GTA: San Andreas Definitive Edition We Deserve Now Available as a Mod

Do you think it was GTA: San Andreas Definitive Edition that we received last year from Rockstar? No, that was a festival of glitches and pure visual sadism. The unplayable game was so poorly received that it was taken off sales… and motivated someone to do a better job. Now, GTA: SA-DE (though under a different name) is available as a mod that turns your old version into a shiny new one.

GTA games have always been a favorite playground for mod makers. Just remember how many mods there are for GTA V, the most recent in the series! As for San Andreas, it also deserved better quality with its excellent story and unique quests. Now we have it, under the name GTA San Andreas HD Optimized Textures, but it feels like the real definitive edition we’ve been waiting for.

It can be combined with classical PS2 features that are also available in the game. As for compatibility with other mods for GTA San Andreas, you better try and check manually. If their combined efforts result in glitches, though, you may need to reinstall the game and then mod by mod.

The mod requires the original version of the game, so if you happen to have it, you’re lucky. You’re about to enjoy it like it should be: with clearer sky and believable rain, brighter colors and more natural shapes, and – first of all – HD textures. The game retains the mechanics of the original, so there is still scarcity in NPC and awkward cars (though these got better too), but it didn’t bother us on PS2, so why should it now when we want to revisit those years?

The mod is free for everyone (thanks to its author, flyaway888) but requires the original game. To install it correctly, you need to use the mod loader. Of course, it’s only functional on PC.
If you have tried this mod or at least seen a video on its page, how did you like it? Does it look or perform better than what we received from Rockstar? Are there any issues? Tell us about your impressions in the comments if you please!