How do the Criminal Ratings work in GTA San Andreas?

Chaotic GTA San Andreas players can always check their criminal activities via the pause menu screen.

Criminal Ratings are a mainstay feature in the 3D Universe. GTA San Andreas keeps track of all the player's unlawful acts. Law and order is a meaningless concept in the game. Players can make an infamous name for themselves via destruction, money, and death.

At the beginning of GTA San Andreas, the players started with a zero rating. Over time, they can increase or decrease the rating, depending on their actions. While Criminal Ratings don't affect gameplay, they are a fun little diversion. It can also provide a new challenge.

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A brief overview of the Criminal Ratings in GTA San Andreas

GTA San Andreas is an explosive gameplay experience (Image via GTAall.com)

Criminal Ratings are a good way to record in-game destruction. Players can access it anytime within the pause menu. The game documents every instance of wasted pedestrians, destroyed vehicles, and property damage.

GTA San Andreas players will gain a title related to their ranking. For example, a Criminal Rating within the 650-699 range will give them Street Cat.

How scoring works for Criminal Ratings

GTA San Andreas players can score points with the Criminal Rating system. The score goes from zero to a million. However, they can go below the threshold into the negative range.

100% game completion only yields 1000 points (or one point for every 0.1% of the game beaten).

There are several ways to raise the Criminal Ranking. Killing pedestrians is based off a few statistics. Namely, the game counts how many people have been killed since the last checkpoint (saves, mission completion, and Pay 'n' Sprays). This will add to the legitimate kill stat, which resets after being wasted or busted.

Under this rule, each legitimate kill is worth a single point. Players destroying grounded vehicles doesn't count unless there are pedestrians inside. Blowing up aircraft will result in a 30 point bonus.

Meanwhile, making at least $5,000 (every time) will give another point. However, spending money takes it away.

The highest possible scores

Although it's a difficult challenge, players can try to attain the highest possible score. The final score within the Criminal Ratings is the appropriate King of San Andreas, which caps at over a million points.

It's the ultimate bragging rights award for GTA San Andreas players. It takes masterful skill and dedication to pull off this time-consuming task. At the very least, it's fun to blow up everything in sight.

Since there are too many to list all at once, these are all the top ranks (with at least 100,000 points or more). Here is the cream of the crop:

• King of San Andreas (1,000,000+)
• Godfather (500,000-999,999)
• Four-Star General (400,000-499,999)
• High Roller (300,000-399,999)
• OG (200,000-299,999)
• Shot Caller (150,000-199,999)
• Boss Hawg (100,000-149,999)

It's possible to lose points

GTA San Andreas players can lower their Criminal Ratings if they perform specific actions. Using cheats is a major way to lose points - each cheat activation loses ten.

The lowest possible score is entitled Cheater for that very reason. However, one exception is the Health and Armor cheat, which adds 40 points.

Getting wasted or busted will lose three points for the player. It isn't much, but those with low survival rates will remain stagnant in their rankings. No doubt someone like OG Loc would rank very low in Criminal Ratings.

GTA San Andreas players can end up with less than zero points. If they continually get wasted, busted, or use cheat codes, they will be within the minus range. There are six ranks in total with this dubious achievement, which are as follows:

• Cheater (Fewer than -10,000)
• Crackhead (-10,000 - -6,000)
• B*tch-Made (-5,999 - -4,000)
• Off-Brand (-3,999 - -2,000)
• Scandalous (-1,999 - -500)
• Playa-Hater (-499 - -1)

The best methods to raise the Criminal Rating in GTA San Andreas

Completing the story mode in GTA San Andreas only yields 8,000 points (if done correctly). Attaining the highest Criminal Rating is a challenge for players. The good news is there are ways to rise above the ranks. All a player needs is health, armor, weapons, and a few gang members.

Players can wait on narrow roads or freeways and shoot down passing vehicles. When law enforcement arrives, they should get their Health and Armor cheat ready. Taking helicopters out will add extra points to the counter. GTA San Andreas players need to bring the best they have.

Alternatively, they can also use Hunters or Hydras. These are powerful flying vehicles, with railguns and missiles respectively. Players can eliminate most of their targets with ease.

However, they must be careful if they have a wanted level of four stars. At least two Hydras will chase them down.

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