Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4324 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,871 out of 4324
  2. Mixed: 324 out of 4324
  3. Negative: 129 out of 4324
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  1. xZippy
    Jan 12, 2013
    7
    I've played the game since it came out and here I am deciding to finally review it in 2013. Though the PC version gets a 7 from me, the PS2 version gets a 9. What's not to love about San Andreas? You get all types of missions and side-missions, a huge world to explore, a very good story and downright excellent characters. As a bonus, you also get the RPG elements that spice up the gameplayI've played the game since it came out and here I am deciding to finally review it in 2013. Though the PC version gets a 7 from me, the PS2 version gets a 9. What's not to love about San Andreas? You get all types of missions and side-missions, a huge world to explore, a very good story and downright excellent characters. As a bonus, you also get the RPG elements that spice up the gameplay and really help you out in the long run, such as having longer periods of running/swimming, weapon dual-wielding and building up an NPC gang that can follow you wherever. It's a gamer's wet dream. Alright, now onto the downsides. The PC port is pretty bad. I'm not complaining about graphics being improved or anything for the PC, but Rockstar always gets lazy when it comes to PC ports. Look at GTA IV for example. The in-game settings don't stay the same every time you launch the game. You have to disable/enable the "Frame Limiter" option just to get certain game elements to work - and things like that usually make me quit playing a game outright and forever, but this game redeems that with the tons of positives. Apart from the PC issues, you're gonna come across those moments where a mission is insanely too hard or the AI doesn't work the way it should and it screws you in the end somehow. These are the same things you encounter in the previous games like Vice City and GTA III. Do these things break the game entirely? Not really. But can these things frustrate you greatly? Yes, very much so. Overall, if you're an old time gamer or a person just becoming a gamer, play this game. Just do it. Oh, and guess what? This game has two multiplayer mods known as San Andreas Multiplayer and Multi Theft Auto where up to 100 players can play on the same world. Be sure to play that too. Yes, both of those multiplayers are still being played.… Expand
  2. SirMango
    Dec 15, 2012
    10
    Great game. It's an old classic game that really set the bar of sandbox games. It is how every sandbox game should be, with thousands of opportunities. You can buy houses, take a train, play around with a bike at the playground, claim turfs, take a plane or a helicopter, get fat, gain muscle, get skills in various sort of things. and lots of cheat codes for those who are interested.Great game. It's an old classic game that really set the bar of sandbox games. It is how every sandbox game should be, with thousands of opportunities. You can buy houses, take a train, play around with a bike at the playground, claim turfs, take a plane or a helicopter, get fat, gain muscle, get skills in various sort of things. and lots of cheat codes for those who are interested. Graphic wise this was the best when the game was released, but even if you're playing the game today (like I am) It still looks okay when you put your settings right. The storyline is amazing, and you really make a connection with the main character Carl Johnson. The storyline is also well designed geographically, it pretty much shows you the entire map the way they designed it. The modification support is great for this game, there are 2 multiplayer mods that let's you play online, if you like racing, doing stunts or RP. You can also design your own map and make interiors and make scripts on your own if that's what you want. Or maybe you just want to change the skin of the Sultan with a BMW M3? or maybe you're into trucks and want a Mercedes truck? The possibilities are endless in any way, it's just how any sandbox game should be, and how any game should be modification wise.
    The soundtrack is great too, with real life songs from the late 80's to the early 90's, it doesn't matter if you like Hip Hop, Rock or Pop and so on... it's all there! The PC version is not just a cheap port, I should know, I play the game everyday online!
    The vision is great and so is the controls.
    You should turn steering planes with your mouse off, but you can easily do that in the options with no trouble.
    I've never encountered any bugs on the PC version. I've finished the game twice on PC and once on PS2, and I only had some few bugs on the PS2 version.
    I love the theme of LA in 1992 and it's just well done!    … Expand
  3. Zohda
    Dec 5, 2012
    9
    A whole new decade, a whole new game. GTA San Andreas, introduces new characters, new setting, new story, but the most noticeable change is the role-playing features. You can personalise your character by changing his hairstyle, his clothes, even his weight and looks. One hell of a game.
