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Captain.Curtle's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC)
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| [July 27, 2011 11:37:15 AM]
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Since the narrative of this game is linear, I am not able to influence any aspect of it. This can hinder a player’s experience with the game, especially if their moral character conflicts with the course of the game. Let’s say I am morally against killing people, no matter the situation. I will not be able to progress in the game at all because I refuse to complete many of the missions. However, I can still have an enjoyable gaming experience should I choose to not follow the narrative. I am able to be a taxi driver, an ambulance driver, a fireman, or play the game in any fashion I choose. I particularly enjoy this sandbox-style game genre, because I can have an individual experience with it. Some days I can choose to race and customize cars, and on others I can complete missions to open up the world of San Andreas to new possibilities. Most importantly, how I play the game vastly differs from any other person. The game has been ridiculed for its lawless and immoral nature, but the player can decide for himself whether he wants to take part in these activities or not.
Today I came across an interesting mission, one that reveals CJ’s true character. In “Burning Desire”, Tenpenny orders CJ to make sure that a certain ‘gang-banger’ does not leave town alive. If CJ does not comply, he will almost certainly be killed or thrown into prison. During the mission, CJ’s goal is to torch the gangster’s house with Molotov’s. Shortly after doing so, CJ discovers that a girl is trapped inside, and she is choking because of the dense smoke. The rest of the mission involves saving this girl. This action shows that CJ does not want this life of gang violence. He feels that he has no other options. However, the player may not realize that CJ is not actually an evil person. This is the first instance where CJ does something virtuous, and it reveals another aspect of CJ to the player.
-C Weir
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jul 27th, 2011 at 21:06:02.
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| [July 27, 2011 10:43:35 AM]
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Throughout my playtime so far, I have noticed that one character in particular has stood out as an antagonist to CJ, although not explicitly stated. Ryder has been a friend to CJ at this time, but the player can see that his immoral behavior is more extreme than the others. He is constantly shown to be smoking marijuana, but that is more of a stereotype than a moral issue. I am referring to how he treats CJ. During his missions, CJ ventures with Ryder to steal from various sources. This thievery involves a home burglary, a train full of explosives, and equipment from an army depot. Ryder claims that this weaponry is needed for the Grove’s gang wars. However, I do not remember these supplies being used in any future mission. During these missions, Ryder used CJ to perform jobs he could not do himself, he lied to CJ, and he kept the ammunition and guns for himself. On top of that, Ryder is always ridiculing CJ about his driving ability and has not forgiven CJ for leaving Grove Street.
[SPOILER ALERT] Through my playthroughs, I also remember that CJ kills Ryder during a second island mission. In my opinion, the game developers included Ryder as a character to highlight a point. To a gang member, many actions that are illegal are not exactly immoral. But actions such as betrayal or deception to fellow gang members are among the most illegal activities as far as the gang is concerned. Ryder is killed because he was corrupted by greed and fame, and betrayed the friends he has been so close to for all these years.
-C Weir
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jul 27th, 2011 at 21:05:16.
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| [July 27, 2011 10:42:51 AM]
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GameLog 1
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has consumed countless hours of my life. However, this time has been enjoyed, not wasted. This was one of the first sandbox-style games I owned, and I was excited to give it another try. After the first cut scene, I spent a few minutes getting used to and mapping the controls (I played on XBOX before). I decided that I would speed run through the first few missions because they are all tutorials. (driving point A to point B, character introductions, etc.)
When I first arrived on Grove Street, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. I remembered my countless playthroughs, and the narrative started coming back to me. The first cutscene starts with CJ returning home after five years away from the Grove. Ironically, that’s about how long it has been since I last played this game. CJ’s mother has been murdered, and he finds that his old neighborhood has been slowly deteriorating since his leave. CJ is then thrown into his old ways of gang violence.
In my opinion, there are three reasons as to why CJ is compelled to recede into his old ways. The first is due to his loyalty to his brother (Sweet) and his friends. They have been a huge part of his life, and CJ views everyone on the Grove as family. The second reason is that the Anti-Gang Unit has framed CJ for homicide. This forces him to comply with them, and do their dirty work. A third possible reason is that CJ feels somewhat responsible for the death of his brother five years ago. CJ fled the state immediately afterwards, but now regrets not being there for his family afterwards. During this first section of the game, CJ defends his neighborhood and must expand the Grove’s territory to what it once was with the guidance of his friends.
During the rest of this session, I spent my time completing the introductory missions as quickly as possible.
-C Weir
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Jul 27th, 2011 at 21:04:59.
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