This game takes the GTA legacy to a whole new dimension. C.J. is the best developed character I have ever played on a console. It somewhat sad because the bar has been raised SO HIGH, I can't imagine them being able to top this effort. At this rate, the next game in the series will have you travelling to differen't states. The RPG elements don't seem to bother me, and you could probably easily finish the game without giving them more that a bit of thought.
For me, the thing that has always kept me coming back to the GTA franchise has been the ability to do whatever I want in the game. It is your world, and you play in it however you would like. I think the next logical step for the GTA franchise to take hoverever would for there the next game to have more serious consequences for serious actions made by the player. I can go around smacking down and blowing away members of my gang all day with no retribution from their end. It would be nice to see them rise up against C.J. when a player does stupid moves like that. It would at least send the message to parents that random acts of violence can't be commited without serious implications.
How great would it be for the game to really focus on your crime stats, and when you get busted, you then serve jail or prison time in accordance to how many innocent people you have smoke for no reason.
These are all just little thoughts of things I would like to see in the future, but as for now, Rock Star has given me plenty to chew on with this masterpiece called Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.