At school, everyone was surprised to learn that I didn't play GTA SA. And then some 16 years passed and I sat down with it for the first time. The game is about real Gangstas who swear, insult everyone left and right, and spit on the law in every possible way. I was even lucky enough to play without the “wasted” translation. The graphics hurt your eyes at first, but then they’re generally fine, even without mods.
Gameplay is excellent. There's just a hell of a lot to do here - paint over graffiti while exploring the city; extinguish cars from a fire point using a fire truck; save bleeding people in an ambulance, catch criminals (if you steal a cop vehicle), participate in a bicycle race, rob houses, etc. Special respect for the story missions - they are incredibly varied and, what’s more, some are hellishly difficult. And yes, the saving system is terrible, after the mission you need to go to one of the purchased houses, which at first may be on the other end of the map, and the map there is notable.
In general, it’s a quality item and definitely worth at least getting acquainted with.