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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Sandbox game where players race around Vice City doing various things

7.4

18137 Votes

  • Category Action
  • Program license Paid
  • Version 1.12
  • Size 245.28 kB
  • Works under: Windows 2000
  • Program available in English
  • Program by Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the sequel to GTA 3, takes us to Vice City. It's a world that was inspired by the Miami of the 1980s, and you can steal cars, rob stores and pull off drive-by shootings. Like with most of the Grand Theft Auto games, you have a gigantic sandbox world that you can explore, and you have a fully immersive world with radio stations included. This is the type of video game that pulls you in from start to finish and keeps you wanting more.

The American Dream: Living it Large

The story follows the plot line of Tommy Vercetti who is a past hitman who did contract killing for the Forelli crime family. We begin the story after Tommy is released from prison after serving 15 years of his sentence. He wants a new life under the concrete jungle of Vice City, and you can experience some of the wildest moments of criminal living. At that same time, you will meet the eccentric characters of Vice City that Rockstar Games has become known for creating. In total, you have over 60 main missions, but you can just as easily run around trying to get as many cop stars as possible. It makes for a fun competition with your friends. What's brilliant about Grand Theft Auto is how you have a franchise title that goes far above and beyond the missions alone. The entire experience is completely immersive.

No Details Left Out

What separates the Grand Theft Auto series from the others on the market is how no details are left out. You can ride a wheelie on the PCJ-600 and get paid for riding a longer wheelie. The great thing about this game is how they record your latest stunt records and play them back for you later. With Tommy Vercetti, you can steal, shoot, extort and feel involved in almost every detail of the GTA 3 missions. If you want to take it easy, Vice City also offers that aspect, and you can take on secondary missions. For example, you can become a taxi driver, a fireman, or run your own business. The sky is truly the limit here.

The Miami of the 80s

Grand Theft Auto almost flawlessly captures the Miami of the 1980s, and when you play through the missions, you might be left thinking of "Scarface" or 80s TV series like Don Johnson of "Miami Vice." You have four different neighborhoods in the Vice City world, and as you pass through the various missions, the neighborhoods will be unlocked for you. You do not necessarily have to drive through the city and walking can be just as enjoyable. Keep in mind that the graphics might seem somewhat outdated because Rockstar Games first released this title in 2002, which makes it over a decade old. Nevertheless, it adds a nostalgic charm to the overall experience.

Top-notch Quality

In terms of quality, the game has not aged much. Good gaming is good gaming no matter how old it becomes. Ray Liotta from "Goodfellas" voice acts for Tommy Vercetti, and the supporting cast boasts other popular voice actors like:

  • Burt Reynolds
  • Dennis Hopper
  • Danny Trejo
  • Peter Fonda
  • James Woods
  • Samuel L. Jackson

Vice City has a spectacular soundtrack that makes up the radio when you're driving. It can be divided into a variety of genres like heavy metal, rock, pop and everything else that made the 80s a colorful time to be alive. What's interesting about Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is how you have the first 3D sandbox game that was considered a legend. Rockstar has excelled so well at these games that they have become a king of the genre. You have total immersion with these games.

How Vice City Differs from Liberty City

Outside the outdated graphics, you have numerous and an interesting variety of missions. The changes made since "Grand Theft Auto 3: Liberty City" have made this an interesting game. There are a lot of major improvements like you have a stronger and more fleshed out plot. The missions are also lengthier, and they have more than one type of gameplay. For example, not only can you enter structures, you can also buy them. At the time of release for this game, that was a revolutionary concept. Vice City raised the bar for the entire series. Compared to the PS2 version of "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," the series followed a lot of similarities to the PC version, but the PC version has better graphics. The story of Vice City has a more personal taste than GTA 3, and the character is less anonymous than in GTA 3.

Teaming up with a Shifty Lawyer

The story goes that after Tommy Vercetti serves his 15-year stint in prison, his mafia bosses send him to Vice City to start a new operation. He teams up with a shifty lawyer called Fredo, and the pair start planning to score big on some drugs. After the drugs and the money disappear, Tommy is left fending for himself and trying to find out who cheated him. The game walks an impressive line between being humorous and horror filled.

Another great thing about Vice City is how each of the islands have their own personality. You have one area that starts up the film studio missions. You can also take on extra side missions that will support that main aspect of the plot. Nevertheless, keep in mind that this will not necessarily advance the game. It does, however, let you do other things if you feel frustrated from a particularly challenging mission. Sometimes taking a break and coming back to it is just what you needed.

Pros

  • More Detailed and Realistic Than the Predecessors
  • Excellent Story Line
  • A Varied Level of Missions
  • Amazing Soundtracks

Cons

  • Outdated Graphics but the Game Stands the Test of Time—Still Very Entertaining
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