Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)

So, GTA Vice City, then. Why is it so special? What sets it apart from other games? Why am I still playing it incessantly 9 months after it came out? It's that good. In some respects, you can wonder what all the fuss is about. It's essentially the same as GTA3 - same controls, graphics engine, gameplay - even the same hopeless targeting system. It might as well be GTA in a different city. What's key, though, is that it's been improved in every area; quite an achievement when GTA3 was such a tough act to follow. Probably the most successful aspect of the game is its' period. Setting it in 1986 was a masterstroke, as it allows for some superb jokes and references to the time, as well as nods to GTA3 which is supposed to take place 15 years later. And it works, too - the 1980s is sufficiently recent for most gamers over 20 to relate to, without being outdated (ie. GTA London). It also allows for some excellent cars, such as the Pontiac TransAm of the time (shame it doesn't seem to come in black :-> ) and the Honda CRX. All the cars seem more satisfying to drive than those in GTA3, and some of the worn-out old bangers in GTA3 appear in Vice City...looking brand new! Great attention to detail. Bikes are also available for the first time on PS2, and yes, you can take them pretty much anywhere - over jumps, into shopping malls and up escalators, over rooftops, pretty much anywhere. Of course, if you can't get somewhere by car or bike, take a helicopter or seaplane. Again these are surprisingly easy to fly, and if you know how you can even steal the Apache helicopter out of the army base... More of the game is open to you on foot, too. Unlike GTA3, there are numerous indoor environments in Vice City, and if car dealers, police stations, nightclubs or pole dancing takes your fancy, go and have a look inside. Or you can engage in a little retail therapy in the North Point Mall, with its' cheesey '80's Muzak and shiny floors. On the subject of music, the soundtrack's as good as was rumoured, with millions spent on licensing Michael Jackson, Gary Numan, Hall and Oates, Nena, The Buggles and a whole host of early Eighties music spread over ten radio stations, along with the usual hilarious GTA "talk-radio" stations. It really reinforces the 1980's feel of the game, and justifiably received a 7-disc soundtrack release. Health is more readily-available too, with pizza places, hot-dog stands, hotels and of course prostitutes all ready to boost your health a bit. Missions? Well, they aren't quite as satisfying as those on the original 1996 version of GTA, but they're easily a match for those in GTA3, and in some ways are better because of the Eighties references. One mission in particular sees you jumping across skyscraper rooves and catwalks on a superbike, which is great fun. The game has an excellent storyline well supported by a cast including Ray Lolita and Dennis Hopper. The fact that your character now has a name and a personality - and actually speaks - is a significant improvement over GTA3 too. That should be enough to erase any doubts about the purchase of Vice City. I should mention the weapons as well - which include all those from GTA3 plus a great many extra, especially the Colt Python; and the superb graphics, which are smoother and more detailed than those in GTA3 while still retaining a real, neon-lit 1980s feel - but I don't want to over-sell it. Put it this way...I can think of only three things to improve; the dodgy aiming system, the lack of a DeLorean (preferably with time-travelling capabilities) and the absence of Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric?" from the soundtrack. That's all, and that's not exactly a list of major failings. Now, if someone wants to bring out "The Getaway; 1986" with British '80s cars, I'll be a very happy man...

excellent game

How was the graphics quality? good I think, it was many years ago

I bought this for some nostalgia and boy did I get it, the only thing keeping it from 5 stars is that it was really scratched and it jumps sometimes but other than that I love it!

Having been a GTA fan for years I can say that this one is a classic. It is set in 1986 in Miami two years before the new Vice City Stories. These are the best games ever, there are endless things to do and characters in other GTA games involved to, there are lots of missions aswell. You start out with nothing just being released from prison and have been imployed by the Forelli mafia family, a well known gang in Liberty City and they send you to Vice to start the drug buisness there for them but you are immedietly set up by an unknown cartel and you cocaine is stolen. The aim of this mission is to find the cocaine and edventually take over Vice City but to do this you must find many contacts, explore, fight escape the many things in the narcotics gang world and much more to do this. It is a must have game but new fans to GTA I say get San Andreas.

Thank you so much for Vice City still playing on it to this day, and I am really enjoying it like I do with all GTA's as they are all unique and one of a kind. I have been playing on for about 2 weeks now and have made so much progress too. I now have over half the game already complete and am really liking everything thats around the next corner on the game, the map, the characters, the humour and of course the arsenal of weaponry attainable it kicks ass. I now have 66% Game Completion and have done loads of the Story Missions, Side Missions and other Minor Things on the game to fully complete it. So thanks again a great purchase.

Game works wonders not like the last one I bought it didn’t work at all

This is a great game, whilst it is very similar to GTA3 it is still great. There are lots of different missions, the graphics are good, the story complements the game well (rather than getting in the way as is the case in many games). It is a mixture of 2 games really, a driving/racing game and a shoot em up/ beat em up. Its 18 certificate is certainly deserved with large amount of violence and the possibilty of killing police etc something that you should not encourage children to view. I think the game is a great pastiche of TV shows such as Miami Vice right down to some of the police driving Ferraris and wearing suit with their sleeves rolled up.