GTA San Andreas vs GTA 4 graphics: Which one is better?

GTA 4 and GTA San Andreas are two of Rockstar Games' most respected games. Both are known for their intense storylines and action-packed gameplay.

Although GTA 5 is the latest game from the developer, players are more inclined to like GTA 4 and GTA San Andreas for their story mode campaigns.

Both of these titles are from a generation apart. San Andreas is from the 3D universe, while GTA 4 is a part of the HD universe.

The 3D universe in GTA was when Rockstar introduced three-dimensional graphics to the GTA series, and it featured games like GTA 3, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas.

When the publisher came up with the HD series, they had polished all the 3D graphics they had been working on for years and made the HD universe as realistic as possible, with reflections, better shadows, and particle effects. The HD Universe featured later releases like GTA 4 and GTA 5.

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Which one is graphically better, GTA San Andreas or GTA 4 graphics?

GTA San Andreas is a game from the 3D universe and was made in 2004. Rockstar had just started working on polishing graphics after transitioning from 2D GTA to 3D GTA.

San Andreas is the third installment in the 3D universe, and it has better textures, graphics, and resolution than its predecessors, GTA Vice City and GTA 3.

GTA 4 took visuals to a whole new level with its directional lighting-based shadows and detailed textures for surfaces. The HD universe picked up on what the 3D universe perfected, such as 3D objects and repetitive textures, and worked on making everything more realistic.

This title had a richer color palette, making the game a little more colorful, but it also looked like a blueish-green filter applied to it for the overall aesthetic.

GTA San Andreas had 3D cuboid buildings with different colors and a few details in them. GTA 4 took buildings to the next level by introducing many different shapes with intricate detailing to each object in them.

GTA San Andreas still had low-quality smoke animations, while GTA 4 polished those animations and added particle effects. Players could spot the repeated trees and objects in the former, while GTA 4 worked on making everything look unique to fit reality.

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The verdict

GTA 4 is much better graphically as it was released quite a few years after GTA San Andreas. By the time it came out, Rockstar had worked on many GTA games, thus improving graphics with time.

GTA San Andreas was a game-changer when it came out, but with time, experience, and technological advances, Rockstar made GTA 4 a much better game graphically than GTA San Andreas could be.

Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.