Whether you‘ve played the sprawling 2004 open world classic or just seen the meme-ified screenshots, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has cemented its place in gaming history. Over 17 years later, GTA:SA continues to inspire boundless creativity from fans – especially the niche community of "speedrunners" who battle to complete games in record time.
One recent speedrun has raced beyond all expectations and entered gaming folklore. Today, we‘ll break down the inner workings behind this almost unbelievable feat of skill, exploitation and obsession that conquered San Andreas in under 14 minutes. Grab some snacks and strap in, because this ride enters the realm of digital chaos.
Welcome to Los Santos – GTA: San Andreas‘ Lasting Legacy
Developer Rockstar Games struck gold when they shifted the Grand Theft Auto formula to focus on gang culture, letting players freely roam cities and wilderness as former gangster Carl "CJ" Johnson. Rebuilt visuals, diverse locales, memorable characters, customized progression and compelling themes of crime life secured its status as a masterpiece.
Key Features:
- Massive, freely explorable world with 3 major cities and wide rural areas
- Deep RPG elements like skills upgrades, physical stats, and endless clothing/hair/tattoo customization
- Intricate, personal story centered on gang wars, corrupt cops, drugs, betrayal and family
- Enhanced graphics, visual effects, physics and sound design that were groundbreaking for the time
- Eclectic ‘90s hip hop and pop radio stations that defined a generation of music
- Over 70 hours of objectives ranging from street crime to jetpack shootouts against secret government bases
GTA:SA smashed records as the PlayStation 2‘s bestselling game ever, moving 20 million copies by 2007. Its Metacritic score of 95/100 still ranks among the all-time greats.
Yet its digital frontier continues to expand thanks to devoted fans chasing the impossible: a 100% speedrun completed in minutes rather than days.
Speedrunning 101: Racing Games at Warp Speed
The concept is simple: complete the game as fast as humanly possible, using any means necessary. This tests mastery of movement tech, exploits, optimal damage output, and inventory/quest management.
Categories define restrictions:
- Any% – Anything goes, just finish fastest using shortcuts/skips. Most popular category.
- 100% – Complete all major content – side quests, collectibles etc.
- Low% – Beat the game with the lowest completion precentage.
- Glitchless – No exploits, just skill and efficiency.
Finish times between categories vary wildly based on game length. While seasoned players finish lengthy RPGs like Skyrim in 5 hours glitchless, a 4-minute any% run exists using hilarious sequence breaks.
Other rules include:
- Single Segment – Complete in one sitting without reloading saves.
- No Major Skips – Must play all main story sections in order.
Motivations range from personal achievements to pushing technical boundaries to competing on stacked leaderboards. Live streaming builds fervent fanbases too.
As we‘ll see, GTA:SA‘s elastic design makes it a speedrunner‘s paradise…and nightmare.
History of Speedrunning
Gamers toyed with rushed completions since the ‘80s, but things accelerated in the ‘90s once home consoles allowed easy recording. Iconic examples include beating Super Mario Bros 3 in under 12 minutes and completing Doom‘s first episode in 1 minute!
Online leaderboards and video platforms then unified scattered efforts into a full-blown community. Speedrunning exploded into a recognized playstyle by the 2000s, with organized events like Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) charity marathons attracting huge crowds.
Today World Record tracking sites monitor thousands of games. Top streamers rack up millions of views pushing limits. The games change but the thrill remains eternal.
Climbing Mount San Andreas – Why Speedrun Such a Massive Open World?
Many iconic speedruns tackle linear, level-based games allowing sequence breaks or advanced movement techniques. So why try to speedrun a 30+ hour open world epic?
In short, to prove they can. With so many interlocking mechanics and possibilities, routing a record attempt demands next-level dedication no average player can fathom. Let‘s examine why San Andreas raises the bar.
Sandbox Design Difficulties
GTA:SA popularised the 3D open world "sandbox" format where players freely explore rather than follow set paths. This exponential freedom makes speed optimization extremely challenging:
- Vast spaces between objectives with no clear critical path
- Hundreds of available side activities/collectibles to complete at any time…or ignore
- RPG growth systems with customizeable stats, gear and ability upgrades
- Intensive vehicle routing across complicated geography and physics
- Branching narrative choices that impact mission availability
- Elaborate mission design with many possible approaches
Simply navigating the massive map alone takes hours by car, never mind juggling combat tactics, optimal stat growth and money management. Experts estimate 30+ hours for a standard playthrough.
Yet for speedrunners, even this marathon becomes a sprint.
Glitch Hunting
Like any heavily systems-driven game, GTA:SA has its fair share of bugs. Normally bugs get patched…but some offer intriguing bonuses.
Glitchesprovide alternative routes or abilities by exploiting programming errors. Examples include:
- Phasing through walls by forcing position changes
- Escaping intended areas using vehicle launch jumps
- Boosting stats beyond normal maximums
- Skipping triggers that make events happen
Tool-assisted speedruns heavily manipulate games via emulation tools too. This technically violates normal rules but reveals theoretical limits.
However you feel about bending rules, glitches showcase intimate technical familiarity at an artist level no casual gamer can reach. The debates between pure skill purists and glitch-embracing innovators rages eternally.
Of course, one new glitch recently resolved all debate by breaking San Andreas so utterly it redefined reality.
The Impossible Made Real – The Ryder Skip Legend
In 2020, speedrunner god "RealKev3n" stunned the community by completing GTA:SA in an inconceivable 13 minutes 51 seconds. See the run here. Veteran fans called witchcraft, brands wanted sponsorship. Just how?!