  4. brov400
    Sep 19, 2012
    10
    I think this game is good because it has dirty features and cool stuff to play on this game. the first ever game to hit 3000 people to buy this game I used to have a ps2 and had this game.when I sold my ps2 and my other ps2 games I found out that it came to steam and i happy so I played it and its like playing on the ps2 again.
  5. GameReviews
    Aug 14, 2012
    9
    A huge success, and a flawless sandbox game. It impressed me of It's outstanding story, addictive gameplay and kick-ass characters. San Andreas It's a special game, that I will remind it for years. But, in this PC version the controls can be problematic. Still, fresh as always. 95 out of 100
  6. RobbinL
    Jul 25, 2012
    9
    Without a doubt the best GTA-game to date. The large island of San Andreas is huge and contains three very large and detailed cities. The nature of world is also very varied, with mountains in the west, desert in the north and hilly grassland in the south.
    Between the three large cities of Las Venturas, Los Santos and San Fierro you have a pretty large amount of small towns, lakes,    Without a doubt the best GTA-game to date. The large island of San Andreas is huge and contains three very large and detailed cities. The nature of world is also very varied, with mountains in the west, desert in the north and hilly grassland in the south.
    Between the three large cities of Las Venturas, Los Santos and San Fierro you have a pretty large amount of small towns, lakes, railroads and much much more. Combine the huge world with a seemingly unlimited amount of side missions and activities and a very well written story and you get a extremely entertaining game.

    This is one of my all-time favorite games and is still in my opinion Rockstars greatest title to date.    … Expand
  7. Xgashh
    Jul 20, 2012
    10
    What can i say? best of GTA series! Loved the awsome gameplay and online gameplay. I still play SA:MP cause there's thousands of great mods, roleplay,cops and robbers,RPG. EPIC!
  8. CursedKnight187
    Jul 19, 2012
    10
    Brilliant game. Frustrating to say the least, but its sheer size and complexity, and not to mention its freedom, make this game hugely deserved of a ten out of ten rating.
  9. W3XC
    Jul 1, 2012
    10
    Say hello to one of the best games ever made. Graphics are offcourse not very good, but this game is quiet old. The gameplay is amazing, plus the fact that there are so manny cheats, which i love :3
    The story is probably the best. I havent skipped a single cutscene trough out the entire game. It made me **** in excitement to know what the next thing to do was. But it was a little bit    Say hello to one of the best games ever made. Graphics are offcourse not very good, but this game is quiet old. The gameplay is amazing, plus the fact that there are so manny cheats, which i love :3
    The story is probably the best. I havent skipped a single cutscene trough out the entire game. It made me **** in excitement to know what the next thing to do was. But it was a little bit repetitive sometimes i thought. The sound is veeeeeery good. The soundtracks from the radios fit prefectly. The voice acting is great and the sound from ALL the different veichels are awesome. Actually, what made this game for me was all the veichels i could drive, anything from different types of planes to helicopters, tanks, dirt bikes, bulldozer and bmx.

    ROCKSTAR ROCKS    … Expand
  10. Enerla
    May 21, 2012
    10
    Big cities, big cars, big guns, big time crime and big games. In good old USA there is a tradition of "criminals turned heroes". People who were just thieves, robbers, dealers, pimps, etc. turned into Rap stars, sheriffs and other national heroes. Start as a lowly ex gang member in Los Santos (in game equivalent of Los Angeles) trying to survive in a city dominated by gangs and corruptBig cities, big cars, big guns, big time crime and big games. In good old USA there is a tradition of "criminals turned heroes". People who were just thieves, robbers, dealers, pimps, etc. turned into Rap stars, sheriffs and other national heroes. Start as a lowly ex gang member in Los Santos (in game equivalent of Los Angeles) trying to survive in a city dominated by gangs and corrupt cops, and end up owning several luxury homes, being a "hero" for many people.

