The game itself has some solid mechanics, but:
-The graphics/framerate are fairly subpar considering the consoles it's hosted on(worst firing animation I've seen since RE2 on the N64)
-The mission approach is repetitive and fairly recycled from each game in the series. Even though each entry has sold well, there has been very little overall innovation in the genre itself since GTA3. It's stale, for lack of a better word.
-I'm beyond tired of the 'look what we did!' approach to gaming. Too much crap and raunch, which is what Rockstar seems to rely on way too much. Making it possible to kill police officers, use hookers, and have gay sex with a priest DOES NOT mean said game is "progressive", or anything approaching good for that matter.
Just my opinion though. I'd definitely be interested in hearing about the appeal of San Andreas though; I'd truly like to understand why this is considered a 'good' game. | 
