Top 5 GTA San Andreas mods that players should try in 2021

GTA San Andreas probably has the distinction of being the game in the entire series for which the most mods were made.

Even though the base game wasn't compatible with modding, the GTA modding community has gone to great lengths to make various mods that change or improve the gameplay, thereby adding replayability.

A game made in 2004 might not appeal to gamers seeking a AAA title or to players who have already logged hundreds of hours into the game in the past. However, several mods make this game worth playing again in 2021.

This article dives into a few of those mods that change the gameplay experience of GTA San Andreas. GTA players should explore these options.

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Mods make GTA San Andreas feel evergreen

#5 - Realistic Peds Remake

(Image via libertycity.net)

This is a custom script that tweaks the behavior of in-game peds to emulate real people. The default peds in GTA San Andreas can converse with CJ, react to his actions, and gang members can even throw hand signs. However, the experience falls short of what was delivered by GTA 4 and 5.

This mod gives peds the ability to talk on their phones, drink (and even act drunk), and smoke. An optional feature allows them to carry bags and read newspapers while sitting on benches.

#4 - [VC/SA] Real Traffic Fix v2.1.1 beta

While being an improvement over previous titles, the traffic in GTA San Andreas was often chaotic. It's challenging to drive on highways without damaging the vehicle, as the AI randomly switched lanes at the worst possible moment. Various bugs made AI car crashes a frequently occurring event, where a faster vehicle would ram into a slower one for no apparent reason.

This mod fixes all these issues and boosts the driving AI to make traffic more realistic. Cars do not switch lanes at random and heavier vehicles are forced to drive in their respective lanes. AI vehicles have different speeds and natural suspensions compared to the player.

#3 - Manual DriveBy Remake

GTA 4 introduced a new feature that allows manual aiming from inside vehicles. This was a welcome change from the three-directional limited aiming of the 3D Universe games. A cheat in GTA San Andreas makes manual aiming possible, but the game assumes that CJ is a passenger, making it seem weird.

This Cleo mod makes the aiming seem natural without any camera issues like GTA 4 and 5.

#2 - Mod Ragdoll Bullet Physics

One of the biggest changes introduced in GTA 4 was the implementation of ragdoll physics. The game's Euphoria physics engine was far more sophisticated than that of its sequel GTA 5.

This mod adds ragdoll physics to GTA San Andreas. While not as good as that of GTA 4, this is still impressive and it does not hamper melee combat like in GTA 5.

#1 - First Person V3

The PC release of GTA 5 saw the inclusion of a much-demanded feature - the ability to switch between first and third-person camera modes. This mod adds a first-person camera to GTA San Andreas, and it can be used on foot and inside vehicles.

However, some minor bugs exist, like crosshair misalignment when switching back to the third person (when the widescreen is turned on. This mod is incompatible with the driveby mod.