Impressions of Replaying the Original PC GTA:SA with Quality-of-Life Mods
Table of Contents
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Though ostensibly an 18+ title, for some reason it’s this bizarre game that became a core childhood memory for so many people. And in all likelihood, it was also the very first open-world game I ever played.
Having recently made an unexpected pilgrimage to the game’s real-world holy land, I felt the urge to jump back in after all these years.
Which Edition to Play in the First Place?
GTA
Original Version (PS2 / PC)
The version where it all began.
Looking at it today, the graphics definitely show their age, but that unique orange-tinted atmosphere and the distinctive “charm” of the characters that only low-poly models can provide are still very much alive.
The PC version in particular has an extraordinarily rich modding scene.
Mobile Version (iOS / Android)
The version that made it easy to play casually on smartphones and tablets.
I have zero desire to play on a tiny screen, so this is out of the question.
HD Remaster (PS3 / Xbox 360)
The version said to be ported based on the mobile release.
While the resolution was bumped up, fans universally panned it due to frame rate issues, heaps of bugs, and tonal shifts. Completely out of the question.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (Current-Gen / PC / Mobile)
The latest remaster package, bundling GTA III, VC, and SA together. The visuals were overhauled extensively with Unreal Engine to give them a modern look.
However, this one didn’t get great reviews either, again thanks to tons of bugs and a jarring shift in atmosphere. Apparently a major patch dropped recently that resolved most of the issues, but still…
So, Which One Did I Actually Pick?
In the end, what I went with was the original PC version.
There are a few reasons for this.
First and foremost, the existence of mods was huge. Word was that by installing mods that add widescreen support, squash minor bugs, and improve controls while keeping the original vibe as intact as possible, you can play it comfortably on modern PC hardware.
Next, I wanted to prioritize the original atmosphere. Sure, the Definitive Edition cleaned up the graphics, but personally I love that slightly unpolished, for better or worse “early 2000s game” vibe.
Of course, if convenience or crisp graphics are your top priorities, the Definitive Edition or the mobile versions are probably fine choices. But this time, I wanted to relive “the San Andreas of back then,” so the original PC version, bolstered by mods, was the best choice for me.
Installing Mods
To get the game running comfortably, I installed the following mods:
Downgrading the Version
First, to lay the groundwork for modding, you have to downgrade the game to version 1.0.0.
I downgraded following this guide:
All you do is download the files from below and overwrite your existing game installation folder.
SA Essentials
Next, I installed SA Essentials.
This pack contains mods you definitely can’t miss. The first step after installing the game. Quick start.
True to the description, installing this brings high-resolution support, minor bug fixes, crash prevention, and prepares the ground for further modding.
Once again, all you have to do is dump everything you downloaded straight into the install folder.
Japanese Localization
My English is incomparably better now than it was back then, so I tried playing without any translation patch, but listening to Black English slang proved pretty brutal. I humbly swallowed my pride and went with the Japanese localization.
Follow Step 3 onward from the common instructions on the following page:
Download the font files from below and overwrite them in the install directory:
Download the Japanese translation files from below and place them in the install directory:
Skin Selector v2.1 ML and v2.1 C
This isn’t remotely necessary, but I really wanted the freedom to swap character skins. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike CJ—in fact, I love the guy—but it just feels like tossing in totally absurd skins and messing around is the true GTA
So, first off, I installed Skin Selector.
This is an updated version of the mod below, adapted to work with ModLoader. (Brings back so many memories! I was genuinely touched to see this site still alive.)
All you do is download and extract it, then drop the resulting Skin Selector (o) folder into the modloader directory.
Once the game boots up, you can press Tab+Q+E to open the menu and choose a skin, or cycle through skins one by one with Tab+Q/E.
Notes:
- With this setup so far, CJ’s skin remains unchanged in most cutscenes.
- If you perform a wardrobe change during a mission while wearing a custom skin, the game will crash without fail. You must switch back to CJ before changing clothes.
Lumine from Genshin Impact
Again, this isn’t strictly necessary, but as the final touch, I installed a custom skin.
Part of my motivation for playing GTA
Model: miHoYo (HoYoverse)
Apparently, so it looks like someone converted the officially distributed 3D model for GTA
Ah shit, here we go again.
Installing the Lumine skin was 100% the right call. It spawned so many surreal moments that had me grinning ear to ear every single time.
If the installation succeeded, you should see the replaced skin and the Japanese subtitles like this.
Lumine after consuming way too many recovery items.
Lumine sent back to a Statue of The Seven.
Lumine working hard at the gym.
Lumine witnessing a famous rapper’s manager sinking to the ocean floor.
Lumine having arrived in Natlan.
Lumine about to enjoy a nice drive.
Impressions
So, while I haven’t cleared the game yet, here are my impressions.
