Rockstar Developer Reveals a Hidden Secret of the World of GTA San Andreas

Twenty years ago, Rockstar Games released one of the most famous open-world games ever, GTA: San Andreas. Although the vast, sprawling area of San Andreas in the game has now become legendary, it could have been even more ambitious and massive.

GTA San Andreas: Semi-Reality of Three Separate Cities

According to developer Obbe Vermeij, who worked at Rockstar on the original Grand Theft Auto series, they originally planned to divide the game into 3 separate cities, similar to the structure of previous GTA games. This would have allowed for more detailed city designs and unique features for each location.

The idea was to have players travel between these cities using trains and planes, a mechanic that would add a layer of strategy and exploration to the game. However, due to the technical limitations of the PlayStation 2 console, this ambitious vision had to be scaled back.

The memory was too small on the PS2, and with separate maps, there would be no ability to keep models of the horizon of the other cities in memory. This would also make it easy to get different police/ambulance/fire vehicles for each city. Different vehicle spawns, different weather types, and so on.

Obbe Vermeij

Each of the three cities in the world of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas would have unique models for buildings, vehicles, police cars, ambulances, and more to differentiate them from other areas, making the player feel like they’re entering a different game when transitioning between these three cities.

The Decision to Unify the Game World

Vermeij said, “Before we started on the three maps, we had a final meeting at Rockstar North, where we changed our minds and decided to work on one big map after all.” The decision was made to merge the three cities into one huge interconnected world. This allowed for a smoother gameplay experience, but also presented significant technical challenges.

Despite this change and the merging of the three maps into one large map, the game still retains city-specific elements such as unique vehicles, police forces, and weather patterns. This nod to the original plan adds a layer of depth and diversity to the game world.

GTA: San Andreas remains a beloved game, praised for its immersive open world, engaging story, and memorable characters. While the idea of three separate cities may have been intriguing, the unified world of San Andreas has proven to be a timeless classic in the hearts of series fans.