Rockstar Games is keeping fans waiting with bated breath over the future of the Grand Theft Auto series, with development of GTA 6 rumored, but currently unannounced. While many fans are eagerly looking forward to what the series will come up with next, at least one fan is looking back to San Andreas and imagining bringing it into the future.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas premiered way back on the PS2, though it has since been ported to other consoles and mobile devices. While the game still has fans and popularity, it has ultimately been overshadowed by the games that have released in the series since, and Rockstar Games has shown no inclination to return to it anytime soon.
One nice thing about gamers, though, is that they can often take up the reins where game developers drop them. One GTA fan, YouTuber XXII, has released a fan trailer for a Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Definitive Edition remaster concept. Unlike other San Andreas remake attempts in the past, XXII is quick to indicate in the video and description that this is merely a concept; there is no game in development.
XXII uses mods in Grand Theft Auto 5 in order to bring 1990s San Andreas back to life in HD glory. While the player models are far from complete modern-day HD remakes, they do look better than their original PS2 appearances, and the animations in particular have seen a major improvement. The trailer briefly follows San Andreas protagonist CJ as he makes his way through gun fights, car chases, and even taking to the skies, finally closing on an iconic meme spawned by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
XXII's emphasis on this being simply a concept is likely due to the fact that publisher Take-Two Interactive has been extremely quick to dismantle fan remake projects in the past. Players have attempted to create upscaled and remastered versions of the iconic Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - among other Grand Theft Auto games - before, but their videos are usually swiftly taken down due to copyright claims from Take-Two Interactive. Since XXII's video isn't tied to an actual playable mod or remaster, it may stand a better chance at being left alone by the series' publisher.
Recently, Bully 2 was allegedly canceled in order to focus on Grand Theft Auto 6. Without an official proclamation from Rockstar Games, it's hard to be certain exactly what the developer is working on. While Take-Two Interactive shutting down fan remake projects in the past may have led some to hoping that Rockstar may ultimately remake or remaster them itself, it's unclear if that is Rockstar's intention, or if Take-Two Interactive is simply protecting its intellectual property. In any case, fans who hope to play as CJ again will either have to revisit the original or keep waiting.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is available on PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, and mobile devices.