The game's story is deeply rooted in 1990s West Coast culture, drawing inspiration from real-life events like the and the Rampart scandal .

, released by Rockstar Games in 2004, remains one of the most ambitious and defining titles in the history of open-world gaming. Set in the fictional state of San Andreas during the early 1990s, the game follows the journey of Carl "CJ" Johnson , a former gang member who returns home to Los Santos after the murder of his mother . Narrative and Setting

San Andreas introduced several RPG-like elements and gameplay features that were revolutionary for the series: