Looking back on why the multiplayer feature in GTA San Andreas was fondly remembered

GTA San Andreas was the first 3D GTA game to include a playable multiplayer feature.

The earliest 2D GTA games had a limited form of multiplayer, and GTA 3's multiplayer was never finalized. Hence, most old-school fans associate GTA San Andreas as the first game in the series with this feature .

It only had local multiplayer back then, and it's worth noting that not all ports of GTA San Andreas include this feature.

For example, the PC version doesn't include it without mods, whereas the original PS2 version did have it. There were two forms of multiplayer in the original version of GTA San Andreas:

1. Rampages
2. Free Roam

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GTA San Andreas's multiplayer feature: Why some fans loved it

GTA San Andreas's multiplayer feature was incredibly simplistic yet charming in its execution. Essentially, CJ would approach one of two icons (two skulls and two red stick figures representing Rampages and Free Roam, respectively).

If a player had a second controller, they would then press a button to initiate local multiplayer.

The five locations for multiplayer Rampages were:

1. Idlewood
2. Montgomery
3. Chinatown
4. Las Payasadas
5. The Camel's Toe

The five locations for multiplayer Free Roam:

1. Idlewood
2. Dillimore
3. Garcia
4. El Quebrados
5. Royal Casino

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What made local multiplayer so memorable?

An example of the multiplayer icon for Rampages (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although local multiplayer was a minor feature in GTA San Andreas, it's still a beloved one. Rampages were simple, but the more interesting one is Free Roam. In it, two players could do whatever they wanted across the map.

Not only that, but the second player could pick one of several pedestrian models depending on where the player initiates the local multiplayer session.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the GTA series compared to its contemporaries was that it's primarily a single-player experience. Hence, this multiplayer feature allowed two people to enjoy the game.

From there, players could do whatever they wanted. They could work together to terrorize a location, try to kill one another, or just mess around with no goals in mind. Part of what made the GTA series so fun was that the player could do whatever they wanted in an open-world sandbox environment.

This feature simply allowed two players to enjoy the game together, rather than the usual single-player experience that defines most GTA titles.

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A new generation of GTA San Andreas multiplayer

There are several servers to choose from in SA-MP (Image via Klorontix)

Unsurprisingly, many love the idea of a multiplayer GTA San Andreas; several mods exist to bring that idea into reality. The most popular multiplayer mod is SA-MP, which even includes its own offshoots for roleplaying fans.

The original version of SA-MP is essentially the free roam of GTA Online, but in the world of GTA San Andreas. It still includes missions for the player to do and several other familiar activities to participate in (without pesky loading screens).

Some servers associated with SA-MP (Image via gs4u.net)

There are several SA-MP servers to choose from, each with its own unique features that are still active today. Take Arizona RP as an example. It can regularly have nearly 1000 players on it, which is a far cry from what most GTA 5 RP servers can achieve.

That's not even mentioning how the original GTA San Andreas had local multiplayer to support two players. To go from two users to nearly 1000 in an old game with some mods is an impressive feat.