day.

---

---

Five reasons fans still love GTA San Andreas in 2021

#5 - Rich modding scene

GTA San Andreas has one of the best modding scenes out of any video game. There are thousands of mods to consider, some ranging from basic character mods to full-blown new features. In a way, GTA San Andreas' rich modding scene gives it infinite replayability.

Some mods are serious and add quality-of-life features, whereas other mods are wacky and downright bizarre. Mods can be downloaded by any GTA San Andreas player, so they have the option to select which mods they want and which ones they don't.

#4 - Works wonderfully on low-end PCs

Even if some GTA fans wanted to play GTA 5, they simply couldn't. Not everybody has the luxury of having a good PC, and buying modern consoles is out of reach for some too.

By comparison, GTA San Andreas can work on most low-end PCs, which makes it a popular game to play. GTA San Andreas still holds up well today, so it's not just a cheap, budget option for the sake of owning a GTA game.

On a similar note, GTA San Andreas is on mobile devices thanks to its low technical requirements. Many GTA fans own a phone, and GTA San Andreas is quite cheap to purchase on mobile devices.

#3 - Good side activities

The games that preceded GTA San Andreas were good, but GTA San Andreas introduced several great features to make it stand out from the rest of the pack. One example of these new features was all of the side activities that a player can do in GTA San Andreas.

One can play a few select video games and try to get a high score or they can do burglaries at night. That's just two small things a player can do, for there are many more activities to do in the game (such as finding numerous collectibles found throughout San Andreas).

#2 - Iconic cast

Big Smoke, Sweet, and Ryder (Image via Rockstar Games)

As far as a GTA cast goes, GTA San Andreas has arguably the most memorable crew. The main protagonist, CJ, is beloved by GTA fans. Villains such as Officer Tenpenny and Big Smoke, are also fondly remembered for their memorable roles in GTA San Andreas.

Of course, the side characters are also quite memorable in their own regard. People like Ryder and The Truth are funny, whereas characters like Mike Toreno are cool. Although the characters are simple in GTA San Andreas, they're written so well that modern GTA fans still love to reference them.

Plus, the voice acting is top-notch. These characters feel real, which goes a long way in making them more relatable to GTA fans.

#1 - The game holds up well today

GTA San Andreas is a great game (Image via Rockstar Games)

Even if GTA San Andreas isn't everybody's cup of tea, the game still holds up very well today. The controls aren't as awkward as the earlier GTA titles, and GTA San Andreas has several unique features that aren't found in the later titles of the series.

The graphics aren't anything to write home about, but the rest of GTA San Andreas still feels great. The music is diverse and represents the 90s quite well. GTA San Andreas' storyline is also well-written, and then there's the matter of the core gameplay being quite fun.

There's a reason why GTA San Andreas is still many GTA fans' favorite GTA title (for some fans, it's their favorite video game overall).

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.

Kindly help Sportskeeda's GTA section improve. Take a 30sec survey, now!