PlayStation Plus is making some major additions to its catalog in June, and one in particular is a definitve open-world game that subscribers shouldn’t miss. Although some rotating monthly games are available to all PS Plus subscribers, more long-term additions can be accessed by those paying for the Extra and Premium tiers. Premium in particular adds the Classics catalog of older titles, although some remasters and remakes aren’t locked to this exclusive category.

As announced on the official PlayStation Blog, June 7 is an exciting day thanks to the addition of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers. The original San Andreas remains one of the defining titles in the popular Grand Theft Auto franchise, and it’s hard to overstate its significance and influence. Although the classic version of the game is no longer available on modern PlayStation consoles, The Definitive Edition makes it available in remastered form.

GTA: San Andreas Is An Open-World Classic For A Reason

Although it’s easy to take open-world games as a common standard now, that certainly wasn’t the case in the early 2000s. Grand Theft Auto 3‘s sandbox setting was a mind-blowing leap forward, but its innovative appeal has lost a lot of luster today. By the time of GTA: San Andreas‘ 2004 release, however, that interesting premise was refined into something consistently memorable that holds up, and then some, two decades later.

Open-world settings have sometimes become synonymous with repetition, as many games fill out their maps with long checklists of basic activities that take up space but offer minimal excitement. GTA: San Andreas neatly avoids this pitfall, with an exciting variety of content and story missions crammed into a dense map that continue to cook up new ideas over the course of the game. Throwing in a memorable protagonist and cast of characters makes it easy to fall in love with the world of San Andreas, and its particular brand of fun hasn’t been supplanted by GTA 4 or 5.

GTA: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition may not be as definitive as its name would imply, with plenty of problems at launch leading to widespread criticism of the remaster. In the time since its 2021 release, however, it has received some key fixes, resulting in an experience that’s a lot better today. Embracing its cartoonish graphical update will ultimately be a matter of individual preference, but in terms of convenience, grabbing The Definitive Edition is definitely the easiest option for PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers.

GTA: San Andreas certainly isn’t the only classic option for PS Plus subscribers in June, with Premium members also getting access to Tomb Raider Legend, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. It might be the most obvious must-play, however, and it’s definitely a game that any modern GTA fan should play. For PlayStation Plus subscribers who haven’t yet experienced Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, June 7 definitely isn’t a day to forget.

Source: PlayStation Blog