I travelled to my mates house today and watched him mess around on gta 4 for a bit before we went out.

The gta game that i saw him play seemed very different from san andreas, it seemed to be more focused and refined, whereas san andreas seemed to be more diluted somewhat than this version.

When i asked him about whether he thought i should buy it he suprised me though, he said "rather than a complete step forward I think this game is more of a........... step forward one step to the side, followed by a step backwards and finally a step diagonally forward to the right." Obviously with all of this stepping involved i was quite confused:S. He explained by saying that the game is less "playing around fun" and more "serious fun" , "kind of the difference between mario kart and Gran turismo" he went on to say. I was quite suprised by this as being as he is the worlds biggest GTA fan (except he doesnt except GTA Londons exhistance).

Aaaanyways i went the long way about saying this, so can anyone tell me what features are in San Andreas that are not in GTA 4 and the other way around.

From the short veiwing that i had they seemed to trim some of fun fat off of the game replacing it with serious fun muscle, although at the moment im not sure which i prefer.

*so 4 has aiming sys, phone, taxi system, pool!!, darts!!!, drunk driving:D, better dates, ++ improved story and more interactive world(internet, tv etc) .

I know san andreas had tanks, car modding, more weapons, weapon advancement, car dealership, truck pizza mission, arena, driving/flying licence, aeroplanes/jet pack, split screen + fighting styles, and more customisable character.

Sorry for the massive post and listings, its just that im either gonna get "shit canned" 5 times or buy the system and its a very close call! so if anyone could tell me any more pros/cons about the game and which has better lasting appeal i would v. much appreciate it!:D

DON'T DO IT!. Do not buy a system for only one game. I made that mistake w/Xbox 1. Look at other games which may be good to you and base you purchase on that.

Phew, I think we saved him Pookie.......

I could recommend you though to check out the other games on that platform the X360 have a good library of games the same for the PS3.

Buying a system for one game sounds a bit strange and I would be suprised if there is no other game that you like on the system.

Well if you're getting it for just one game it's a huge waste of money.

To save your purchase, you gotta throw in Geometry Wars, Beautiful Katamari, and Dead Rising. The first 2 have free demos. And Hexic HD kicks ass and was made by Pajitnov.

A few games tickled my fancy, GTA 4 is one of those games that kind of just about tip people favour to buying a system (kind of like the karts of the mario kind). I just wanted to know if people thought GTA SA was more fun than than GTA 4. Im am fortunate enough to own both a very powerful pc and a Wii so I really am not fussed at all about graphics.

I think it just depends on what you want for "fun"?

Like your friend said, its the difference between a gritty, great game with a serious tone, and serious production values, and a more light-hearted sandbox game.

Fortunately for you, you have Saints Row and GTAIV, so you get both arcade-y sandbox action (SR) and more "mature" sandboxing in (GTAIV). And throw Crackdown in the mix, and you got sandbox heaven!

So if your wanting a Sandbox game, it's all on the 360.

Xbox 360 has a better library than PS3 when it comes to shooters, WRPG, etc.

you might buy 360 for this game but be assured there are many many more excellent games on 360. you won't regret it.

Yea if you are a sandbox type of guy then yes get the 360. Theres Saints Row 1 already out and 2 isn't far off. GTA 4 is def a must purchase as well.

Yes get a 360 not just for GTA 4 whtich is a must have but many other games such as gears of war halo 3 and bioshock