With so many stellar titles under its belt, picking which Grand Theft Auto game is the greatest is difficult. Many fans justifiably cite Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as the best of the bunch. The popularity it enjoys continues to this very day. So much so, in fact, that rumors are currently swirling around a possible remake or remaster.
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However, those hopes have yet to be officially confirmed. In the meantime, PC players can always make use of mods to create their own remaster. Although these mods aren't perfect and may take some tweaking, they can still vastly improve one's experience when playing San Andreas for the hundredth time.
Mod Loader
Installing mods, especially for old games, can be a pain sometimes. Luckily, the most popular gaming franchises typically possess a mod organizing tool of some sort. In the case of Grand Theft Auto, that tool is Mod Loader.
Mod Loader simplifies the process of adding and deleting mods from one's game directory. When everything is neat and organized, things generally tend to run smoother. In any event, it's still worth reading the instructions of every mod to avoid compatibility issues and annoying crashes.
10 GTA San Andreas: Definitive Edition
Generally speaking, installing mods that are all-in-one packages is ideal, particularly for beginners. Given the apt title of Grand Theft Auto: Definitive Edition, this mod encompasses a slew of features in a single, convenient source. Just be sure to follow the mod author's instructions carefully!
The Definitive Edition incorporates a little bit of everything. It includes myriad bug fixes, corrects numerous errors and crashes, adds much-needed widescreen support, and gives the textures and models a fresh coat of paint. It's a very impressive mod that lives up to its namesake.
9 Collection Of Graphics Mods
Any kind of remaster is going to give the graphics a lot of attention. There's actually quite a dizzying array of graphics mods available for San Andreas. Once again, installing an all-in-one package deal can save some time and effort.
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Fans may want to consider the bluntly-named Collection of Graphics Mods. This add-on enhances a variety of visuals, in particular the environment itself. The vegetation, clouds, roads, and other various effects are given attention. When starting to tweak the graphics, this mod isn't a bad place to start.
8 Ultimate Graphics
This mod can serve as a suitable alternative to the previous entry. In addition to upgrading the textures, this mod also tweaks other subtle effects, such as shadows. Ultimate Graphics won't tank one's PC either, so those with lower-end setups can still get something out of it. For better visuals without the added headaches, this mod isn't bad.
7 New Effects
Better textures are all well and good, but there are other facets of the visuals that deserve attention too. The New Effects mod is a good place to start when looking to upgrade some of the tertiary visuals, such as fire effects, water, and lighting. These sleeker and more lifelike effects blend nicely alongside the improved textures.
6 SilentPatch
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was originally released in 2004. As such, it's quite an old title by video game standards. Official patches aren't going to fix San Andreas's myriad collection of bugs. For that, patches compiled by modders are essential.
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The SilentPatch is absolutely essential when looking to upgrade this classic title. Bug fixes and stability on modern hardware is the name of the game as far as this mod is concerned. Its features are too numerous to list here, so check out the mod author's description for the full breakdown.
5 Detailed Radar
The radar maps in older Grand Theft Auto games leave something to be desired. Although it may seem like a small detail, remasters generally throw in a few quality-of-life improvements that make the gameplay a much smoother experience.
The Detailed Radar mod is rather old, but it's still quite impressive. It replaces the vanilla map and radar with something akin to a satellite image. Visually, it's much more satisfying to look at for long periods of time.
4 GTA V HUD
Speaking of quality-of-life improvements, weapon selection in the old Grand Theft Auto games is extremely cumbersome. Players have to scroll through all their acquired weapons one by one to locate their desired choice. It's a tedious process that symbolizes an antiquated mechanic.
The GTA V HUD mod brings San Andreas more in line with newer titles in the series, specifically Grand Theft Auto V. Among other improvements to the HUD, this mod allows players to make use of a weapon wheel. Selecting a firearm now feels more modern, not to mention much simpler.
3 GInput
Although ultimately a matter of preference, some fans likely feel that playing San Andreas with a mouse and keyboard is a bit unwieldy. However, getting an old game to play well with a controller isn't always a straightforward process.
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The GInput mod allows the player to map the controls to a gamepad. Getting everything to work properly can be a little tricky, so it's definitely worth reading the instructions carefully and installing the requisite updates.
2 Things To Do In San Andreas ('Till You're Dead)
Sometimes, remasters incorporate either new or cut content that didn't make it in the initial release. Keeping that in mind, a popular mod fans should certainly try is Things To Do In San Andreas ('Till You're Dead). According to the authors, the purpose of the mod is to "significantly enhance the appeal, lifetime, and overall gameplay of San Andreas."
This mod accomplishes that task by adding and/or tweaking a whole host of features. Some of these content additions are restorations, while others are brand new inclusions from several mod authors. If ever one needed more stuff to do in the game, this is the quintessential mod.
1 Autosave & Stuff
Longtime Grand Theft Auto fans no doubt remember how punishing it was to fail a mission in the older games. Titles like San Andreas don't possess a native checkpoint system during missions, so a failure results in a replay from scratch.
Autosave & Stuff modernizes the experiences by allowing the player to save their game without visiting a safehouse. It also provides a quick mission replay function via a hotkey. This way, even when players fail a mission, restarting doesn't have to be so frustrating and time-consuming.