'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'

It's violent. It's profane and politically incorrect. It's packed wall to wall with tough thugs doing terrible things.

And gamers who are old enough to play it may find that "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" (PlayStation 2; Rockstar Games; $49.99; Rated Mature) offers the most exhilarating ride they've ever experienced. For us, it presents a moral dilemma that results in a mixed review, reflecting our acknowledgement of the game's dazzling visual and creative accomplishments but also our rejection of its characters' behavior.

"San Andreas" is a game for adults only, even more so than its controversial predecessors "Grand Theft Auto" and "GTA: Vice City." Intense crime-all-the-time action, ripe dialogue and often gory graphics all mimic an R-rated film, and shame on so-called grownups who put it in the hands of children or teens who aren't old enough to take in that sort of movie.

But many adults who favor mature-themed novels or movie thrillers, and who grasp the difference between real and make-believe, will revel at the opportunity to slip into this visually superb adventure.

As it did when it channeled Sonny Crockett's 1980s Miami for "Vice City," Rockstar once again recreates a distinctive setting for "San Andreas." This time, the tone, look and dialogue evoke "Boyz N The Hood" and other gang-themed films of the '90s as characters struggle with rivals, cops and other crooks in three fictional Western cities.

The well-developed story opens as Carl "C.J." Johnson returns to Los Santos, the crime-riddled Los Angeles look-alike that he fled years ago in an effort to live a peaceful life. Drawn home by the murder of his mother, he's barely off the plane before he's grabbed and framed for a crime by a pair of cops on the take.

From there, C.J. bounces from bicycle to car to motorcycle, from the 'hood to the Vegas Strip, as he ducks drive-bys and undertakes missions to protect his family and his place on the streets. There are plenty of weapons to amass, as well as a "respect" rating that persuades wannabes to join his crew and "wanted levels" where he's got to be constantly alert for law-enforcement agents looking to bust him.

Much of the considerable delight to be found in "San Andreas" comes from exploring its vast, painstakingly reproduced environments and marveling at the tiny visual details that make people and cities appear to be so real. Nuanced sun and light effects are impressive, although some characters could have been drawn more expressively.

As in "Vice City," sound plays a huge role. The roster of voice actors is packed with big talent -- Samuel L. Jackson, Ice T, Peter Fonda, Chris Penn and James Woods, among others.

Bit players add witty cracks and realistic background chatter as C.J. passes, and radio stations blare rap and rock to enhance the sense of time and place. We could live without some of the song choices, though, and the explicit potty talk and hateful or misogynistic attitudes spewed by some characters.

"San Andreas" is visually striking, historically evocative and generally quite entertaining. But all too often, dialogue and plot twists that masquerade as gritty realism are just cringe-inducing distractions that shatter the spell of an otherwise stellar game.

'Midway Arcade Treasures 2'

If for no other reason, the giggle-generating electronic beeps, buzzes and honks of the original arcade games make it worthwhile to revisit the gems in this second compilation of Midway classics.

To be sure, not every title in "Arcade Treasures 2" (PS2, GameCube, Xbox; $19.99; Rated Mature) will be an old favorite. And the inclusion of "Mortal Combat II and MC3," the drug-war shooter "NARC" and a couple of others rules out this mix as a draw for young audiences.

But for folks like us who've been hanging out in arcades since the Reagan administration, "Arcade Treasures" compiles 20 diverse games that, for the most part, have been accurately reproduced from the originals. Our guilty pleasure of this nostalgia trip: the now-primitive alien shooter "Kosmic Krooz'r," which offers the opportunity to zap two-dimensional, no-personality enemies out of the sky.

We also got a laugh out of the now elderly dinosaurs when we revisited "Primal Rage." This well-priced mix also contains a nice selection of sports, action, driving and fighting titles, along with entertaining documentary tidbits about their history and development.