GTA San Andreas has a wonderful storyline full of memorable moments, but some of its aspects do seem strange at first glance.
The overall storyline of GTA San Andreas is well-written, and it’s a plot most GTA San Andreas fans fondly remember. However, there are some minor aspects of the story that seem odd upon further review.
Unsurprisingly, most of it is tied to Ryder’s character, whose involvement as an antagonist is sloppily written. This doesn’t mean that GTA San Andreas’ storyline is bad or anything like that (far from it, actually).
It’s just a minor blemish on an otherwise remarkable storyline that past and future generations of gamers will love.
Three elements about GTA San Andreas’ storyline that are strange
#3 – What happened in Toreno’s Last Flight?
Anybody who has played GTA San Andreas knows that Mike Toreno is alive and well after this mission. However, CJ shot down a helicopter with somebody in it, so that begs the question of what exactly went on.
If Toreno was in that helicopter, he was surprisingly pleasant with CJ. Alternatively, that meant that somebody else probably died in his place if Toreno predicted CJ’s actions.
Either way, it’s a mysterious GTA San Andreas mission when looking back at it retroactively.
This mission does a masterful job in setting the tone for Mike Toreno’s surprise return and revelation of who he is. Still, this part of the GTA San Andreas storyline is largely swept under the rug for more important events.
#2 – Why does Ryder supply Grove Street with weapons?
After the mission, Robbing Uncle Sam, various members of the Grove Street Families can be found wandering Los Santos with a Tec-9. This is a noticeable upgrade over a pistol, knife, or fists, so it is strange that Ryder is willing to help make GSF stronger given his betrayal.
There is a theory that Ryder wasn’t always meant to be a villain in GTA San Andreas, which would make sense given the context of the situation. If he was never meant to betray the GSF and just be an ally, it’s perfectly reasonable that he would help them out however he could.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Instead, one just has to assume Ryder is stupid for helping out his enemies in this way.
#1 – Why is Ryder seldom mentioned after his betrayal?
On a similar note to the previous entry is how strange everybody reacts to Ryder betraying the GSF. When he’s seen with Big Smoke near the green Sabre, all CJ has to say is:
“What the f***? Oh, no! Sh*t, Smoke, what you into?”
It’s strange that CJ completely ignores Ryder (who appears first in this scene), given he was supposedly one of CJ’s best friends back when they were kids.
Unfortunately for Ryder, he’s seldom mentioned for the rest of the game, with Big Smoke getting most of the attention for the betrayal.
It’s said that he tried to sleep with CJ’s sister and CJ made a snide remark about him when taking his photograph, but that’s it for conversations in GTA San Andreas involving him.
Note: This article reflects the writer’s personal views.