In my opinion, this is the best GTA experience ever. One of the first properly realised open world games, the graphics and gameplay may not have aged well, but the story lives up still. The shenanigans you can get into is insane, the characters have personality and the story flows well. The world feels lived in and the gameplay loop is addicting.
The music fits really really perfectly and the radio is a loaded with great tunes.
The rags to riches story of a gangster takes CJ from the hood to las vegas like riches (literally). It was the most immersive experience of its time and even now you can play San Andreas and feel like you are CJ.
I absolutely recommend it to anyone who is ready to look away from the dated graphics. It is totally worth the (very long )playtime.