Exclusive! GTA San Andreas stealth mode revealed

These brand new screenshots of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - which are exclusive to gamesradar.com - demonstrate the ability in the game to burgle houses and even terrorise unfortunate home-owners as part of the first side missions that Rockstar have announced for the game.

There's plenty for main character CJ to spend his money on (from haircuts and burgers to properties and businesses) and, while you sometimes earn cash by successfully completing missions, not all tasks are the kind of things that you get paid money for. As such, you'll need to get involved with sub-missions in which you have to fence other people's property.

There are dozens of places in San Andreas to rob, including a number of houses in Los Santos that can be broken into, most of which contain a variety of goods that you can pinch and then hock to build up your wealth. And it's worth going further afield than your immediate neighbourhood - the flashier districts tend to have a wider selection of luxury items that you can pilfer.

Before you start, you'll need a getaway van (just hit R3 to jack a moving truck) and you can look the part by buying a ski mask or balaclava from a number of clothing stores. More important than aesthetics though is the fact that, balaclava firmly in place, CJ moves into sneak mode - giving proceedings a whole new Metal Gear Solid-flavoured twist.

If you end up in a house with the inhabitants still in it, you'll need a baseball bat, shotgun or, ideally, a knife (since this is the quietest weapon) to shut them up - permanently - before they have a chance to call the police. You have to wait until after dark to make your move - people will be sleeping and you'll have more opportunity to sneak out with the TV or video recorder under your arm (remember this is set in the pre-DVD '90s). The burglary function works better in the light of the new, bigger interiors - houses have multiple rooms, all of which are worth searching.

Once you've made off in the van with your stash, a quick trip to your fence will convert your stolen goods into hard cash, where it looks like you'll have to haggle in order to get the best possible price. Check back tomorrow for yet more new San Andreas screenshots.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will be released for PS2 on 22 October