Here we go again: Artist brings GTA San Andreas’ iconic characters to life using AI

Mar 1, 2023 - 13:30

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Here we go again: Artist brings GTA San Andreas’ iconic characters to life using AI

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if we say that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is one of the most popular video games, one that has been thoroughly enjoyed by hardcore gamers as well as pop-culture aficionados alike.

There is a reason why, despite the soaring popularity of GTA: V and the fact that it has much better graphics and gameplay, people keep going back to take up the role of Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson. The characters of GTA San Andreas had a fan following of their own.

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One such fan, a Redditor who goes by the name AaronGNP used an AI generator to bring the iconic GTA San Andreas character to life, in some pretty realistic-looking images. Even though the images have been generated using AI, they are some of the finest, and most realistic-looking digital portraits we have seen – they almost look like promotional photographs taken for some GTA San Andreas movie, that, unfortunately, will never see the light of day.

In a post on the r/StableDiffusion subreddit, AaronGNP, the artist behind these images says there were recreated using ControlNet, Img2Img, and RealisticVision AI.

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Here’s what some of the most popular characters from GTA San Andreas would have looked like in real life.

Carl “CJ” Johnson
Now, this is as realistic a portrait that we will ever get of the most iconic character from the GTA franchise. Oh, the hours that we have spent trying to get CJ do all sorts of things in the game.

Big Smoke
Another iconic character, and possibly a fan favourite, Big Smoke, despite the backstabbing he indulges in the game, looks just as affable in his “real-life” portrait, as he does in the game.

Frank Tenpenny
For some reason, the AI model significantly aged up Frank Tenpenny, the epitome of corruption in the game. Still, the portrait of the policeman looks just as nasty and menacing as he turned out in the game.

Sean “Sweet” Johnson
Sweet, unlike Tenpenny, has been de-aged heavily in the game. Also, he looks tough, much thinner, but all in all a lot mellower compared to his buffed-up counterpart in the game.

Cesar Vialpando
Cesar in the video game and Cesar in the AI-generated images have an uncanny resemblance, especially with how the tattoos have been placed.

Catalina
We have to be honest, the video-game version of Catalina looks nothing like the AI-generated Catalina. For some reason, the AI model has made Catalina a lot younger than what she looks in the game.

The Truth
The Truth looks just as hazed and crazy in the AI-generated images, as he does in the game. The only difference is that in the AI-generated images, he has a much better-looking and stylised moustache.

Mike Toreno
Agent Mike Toreno looked sharp, but vicious in the game. However, the AI-generated version looks much more subdued, almost friendly.

Wu Zi Mu
Wu Zi Mu, or Woozie, for a change looks exactly the same in the AI-generated images, as he did in the video games.

Ryder
Finally, we have Ryder, another instance where the AI-generated version looks exactly the same as the video game version, if not better. One thing to note here, is that the text, in most of these images has been changed. Perhaps this is to avoid any copyright infringement.