Q: How big is the city in comparison to the other games? There are actually three cities in San Andreas and all of them are interconnected with miles and miles of interconnected freeways, deserts, mountains, rivers, and more. The three cities themselves are based on real life locations like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. In terms of total geography, the land size is somewhere between five and six times bigger than Vice City. Q: How long is the game and how many missions are there? In terms of game length, an actual time frame has not been disclosed. But given the size of San Andreas in comparison to previous titles, players can expect it to be just as lengthy (and likely more so) as GTA III and Vice City. The number of story-based and sidequest missions have not been revealed. Q: How many weapons are there? There is no set number of weapons confirmed so far, but at least we know that some of them can be wielded in each hand at the same time. Additionally, players will be able to participate in drive-by shootings and utilize improved hand-to-hand mechanics when fighting without a weapon. Anyhow, these are the following guns that will definitely be in the game: .45 Cal 9mm Shotgun Uzi Q: What kind of environmental conditions can we expect and what types of missions are there? From all the sources we've read, it appears that there will not only be more indoor missions, but several additional mini-games as well. By the time the game comes out later this year, players will be able to gamble at casinos, break into houses to rob them, and recruit their own gang to back them up. Other more traditional GTA missions will be included too; which include the typical fetch quest types and assassination missions. Most interesting of all is that fact that the game will even include some first-person shooting segments; quite a change from Vice City. In terms of the environments, San Andreas features the same dynamic day and night cycles that were seen in both GTA III and Vice City. It also features dynamic weather, but exactly what kind of weather, we do not know. There is smog in Los Santos (Los Angeles). We also expect to witness falling rain, but snow seems a little inappropriate given the three areas that are said to represent Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco, especially considering that individual models are being created for day and night and snow would require even more individual models be created (the "mountains" between them still give us hope). We unfortunately don't know if weather is bound to locale or if there is any kind of seasonal implementation. For instance, will it ever rain in Los Santos during August? Is there an August? Q: What new abilities does CJ Have? Yes ladies and gentleman, a Grand Theft Auto character will finally be able to swim. But CJ can still drown too, so don't go hopping in the ocean thinking that you can turn into Aquaman at the drop of a hat. Additionally, CJ has improved hand-to-hand combat skills, has the ability to recruit NPCs to follow him in his gang, can wear various new outfits, and can work out at a gym to become stronger. CJ can even improve specific player attributes and skills! Q: Is there Online or HDD Support? There is no online multiplayer support. This is official. Hard drive support is officially unannounced, but San Andreas revolves around a clever piece of DVD streaming technology that helps the experience remain load-free, except during transitions between interior and exterior environments. This load-free streaming doesn't require the hard drive, so what would be the point of having one? Still, it would be nice to see support included so that our MP3 tracks might be added to the game. Q: Is it true that Carl has to eat to survive? Yup! Every so often Carl must grub to keep himself kicking. Eating too much -- or too much crap -- will make Carl fat. This not only causes NPC characters to react differently to him, but may also cause adverse performance effects, including slower speed, a weaker character, and altered physics (apparently measured by a stamina meter of sorts). To work off the weight, Carl can hit up the gym. Working out too much, however, may actually add too much mass and cause Carl to slow a bit. So, if you ever find yourself crashing into water and panicking, you'd better hope you're in the right shape to escape before your stamina meter runs dry and you drown. Q: Will characters from other GTA games make appearances? Apparently so. Few specifics are currently known, but we do know that recognizable and obscure names and faces from Liberty and Vice City could make return appearances in San Andreas. Interestingly, Frank Vincent, the voice actor who portrayed Don Salvatore Leone in GTA III, stated not too long ago on his personal website that he had been commissioned to reprise his role for "the sequel to GTA 3". That statement has since disappeared without a formal retraction. Q: How has the targeting system improved? Reportedly, it's now more like Man Hunt, which is to say the camera takes a much closer over-the-shoulder view of the action, and by using the right analog stick to aim, should allow for more precise shooting, including vicious headshots. The game apparently also boasts a much more in-depth melee combat system when compared to Vice City or GTA III. This means that there are different attack "stances" and even some rudimentary combinations to be toyed around with. This all leads to more fighting and even carjacking variation. Q: What are the radio stations and what licensed music is in here? This hasn't been revealed at all yet, but we do know that San Andreas is intended to be a representation of California as a whole, which we know from experience to be a mixture of various styles, including alternative, hip-hop, rap, metal, and everything in-between. Since the game takes place during the turbulent early 90s, it wouldn't be surprising to hear Guns 'n Roses, Vanilla Ice, NWA, and the Beach Boys. It's definitely not rap specific, anyway. Interestingly enough, we've received reports that several radio stations in Los Angeles have reported that Nine Inch Nails "Head Like A Hole" will make an appearance in the game, but that report has never been substantiated by a Rockstar spokesperson. Q: What kind of buildings can we own / buy? What purpose do they serve? Interiors and the ownership of buildings will play a far more important role inSan Andreas than they ever managed to in Vice City. You can even run a casino that you have built and now own. How building works, we can't say. But, running an operation isn't supposed to be a tedious checklist and inventory management debacle. According to the printed word, Rockstar is aiming for a managerial system that revolves around the completion of missions and sub quests. Since it's gang-based, can we actually have a gang? During the 90s there were some 15,000 active gang members. Because ganging it up, or whatever the proper term is, was so popular, the game naturally allows players to recruit non-controllable comrades for select missions. The specifics behind this functionality are still unknown, but it is possible to enlist the aid of fellow Orange Grove Family "soldiers" (up to three, we believe) and then undertake entire missions with them at your side.