3. Gang Wars
An excellent and addictive feature in San Andreas was gang wars - the ability to seize control of certain parts of the map and then defend your captured territory against invasions. GTA has always been about starting with nothing and building your empire from the ground up, and this feature was a metaphor for that gameplay element that we have all come to know and love. In GTA: San Andreas there were two rival gangs, the 'Ballas' and the 'Vagos'. Each would shoot at you on sight in an attempt to kill you. The solution? Wipe them out! Simply head to a section of the map shaded in either purple or yellow and pick a fight, queue a fierce exchange of gunfire, plenty of blood and best of all, the respect of your peers. Defending your territory only increased the respect earned from your fellow "homies". Of course, you could choose to allow a part of your territory to fall back into the hands of the enemy if you just couldn't be bothered fighting anymore, at a penalty. Rockstar should really consider bringing this feature back - it was great fun and was an almost unending mini-game of sorts giving the gamer something to do long after the main quest line had been completed. It also doesn't hurt to have an ally on the street corner if you get into trouble with the law...