Some of the local plant life.

The countryside in San Andreas will be alive as its cities. Rockstar has released some of the details on the great outdoors of San Andreas to give us a preview of just how real it will be.

Rockstar North has developed a new technology that draws in foliage as you move through the countryside - a technique known as procedural rendering. Procedural rendering works like this: The level designers tag areas as belonging to different kinds of terrain types. These terrain types then have designated kinds of plants etc attached to them – for example different kinds of underbrush and grass and even rocks and fallen logs – and the game automatically draws the appropriate plant life in. This technique allows for a vast, fleshed out world full of unique areas to explore, and there will be literally dozens of different kinds of plants in San Andreas.

CJ tries to keep the countryside from burning.

The realistic touches aren’t confined to the ground – the sky will be realistic as well. Not only will day and night cycle, the moon will as well, going through its normal 30 day cycle. If you really want a good view of the moon and stars you’ll need to go out to the country. City lights make it harder to appreciate the night skies of San Andreas.

Next to earthquakes the most well-known California problem is wildfires and San Andreas is no different. Fires can quickly spread and get out of control, rapidly burning the dry brush. Crash a car or throw a Molotov cocktail and brush, buildings, and anything flammable will soon e consumed by fire. The San Andreas Fire Department will usually arrive quickly on the scene to put a stop to the fire, but sometimes you’ll need to rely on yourself if you get trapped by a blaze. You’ll be able to use fire extinguishers to try and put out fires, using them just as you would a gun. Make sure that you aim for the base of the fire, pull the trigger, and if luck is with you you just might make it out without so much as a singed hair.