    And this time you also have an in game life. Dining, visiting the Gym or a fast food parlor, dancing, etc. are part of the game universe. Just as riding a BMX, playing Pool or some classic arcade games. And if you like things big, you have 3 cities and many smaller villages to explore. Graphics are good for the age, size (including size of world), and varied enough. The soundtrack and effects are awesome. So it is a very good game.    … Expand
  11. Cubixreviews
    May 19, 2012
    8
    Gta San Andreas in PC, is fun, huge and graphically great, but the controls issues makes this version of the game worse than the PS2 version. It haves the same things as the console version, and even with better graphics, but console version is a lot better. Still, it is an impressive game. (8.8)
  12. e_x_p
    May 14, 2012
    10
    A masterpiece. The gameplay has more unique elements than Vice City and the story is hooking from beginning to end. Car chases, bank robberies, debt collections, criminal chase-downs ... all fun scenarios for a GTA fanatic.
  13. NoNamerGamer
    May 11, 2012
    8
    The GTA series have gone back far. But till now 2012 Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is still my favorite game of the series. Why? Because you felt free, more free then its then the others.
    The only reason i gave an 8 is because of its graphics, I know it was made 8 years ago but still, I reckon they still could be a bit better.
  14. masterbezruk
    May 8, 2012
    9
    Gand theft auto san andreas - Ñ
  15. G_Mackzy
    Mar 30, 2012
    10
    Almost a decade on I played this again and honestly it is more fun than GTA 4 and the Saints Row series despite its age. An absolute blast, has aged well,
  16. JonathanM
    Mar 10, 2012
    9
    Ah, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This game is somewhere in the single digits of my top 20 favorite games. This game, an open-world third person shooter, is very well-written and funny as hell (I could spend hours listening to the in-car radio listening to the great music and the hilarious advertisements.) The only thing keeping this game from a 10 from me is the graphics. As I haveAh, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This game is somewhere in the single digits of my top 20 favorite games. This game, an open-world third person shooter, is very well-written and funny as hell (I could spend hours listening to the in-car radio listening to the great music and the hilarious advertisements.) The only thing keeping this game from a 10 from me is the graphics. As I have stated in a few of a previous reviews, I am not one to grade down on graphics. However, this game came out in 2005 for the PC, and graphics for this time were becoming more advanced, yet Rockstar did not update or upgrade their engine from the previous GTA3 release. However, this game's shooting and hand-to-hand combat mechanics are very well done for a third person shooter. In many other third person shooters, I often struggle with aiming and lining up shots. In San Andreas, however, the zoom makes it easier, and lining up a shot much less difficult. The part I liked the most, aside from the story line, was the RPG elements it offered. It is an ambitious system, for a game of its era, in my opinion. It allows customization of the character, CJ, in many different ways, such as clothing, muscle, fat, and weapon skills are upgraded as they are used. The game takes into account these things for how the game progresses. To conclude this, GTA: San Andreas is a very well-written, and story-driven game. Though the graphics are dated, it still makes for a great game that can be played for hours on end, and when its been played already, it still has a whole lot of replay value, to explore more, to choose a different path.… Expand
  17. BoltzmannBaby
    Mar 10, 2012
    10
    The Godfather of 3rd person action games of it's time, and sometime after! Huge under every aspect, from size to game-play to variability, plus a story that ties perfectly with all these. It has a fantasy flavor to it (jetpack, green goo, etc), and some role playing elements, like improving some abilities, but they fit just perfect in the game. Above that comes a plethora of mods thatThe Godfather of 3rd person action games of it's time, and sometime after! Huge under every aspect, from size to game-play to variability, plus a story that ties perfectly with all these. It has a fantasy flavor to it (jetpack, green goo, etc), and some role playing elements, like improving some abilities, but they fit just perfect in the game. Above that comes a plethora of mods that expand on the replayability of the game. This game is a must have for any serious gamer!… Expand
  18. DeiCide
    Feb 19, 2012
    9
    This game was awesome, so many things to do to kill time, I would literally get lost sometimes. Not the best Graphics but it was bearable. Top story and gameplay though, I spent many, many hours in this one and so did all my friends.
