The Grand Theft Auto series has long been known for its free-roaming, sandbox cities that let players freely run or drive about, causing chaos as they please. Numerous mods have taken advantage of these maps, turning the crime games into a racing game and even a fully functional GTAÂ Iron Man sim. A new mod adds another superhero making an appearance in San Andreas, swinging in from the East Coast to the West.
This is not the first time the web-slinger has appeared in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; a Spider-Man mod was teased all the way back in 2018 when Spider-Man for the PS4 was still fresh on store shelves. Now, two years later, a new San Andreas Spider-Man mod is fully playable and available for download. Creator J16D recently uploaded a trailer showing off combat and web-swinging gameplay, and it looks incredible.
It is clear that J16D took direct inspiration from Insomniac’s Spider-Man, as many of the punches, kicks, combos, stealth takedowns and swinging stunts look very similar. Almost everything about playing as Spidey is reflective of the 2018 game, even the awesome special moves and vehicle takedowns. The amount of artistry and effort on display is simply staggering. The key difference between the games besides the graphics is the location. In Spider-Man, players saved the citizens of New York City, while this mod puts Spider-Man in the GTA version of a few West-coast cities.
Grand Theft Auto as a series is also known for its chaotic violence, which has been a subject of high-profile controversy over the years. Some of that legacy spills over into this mod, as players can clearly see pools of blood and bodies off to the side. This was not featured in the recent Spider-Man game, and while it’s not very graphic by today’s standards, players should be aware that the mod is still based in a Mature game and judge for themselves accordingly.
Despite releasing over a decade and a half ago, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas remains a fan-favorite and an industry inspiration. The 2004 PS2 classic included not one but three unique cities, an engrossing story, and an unprecedented amount of player customization and freedom. The developers at CD Projekt RED even hid a San Andreas Easter egg in the ill-fated Cyberpunk 2077. The enthusiasm for the game has led to a healthy mod community that continues to support the game and add new content 17 years later.
While fans still play and enjoy San Andreas, it is definitely an older game from a different time, and many in the industry hope that Rockstar will remaster the game. Such a remaster has been leaked and hinted at many times over the years, though nothing has been confirmed at time of writing. Only time will tell if players get to experience CJ’s story in higher fidelity, but at least they can fight crime in the meantime.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is available on mobile, PC, PS2, and Xbox.