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brandondpbell's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
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| [November 3, 2010 12:56:42 PM]
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My third time around restarting the game, I decided to ignore the storyline and test the by pass system of the game. I started with how much mayhem can be caused in the GTA SA society and immediately starting the game the most accurate way it through cheat codes.
First, almost all (80%) of the cheat codes cause some sort of mayhem, death or disaster.
The all weapons cheat allows the player to kill at a higher rate than simple story game play. There are codes that cause aggressive driving, aggressive drivers, aggressive civilians, all civilians have weapons and blow up all cars, type of cheats. This game is fully and intentionally designed around the promotion of chaos where even if the story didn’t have killing or violence, the cheats inevitably and continuously ignite violence in the game system itself.
Ethical egoism is the choice in non-killing codes such as gaining money, women, hot cars, gang members and respect. Everything is self-beneficial. The game already has unavoidable destruction, the cheat system multiplies its already high content.
Gaining six stars is not challenge in this game either, the cops shoot first and ask question or arrest you never. The cops system is shoot and kill, where even if you bump their car, or punch a citizen that punched you first, their guns are pulled. The game inspires the player to also test the cops. Gaining stars or increasing your wanted level is fun and only has consequence of getting Wasted. Cops in reality are (supposed) to ask question and arrest where possible and we are (supposed) to respect them and they for our protection.
In fact, there is a police kill count within the system! I used the All-Weapons cheat and the armor + health cheat against police forces. I commenced Only to kills the cops. My respect, strength and Hitman levels rose far quicker than normal civilian kills, you can track it as much as you want by pressing R1. I reached max shotgun Hitman level in maybe ten minutes and using other weapons against cops causes your accuracy and lethality to grow. This shows you gain more in killing one type of person than another, namely cops, Special Forces, CIA, and (after 6 stars) military personnel over regular kills.
The reality of the game is obviously way off, but it is a great stimulus for one’s ethical values to witness and have the option to perform so many immoral acts. Comparing it to reality we can scrutinize the parts of our society that the game reenact / imitates. The game may be violent but we should not hop on the game, rather tackle and question the Actual reality behind what the game represents and performs. Its issues are real, and bring us the realism of injustice, violence and corruption to us on a silver platter.
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| [November 2, 2010 12:00:05 PM]
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The priority of family is important in the game and in real life.
Moral devotion to one’s family is taken to the extreme side in San Andreas.
We naturally look out for family we love and cherish others with care.
In San Andreas, family values are based in fighting for the name of the family, taking hits for the family and dying with and for the family, naturally or under gunfire.
CJ returns for his dead grandmother but stays for the devotion to family territory. The mention of his grandmother from other characters early in the game is low, showing that reason is put aside.
On one of the missions, CJ is told there are family feuds for territory.
The current wars are not between individuals, gang families are fighting over territory. There is no choice over participation here. Either he is on the side of family or he is dead, and family comes first before all things in this game.
Die for your family, fight for the family and kill for the family. If it was just a gang, force or organization he might could walk away but the unbreakable family value is turned to the extreme. This extreme has started gangs and brotherhoods in real life as well.
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| [October 29, 2010 02:46:39 PM]
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Starting the game off I can see that there will be different races in this game.
We're now playing with an African American character, and I thought I have a setting with more African American, and after the cinematic I was.
I rode around on the bike to check out the streetwalkers. The AI is the same, but this time the dialogue is ranged. In less that five minutes I could hear cursing and swearing from civilians. Plus some has accents, I could hear and see Latinas\Latinos widely added.
The racial tension is shown openly. I guess since its based on Race Riots time period its expected. The Latinos hung within their groups, so did African Americans. Some racial slurs can be heard, when I beat up someone of another race, man or woman.
In the beginning racial injustice is shown right away, since in America there is discrimination against African, Latino, Spanish and Hispanic Americans, where they are more likely to be pulled over because of their race or appearance.
Here, Carl wasn't even in his own car, the taxi he's in is pulled over, which has happened in reality as well. One of the cops who pulls over the taxi yells "Damn Mexican" to the driver, before telling him to pull off.
A theme someone should expect is Race Relations and the segregation in San Andreas. It's encountered even before the first or game starts, shown in opening cinematic.
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