  19. Sasori261
    Jan 21, 2012
    9
    This game to me is the best out of all of the GTA games, though I've only played GTA IV and GTA III. The only thing I don't like about the game is the graphics, but after awhile, you get used to it. I love being part of a gang and doing drive-by's and that kind of sorts, unlike in the others I have played. I also like how you have to do weight training and running in order to gain muscleThis game to me is the best out of all of the GTA games, though I've only played GTA IV and GTA III. The only thing I don't like about the game is the graphics, but after awhile, you get used to it. I love being part of a gang and doing drive-by's and that kind of sorts, unlike in the others I have played. I also like how you have to do weight training and running in order to gain muscle and endurance which help with how strong your punches are and how long you can speed along on a bike. I also like the missions and the character personalities. The list keeps going on and on, but I won't drag on. Overall, I would say the game is quite fun.… Expand
  20. BillGR17
    Jan 11, 2012
    10
    The Best GTA game so far i play it a lot just like i did with GTA:IV but if u make GTA:S.A with GTA:IV graphics and physix then GTA SA is a better and biger game :D
    and u can play it online with one online mod making it better than GTA:IV multiplayer :D
  21. duckypwns
    Dec 11, 2011
    8
    For me, GTA games are about driving, vehicle variety, weapon variety, mission variety, and exploration. In other words, I play these games for the gameplay. That being said, I find San Andreas to be the greatest GTA game of all time. The driving is probably the most important aspect of a GTA game. It's what you're going to be doing most of the game. Yes, you can walk on foot, but most ofFor me, GTA games are about driving, vehicle variety, weapon variety, mission variety, and exploration. In other words, I play these games for the gameplay. That being said, I find San Andreas to be the greatest GTA game of all time. The driving is probably the most important aspect of a GTA game. It's what you're going to be doing most of the game. Yes, you can walk on foot, but most of the time missions require you to drive to your destination, and it's not always just a mile or so away. And even once you arrive at your destination, half the time the mission is going to require that you drive anyway. So if the driving doesn't work well in a GTA game... Well what does? There goes a massive portion of the game down the toilet. But like I said, this isn't the case for San Andreas. It has the best vehicle variety we've seen in a GTA game so far - Cars, airplanes, motorcycles, motorbike, bicycles, helicopters, boats, jetpacks, tanks, etc. each of which having their own advantages in differing situations. For example, a bike is slower in general, but you are able to bunny hop when you're on the bike so it is good for hopping over fences to get away from cops. Motorcycles have a very high acceleration (short term speed), and a decent top speed, but you won't have the defense that a car provides. I could sit here and explain each vehicle type in detail but it would be useless - Bottom line, the vehicles are widely varied in this game. Now as for the actual driving mechanics, this game went for the unrealistic, fast paced style GTA game. GTA IV went with a slower, more realistic style. Well, I mean I'm playing a video game. I don't expect it to be realistic. That adds nothing to the game for me, but the change between the driving mechanics in San Andreas and GTA IV did in fact slow the gameplay down severely. It only did negative. I don't think they're going to go back to the old, unrealistic but fun style of GTA games. San Andreas is probably the last good GTA game. Also, the difficulty level of this game was amazing (referring to the missions). It is without a doubt the hardest GTA game, and although there are a few silly, problematic missions where things are hard for reasons obviously unintended by Rockstar, these very few negatives are severely overshadowed by the massive amount of positives. So let me sum it up - It provides the best challenge, it has the best mechanics in a GTA game, and it has the most variety. What more could you ask for?… Expand
  22. dewpoint88
    Dec 10, 2011
    9
    """Some fixes for the PC version; frame rate limiter must be used for the traffic school and diving under water. Unsure why but turning that on lets you do these things. Steam forums is a good place to go for more fixes. Mouse sensitivity is a problem for some, I use a microsoft X5 mouse with adjustable dpi settings. This dpi setting changes is a must."""" Purchased for PC in Nov. 2011."""Some fixes for the PC version; frame rate limiter must be used for the traffic school and diving under water. Unsure why but turning that on lets you do these things. Steam forums is a good place to go for more fixes. Mouse sensitivity is a problem for some, I use a microsoft X5 mouse with adjustable dpi settings. This dpi setting changes is a must."""" Purchased for PC in Nov. 2011. The best part of this game is the story. It is smart and the characters don't 'seem' unrealistic meaning they obey what their characters are supposed to do. The map is HUGE and has many different environments. There are many missions to do and is for some reason you finished them too quickely theree are tons of extras to accomplish. The keyboard controls are remappable with limitations. You cannot adjust for driving and flying seprately. I find that San Andreas a great evolution from the 2 previous titles and GTA3 and Vice City were both excellant games. I find San Andreas more replayable though. The total variety of 'stuff' to do is fun if you wanna burn some free time with nonsense.

