GTA: San Andreas - 10 Reasons It's Still The Best In The Series

8. Customising Carl

Customising your character has always been a great way to make your run through a game feel more personal and unique, but previously Grand Theft Auto was lacking in this department. Vice City was the first GTA game to feature a changeable protagonist but this simply allowed you to play dress-up with Tommy Vercetti. San Andreas made big changes though and they're still pretty intriguing today. First, San Andreas lets you fully change CJ's clothing (Vice City only allowed you to select a pre-made outfit for Tommy) and this plays a role in the game's respect meter. If you're wearing the green of Grove Street, the meter will go up, allowing you to recruit more gang members to aid your cause. Changing clothes is fairly standard business though; how about the ability to completely change your protagonist's weight and build? San Andreas introduces a whole bunch of stats and among them are Fat and Muscle. Eating food will raise your Fat meter and when it's full... well, let's just say CJ looks pretty cuddly. Keeping Fat low will make CJ look gaunt and skinny but hitting the weights and raising your Muscle meter will get you the virtual six-pack you've always dreamed of. Realistically, it's possible for CJ to completely change his body shape within a day, completely avoiding the need for fad diets or magical weight-loss tips. Radically altering CJ's body on a regular basis probably isn't good for his health but it's fairly entertaining to mess with the hero of a game to this degree.