GTA
To be completely honest, I had some worries beforehand—wondering if nostalgia goggles were doing heavy lifting, or if I’d be unable to stomach the dated graphics and clunky controls playing it today. But once I actually jumped in, those worries turned out to be completely unfounded.
A Timeless Gaming Experience
The first thing that blew me away was just how thoroughly polished it is as an open world.
Three distinct cities—Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas—connected by sprawling countryside and desert. Each region has its own living culture and atmosphere, so just driving around never gets old.
And the attention to detail is staggering: custom skyboxes tailored to each area, ambient chatter from pedestrians on the street, era-defining hit songs blasting from the radio stations, NPC behaviors, and so much more.
Apparently, SA’s map is less than half the size of GTA V’s, but strangely enough, SA always felt bigger to me than GTA V ever did.
I thought this too might just be childhood nostalgia goggles, but replaying it now, the world of SA genuinely does feel larger.
The shorter draw distance preventing you from seeing far off into the distance is probably the single biggest reason, but the map design—connecting three comparably developed cities via rural countryside—is also brilliant.
Somehow, SA’s map just feels denser. There’s a reason to visit every single region, and each area’s distinct identity really stands out.
CJ’s “Hero’s Journey”
SA’s storyline is genuinely captivating. And as is often the case, I felt that’s largely thanks to the “Hero’s Journey.”
- CJ lives in the “Ordinary World” (Los Santos) as a Black street gangster.
- However, betrayal by his homies forces him to cross into the “Special World.”
- Along the “Road of Trials,” he acquires new allies, businesses, and life experiences.
- Ultimately, CJ returns to Los Santos with broader horizons as the “Master of Two Worlds.”
- He defeats Big Smoke and Officer Tenpenny, earning the “Freedom to Live.”
Applying a Vogler-style analysis:
- CJ’s external motivation
- Restoring Grove Street Families, protecting the imprisoned Sweet, making money
- CJ’s internal motivation
- Escaping ghetto life (?)
That’s roughly how it shakes out, I think.
While CJ cherishes Grove Street, deep down inside he seemed to harbor a latent desire to break out of the slums and make something of himself. That’s why he fled to the East Coast in the first place, but living as a Black street gangster was the only way of life he had ever known. Then came the news of his mother’s death, which prompted him to interact with people from diverse races and communities, ultimately helping him discover a new way of living.
On an abstract level, I think that’s the kind of story it is.
Framed that way, the fact that both Smoke and Tenpenny are Black, that they symbolize the twin conflicts of gang vs. gang and gang vs. cops, and that CJ brings about their demise feels like it carries a far deeper meaning than just avenging his mother or settling scores for past harassment.
This is something I’d love to examine thoroughly once I actually finish the game.
Quality-of-Life Mods and Fresh Fun
The mods I installed this time also contributed hugely to improving the overall experience. In particular, the widescreen support and bug fixes provided by SA Essentials were an absolute must for playing in a modern setup.
And then there’s the Lumine skin. It proved to be a truly fantastic spice. Watching Lumine speak in a gravelly, menacing voice in serious cutscenes, or sprint around gripping an UZI in a posture completely devoid of any feminine grace, was so hilarious and surreal that I couldn’t stop grinning.
If you frame it as a parallel universe where she touched down in the wrong world, it arguably—just barely—holds up with Genshin canon (???), which makes it all the funnier.
Did ending up in 1992 San Andreas instead of Teyvat really turn her mouth this foul?
Conclusion
All in all, by using mods to achieve modern comfort while preserving the original’s distinct atmosphere and staggering degree of freedom, I was able to relish it all over again.
Revisiting GTA
Claiming “things were better in the old days” makes me sound like a nostalgia-blinded purist (kaiko-chu), but truthfully, I felt that certain experiences exist precisely because the graphics are unrefined, precisely because the game doesn’t hold the player’s hand.
The short draw distance was undoubtedly born of technical limitations, yet it ultimately played a vital role in emphasizing the sheer vastness of the world; the lack of autosave made unlocking safehouses and surviving after clearing a mission crucial challenges in their own right.
A screenshot of the Definitive Edition quoted from the video mentioned earlier.
It feels so wrong being able to see Mount Chiliad from anywhere on the map.
Honestly, spot on. In this screenshot, not only is Mount Chiliad visible, but you can also see the skyscrapers of both Los Santos and San Fierro in plain sight. Even though you’re in Las Venturas. This is profoundly wrong.
Playing the original PC version with mods feels once again like the absolute best choice for hardcore fans who want to preserve the atmosphere of that era. If you find yourself reminiscing about the old days, or if you’ve never played it before and want to experience this masterpiece, I wholeheartedly recommend playing the original on PC, loaded to the brim with mods.
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Notes on games, radio and technology, translated from the Japanese blog.