Grand Theft Auto’s Stars and Stripes mod is GTA 7 in the 3D era
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is adding the massive Star and Stripes mod, combining all of the 3D-era games and beyond into their very own GTA 7.
24th Jan 2024 12:32
Images via Rockstar Games | ModDB
Grand Theft Auto’s Stars and Stripes mod is GTA 7 in the 3D era
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is adding the massive Star and Stripes mod, combining all of the 3D-era games and beyond into their very own GTA 7.
24th Jan 2024 12:32
Images via Rockstar Games | ModDB
Modding is the lifeblood of classic games, with everything from Half-Life to Fallout kept ticking along thanks to modders. While none quite have the same community as Skyrim, modders are keeping games alive and largely doing what the devs can't - or can't be bothered to.
The long-running Grand Theft Auto series is also a modder's paradise. Aside from San Andreas' C.J. becoming a recurring joke of being modded into any game as soon as it releases, the actual GTA games aren't exactly strangers to being tinkered with by their loyal fans.
San Andreas' Stars and Stripes mod feels like a retro GTA 7
All eyes might be on Rockstar Games thanks to the upcoming release of GTA 6, but as we sit and twiddle our thumbs for its eventual 2025 release (if we're lucky), fans are returning to the franchise's back catalogue and are giving some old favourites a fresh lick of paint.
With GTA 6 still just a foetus, it's ridiculous to start thinking ahead to GTA 7. Still, the GTA: San Andreas Stars and Stripes mod feels like what GTA 7 could be...if it were made in the noughties. Modding San Andreas, the Stars and Stripes mod's official site says it will "convert the impossible into the possible."
Stars and Stripes is an ambitious project that plans to bring the entire USA map to San Andreas. It aims to keep the artistic style of the 2004 game but also promises to add new vehicles, side missions, and "perhaps" even a storyline.
At its very basic form, Stars and Stripes has joined the Vice City and Liberty City maps to the San Andreas map. Giving us a supersized map that would make GTA 6 jealous, Star and Stripes is impressive for its scale alone. Creating the entire Rockstar-ised USA is no small feat, so good luck to the team.
The GTA Trilogy we deserve
It's no secret that the 3D era of GTA is regarded as its best, and encompassing GTA III, San Andreas, and Vice City, it's no coincidence this terrific trio made up the titles of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. Unfortunately, Grove Street Games' 2022 revamp ended up feeling like GTA is you ordered it off Wish.
When the Stars and Stripes mod went viral on Reddit, fans couldn't get enough of it, wishing that Rockstar would do something similar. One cheered, "I would pay A LOT of money for a 3d era style game with this map. It could literally play exactly like San Andreas and I would be more than happy."
Another happy player added, "Forget GTA 6 I want this," and a third added, "Been sending R* letters since GTA III to do this. And you say you're been working on this???" Saying what we're all thinking, someone concluded, "The trilogy we actually wanted."
There's no release for Stars and Stripes, but in some "what if?" universe, we can only imagine if Rockstar continued with the 3D universe instead of the HD Universe of GTA 4 and beyond. Yes, flashy graphics and realism are all well and good, but we miss that retro style of the 3D Universe. Stars and Stripes can hopefully fill that void.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
