Survival in San Andreas often hinges on managing CJ's health and armor. These are your primary defenses against damage from bullets, explosions, and falls. Keeping them topped up is crucial for success in any mission or firefight.
- Health: Represented by the green bar on the HUD. Can be restored by:
- Eating food at fast-food restaurants or vending machines.
- Picking up health packs (red cross icons) found throughout the world.
- Visiting hospitals (fully restores health, but costs money).
- Completing Paramedic missions to increase maximum health.
- Armor: Represented by the blue bar on the HUD. Absorbs damage before it affects health. Can be restored by:
- Picking up armor vests (blue vest icons) found throughout the world.
- Purchasing armor from Ammu-Nation.
- Completing Vigilante missions to increase maximum armor.
Always prioritize picking up armor vests and health packs when available, especially before engaging in combat. Investing in armor at Ammu-Nation is a wise decision, as it can significantly increase your survivability. Remember that certain girlfriends (Katie and Barbara) offer perks that allow you to keep your weapons after being Wasted or Busted, which indirectly helps with survival by reducing the cost of re-equipping. Maxing out your health and armor through side missions should be a priority to make later challenges more manageable.