mmm played for about 3hrs overall so far (owned it since saturday) and imo once your past the gfx then its just san andreas again
yeah you are right in a way
IT IS JUST STILL Grand Theft Auto
However, the devil is in the details, and thats where it shines.
also the city is so alive and realistic in a way that the PS2 versions could never be.
Also, the story, characters and writing have all upped the bar.
I really like it and am really into it, however, the first 6-8 hours are slow. Once you get out of Broker it kicks in, GTA style.