The answer was a ludicrous new glitch so game-breaking it felt like hacking reality.
The Discovery Of The Infamous Ryder Skip
GTA:SA‘s spaghetti code creates opportunities. When the shiny new Remastered edition released in late 2021, players dove into the refreshed systems and found weird behaviors missed by cursory patching.
One exploit stood above the rest. YouTuber "TheProfessional" discovered a way to trigger events from the final mission "End of the Line" after only 8 minutes of play. From there, credits roll in under 6 minutes more.
This trick became known as the Ryder Skip, named after the final mission‘s target. It utterly shatters the intended progression.
The method involved delicate manipulation of an obscure timer variable. Using an equally obscure side mission involving firefighter training, players could meet precise money targets that set the timer to a magical value. This let a later stage trigger skip everything up to the climax.
Keep that mission active without altering the timer further and glory awaits. Simple, right?
HAHA no. We‘re just getting started down the rabbit hole.
Performing The Impossible Skip
While the Ryder Skip concept seemed simple, perfectly executing it was the gaming equivalent of successfully landing a 747 blindfolded. Even RealmKev3n needed weeks translating theory into reality.
Required steps included:
- During the firefighter side mission, grind money using exploit tricks to hit an exact $60,000 value. Any less/more breaks it.
- Store the timer variable by rapidly entering/exiting buildings.
- Avoid all cutscenes, missions, pickups etc that could alter the timer.
- Return to the firefighter mission, fail the firetruck section then find a bike.
- Drive to the mission trigger area and enter at just the right angle to activate the next stage.
- Escape pursuing firetrucks through precise maneuvers without crashing or dying.
- Follow the grenade pickup exactly to trigger the cutscene jump to "End of the Line".
- Complete the final mission flawlessly while praying nothing crashes.
This Rube Goldberg-esque marathon requires over 240,000 individual inputs. Tick one box wrong and attempt wasted after 8 minutes of perfection.
RealKev3n achieved the impossible through endless grinding until the matrix-breaking steps became muscle memory. Once consistent, he recorded a 13:51 run that left all previous records in the dust.
The rush of emotions upon finally crossing the finish line after so many failed attempts can‘t fully translate. Imagine winning ultra marathon through teleportation after months hobbling on broken legs.
Even hardcore speedrunners couldn‘t process their golden goose slaughtered so ruthlessly. Yet while the run seemed untouchable, technology advances and evolution continues…
New Contenders Emerge – The Evolution of Records
RealKev3n‘s legendary run stood unbeaten for over 2 years. Experts argued no meat-based runner could surpass it.
But in March 2022, a mysterious challenger "PeeBee" captured the new world record at 13 minutes 40 seconds. Yes, a mere 11 seconds faster…but each fraction demands blood sacrifice nearing this level.
PeeBee achieved victory through further optimizing vehicle routes, menu transitions and positioning tricks to load faster. More crucially, new hardware and patches also reduced load times through sheer technological march.
This follows speedrunning‘s continual arms race dynamic. Any record once considered "perfect" inevitably falls as creativity churns. New routes get discovered, hardware improves, tool exploitation advances. The king cannot rest easy.
Ten years from now, perhaps 10 minutes becomes reality in some TAS netherworld. But for now, the 13:40 barrier taunts all who dare approach. Can you handle the heat?
Cruising the Speedlands – How to Start Speedrunning
Hopefully this deep dive has enlightened you about the intoxicating world of speedrunning and the obsessed fans that drive it. If you feel tempted to dive in yourself, buckle up!
Choosing Your Game
Newcomers should start with games matching their passions and skill level rather than chasing records. Consider:
- Genre/Series – Target favorite series or genres you know deeply. Enjoyment matters more than fame.
- Difficulty and Scope – Massive open worlds like San Andreas take incredible dedication. Select simpler linear games first.
- Popularity – Popular games have more learning resources. Obscure games let you claim records easily though!
- Glitches vs Intended – Glitching adds massive complexity but higher ceilings. Decide your stance.
Study and Practice
All mastery demands repetition. Top runners grind specific sections hundreds to thousands of times to perfect. Analyze record run footage frame-by-frame to find new optimizations. Participate in forums to ask questions and share discoveries.
Use timer tools to mark progress. Focus on improving personal bests before worrying about global leaderboards. Compete friends with mutual challenges.
Most importantly, enjoy the thrill of self-improvement towards expertise rather than burning out. Integrate practice rather than binging. Consistency conquers all.
Recording and Verification
Speedrunning revolves around video proof. Invest in capture cards/tools and edit footage with timers embedded. Keep archives of milestone attempts.
Submit verified runs to communities for feedback and to enable claiming titles if earning a world record. Analysis from others can reveal mistakes and areas to improve too.
Enjoy the Ride
Not everyone speedruns to rank first. Having fun pushing your skills and knowledge matters more than arbitrary seconds. Appreciate creativity over comparison. Thousands of personal goals exist beyond some database entry.
The journey itself – learning obscure tricks, sharing moments with friends, achieving what once seemed impossible – builds connections that last beyond any leaderboard. That heart lies at the core of speedrunning‘s infectious appeal.
Now shut up and smash through that wall! Adventure awaits on the other side…
So rev up those engines and go wild. Just beware falling down the obsessive rabbit hole like our good friend CJ. Who knows where you‘ll end up!