    PC vs PS2: Being released in 2005 and made to run on the ps2 the graphics are dated. That being said on any modern computer, running the graphics on maximum, it is a night and day difference to play visually. It is actually pleasent to view the game now. The draw distance is incrased the the resolution is drastically better. Although there are no story line differences between pc and ps2 there is the ability to mod the game (personally unverified for V3.00). Playing on the keyboard is ok but the real plus for me is the free look with the mouse. In the ps2 one had to use the mini joystick to do free look and it was only ok. Although the flight controls are far worse on the computer.

    I highly rate this game but took a point off for the controls. Although only manageable at first, after a few hours of game play I found most of the controls to be second nature.    … Expand
  23. sinadoom
    Dec 5, 2011
    10
    Arguably the most complete game ever. There's so much stuff you can do in this game- and it isn't copy and paste. Great variety, huge map which has countryside, desert, LA, San Fransisco, Las Vegas. Over 110 story missions which are again very varied with lots of nice surprises. Good story too. The progression is paced perfectly, and the game offers so much. It feels like it's 10 differentArguably the most complete game ever. There's so much stuff you can do in this game- and it isn't copy and paste. Great variety, huge map which has countryside, desert, LA, San Fransisco, Las Vegas. Over 110 story missions which are again very varied with lots of nice surprises. Good story too. The progression is paced perfectly, and the game offers so much. It feels like it's 10 different games rolled into one. So much conetent, so much variety. Only downside: terrible graphics. Other than that, fantastic missions, lots of side missions, innovative collectibles for each area and very rewarding! Fun to play. A real sandbox. You are free to do whatever you want- and there's so many tools available, this really is open world action at its finest. The thing that stood out for me is by far the variety. You get a taste of everything that can possibly be offered. Ever played a game and wished there was a feature in it? Not this game. There's almost nothing you can't do in this game and that's just in free roam. Every single percentage of progress you make is different from the previous. No other game- even by end of 2011- can offer as much quantitiwise in open-world action, never mind the variety.… Expand
  24. TromboneR
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    I got this game when it came out for PC in 2005. I still play it almost every day. All that I can say is not perfect about this game are the few minor glitches.
  25. temps
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    San Andreas was another great GTA game. The setting was more interesting than Liberty City to me... and included areas like Las Vegas (or Las Venturas, as it's in-game equivalent is called). It should have had more of the "sin" aspect in it that other GTAs have, especially considering the fact that Las Vegas/Las Venturas is in it, but it wasn't bad on the whole either in that department. ASan Andreas was another great GTA game. The setting was more interesting than Liberty City to me... and included areas like Las Vegas (or Las Venturas, as it's in-game equivalent is called). It should have had more of the "sin" aspect in it that other GTAs have, especially considering the fact that Las Vegas/Las Venturas is in it, but it wasn't bad on the whole either in that department. A couple particularly bothersome aspects of the game that should be improved upon in order to make it better would be to include better controller support, and make flying essentially anything much less frustrating. Maybe it's just the relatively pressure-sensitive joysticks on my Xbox 360 Controller for PC, but it seems like controlling any sort of aircraft is just VASTLY less frustrating and easier in the newer GTA games like GTAIV or Episodes from Liberty City. There is still room for improvement in these latter two games, but it's not as frustrating in these games as it is in San Andreas or Vice City by a LONG SHOT.

    As much as I think this is an awesome game on the whole, I actually gave up on it due to the frustration of aircraft missions, and the lack of support for my 360 controller. I can't really blame Rockstar for not including these things considering the game's age, but yeah... it is what it is.

    That said, I'll enthusiastically look forward to GTA V, and hope for a San Andreas remake in the future that will let us use our controllers, and make the flight system better in general. That said, I put a lot of time into the game, and it was good. I'd still recommend it to anyone who is interested and thinks the bad graphics and these occasional frustrations wouldn't hinder their enjoyment of the game.

    Otherwise, you might be better off getting GTAIV and GTA: Episodes from Liberty City instead due to the better controller support, graphics, etc.    … Expand
  26. grandpajoe6191
    Nov 9, 2011
    8
    "GTA: San Andreas" was a great free-world open sandbox game. You can try all sorts of weird gags and beat kick-ass missions with your black homies. However if you don't want to suffer glitches and tweaks that often happen, try "GTA: Vice City".
  27. Dalek
    Aug 23, 2011
    10
    An amazing game, vehicles are great, the voice acting is great, hell everything is great. This is the best GTA since there is a lot to do. You can go to the gym and get CJ (the guy you play as) to get stronger, run faster, etc. Go to fast food restaurants to eat food, arcade machines, dance club, (get a girlfriend, you get her in a mission) Go gambling, steal stuff from peoples houses goAn amazing game, vehicles are great, the voice acting is great, hell everything is great. This is the best GTA since there is a lot to do. You can go to the gym and get CJ (the guy you play as) to get stronger, run faster, etc. Go to fast food restaurants to eat food, arcade machines, dance club, (get a girlfriend, you get her in a mission) Go gambling, steal stuff from peoples houses go to the bar and play pool, get a tattoo, change your clothes, haircut, modify your car and make it look amazing with nitro, strip club, basketball, buy certain houses.

    (Please note that you'll be able to do all this stuff as you make further progress in the game by doing missions, this will not be available when you start a new game.) Apart from that, the graphics aren't the best in the world but they're good enough. The missions are great too.    … Expand
  28. MrCinnamon
    Jul 11, 2011
    10
    Very few console games make the pc operation perfectly. This was no different. Especially on my windows 7 (But a very powerful computer) the graphics took a bit of a whallop in terms of colour at times. That said, it really isn't a big problem. And its the only problem. I have remarkably few glitches and crashes (I only had 2 the first 20 odd hours I played). And now we get to what putsVery few console games make the pc operation perfectly. This was no different. Especially on my windows 7 (But a very powerful computer) the graphics took a bit of a whallop in terms of colour at times. That said, it really isn't a big problem. And its the only problem. I have remarkably few glitches and crashes (I only had 2 the first 20 odd hours I played). And now we get to what puts this above the console version in one powerful manner. Access to the modding community. There are so many mods for this game I will never get bored of it. From real life cars, to superman powers and even jurassic park the possibilities are endless. A great game made better by the presence and potential of button happy programmers. The original version will never be as good as the PS2 version, but beyond that the PC opens up whole other worlds for the gamer to explore.… Expand
  29. jctaber86
    Jul 2, 2011
    10
    I have always thought that PC games are best this game did not change my mind. I always look forward to conversions. Classic game thought it was bad a** when it came to be on steam.
  30. JonesR
    Jun 30, 2011
    9
    Vice City may be the best GTA game ever, but depending on your viewpoint, this game could easily oust Vice City as the title contender. Includes an all-star cast of voice actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and James Woods that makes it more than a memorable story. More modern graphics, plus the same great arcade style driving that makes the GTA series so fun; I prefer the driving physics ofVice City may be the best GTA game ever, but depending on your viewpoint, this game could easily oust Vice City as the title contender. Includes an all-star cast of voice actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and James Woods that makes it more than a memorable story. More modern graphics, plus the same great arcade style driving that makes the GTA series so fun; I prefer the driving physics of San Andreas over Vice City. A plethora of side missions means it never gets boring. You can't go wrong dedicating a few dollars to own this classic.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2005
1
#1 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
1
#1 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. Next Level Gaming
    98
    Kudos to Rockstar for actually including gamepad support for the PC!!
    Read full review
  2. PGNx Media
    97
    It will surely take up hundreds of hours to even the most casual of gamers.
    Read full review
  3. ActionTrip
    94
    It is the perfect crime game.
    Read full review
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