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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

 
Games: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
 
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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
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Game Description

The best-selling PlayStation 2 game of 2001 returns with a new city, theme, and an assortment of enhanced features. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City offers the same go-anywhere style of play as its violent, M-rated predecessor but with an area twice as large as Liberty City to explore in a completely different setting.

Inspired by the look portrayed on television's stylish crime drama Miami Vice, the game takes place in the 1980s with criminals wearing pastel-colored suits, bikini-clad babes relaxing on sandy beaches, and palm tree-lined streets bustling with motorcycles, cars modeled after Ferrari Testarossas, and more. Players can now enter buildings like hotels or discos and walk through hallways to visit rooms.

Players can embark on a series of missions to build a reputation or simply explore the city, hijacking one of 120 vehicles (including motorcycles) and wreaking havoc on foot with an arsenal of 40 different weapons. The targeting mode has been refined once players leave their vehicle, with the camera taking a fixed position behind the character's shoulder and an auto-targeting system based on priority and danger level.

The change in vistas has resulted in new types of pedestrians populating the streets, including roller skaters, joggers, and different gang members. The AI has also been retooled to account for greater variety in pedestrian movement as well as gang behavior. Now gangs are designed to act independently of the player, such as fighting with citizens or stealing their cars. The police will also respond to these incidents, and may attempt to engage in high-speed pursuits with gangs as players go about their own business.

To effectively capture the mood of the 1980s, the soundtrack has been altered to fit the time period. Players will listen to an estimated nine hours of music (nearly three times the amount featured Grand Theft Auto III) across 10 radio stations. The eclectic mix features such noteworthy titles as "I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls, "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash, "You've Got Another Thing Coming" by Judas Priest, and "Out of Touch" by Hall & Oates.

The revamped sound continues on the streets, with over 8,000 lines of spoken dialogue recorded to help bring the fictional city to life. The lead character of Tommy Vercetti will also share his thoughts and musings with players in a departure from the strong but silent protagonist found in GTA III. Actor Ray Liotta provides the voice for Vercetti, and a mix of other film stars round out the cast. Vice City is the first Grand Theft Auto game released under Sony's exclusive rights to the series through October 2004.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City uses an enhanced engine from its predecessor Grand Theft Auto III but relies on a similar mission-based structure supporting the successful marriage of third-person action and white-knuckle racing. The setting is inspired by the real-life city of Miami, Florida and its theme has been carefully pieced together from pop culture of the 1980s. Not surprisingly, Vice City borrows heavily from what is perhaps the embodiment of '80s style in Miami -- Michael Mann's Miami Vice. The neon lights, pastel colored suits, exotic cars, drug trafficking, speedboats, and even the voice acting work of series star Philip Michael Thomas (as partner Lance Bass) are all accounted for. Complementing the look and feel is over nine hours of licensed music and original radio chatter filled with numerous parodies of Reagan-era politics and the self-absorbed issues of the "Me" generation.
~ Matthew House, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City isn't how game sequels are "supposed" to be done, at least not those released within one year of their predecessor. The follow-up to the smash hit Grand Theft Auto III, a title that sold over seven million copies, could have taken the easy road and just offered new missions within the same Liberty City. It would have sold millions of copies simply based on the strength of the title alone, and players would have likely been happy with a new excuse to cruise down those violent streets once again. Yet both Rockstar North and Rockstar Games deserve far more credit than that, for they have approached their sequel with every bit of the moxie shown while crafting GTA III.

Taking the game for a test spin initially reveals the same style of play that made the original a runaway hit. Driving to a computer character's home or hideout activates missions as cut-scenes explain the motivations behind the request. Early objectives range from taking out specific individuals to running simple deliveries or pick-up errands, and the sequel offers an almost identical control scheme. Yet the game starts to become more and more like a different animal the more it is played. The setting doesn't look radically dissimilar at first, but after a few hours of play the details start to emerge. Players will soon realize the game is filled with a personality all its own thanks to an almost fanatical adherence to a specific theme, something the third installment lacked.

This theme, of course, is the 1980s, and it is perfectly captured in a loving parody that pokes fun of the time period without becoming a sardonic send-up. From the Commodore 64 boot screen captured in the introduction to the outfits, dialogue, phony commercials, and cars, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City offers a richer experience than its predecessor. While early missions are nothing remarkable, the game takes off faster than a yuppie trapped in K-Mart once the rest of the world is opened up. And what a world it is: malls, an airport, hotels, clubs, a sports complex, pizza parlors -- most of which can be explored from inside as well as outside. Everything is done in a much grander scale with the same attention to detail that made the game's predecessor so enjoyable.

Details are everywhere. The setting itself comes alive at night with brilliant neon lights glowing on storefronts and buildings. Rainstorms splash drops of water onto the television screen as they trickle down, and cars twinkle in the sun to simulate light reflecting off mirrors. Pedestrians will stand around and talk to each other or gawk at a body lying in a pool of blood, each offering different comments (an old man will lament "These kids today," a surfer may say "Bummer, dude," while a girl on roller skates squawks "Omigawd, this is so disgusting"). Gang members run up to citizens carrying shopping bags and try to steal them, while nearby cops on the beat chase them on foot. Each day it seems you'll see something new, something that makes you smile.

Vice City itself is a densely packed area spanning two large islands, so buildings, parking lots, alleys, houses, shops, and so forth seem almost right on top of each other, linked together by sinewy streets and sidewalks offering a staggering amount of intersections. The sense of scale is far more evident here than in Liberty City -- Starfish Island in particular is home to a number of ornate mansions whose grounds take several minutes to explore. Tennis courts, swimming pools, gardens, and even a hedge maze or two are featured, and these elements often represent a single estate. The division between the haves and the have-nots is significant in Vice City, giving players something to shoot for (sometimes literally) while carving out a reputation. You don't want to end up on the rundown streets of Little Haiti.

Vice City is also home to an 18-hole golf course and an airport roughly two to three times the size of the one found in Liberty City. Players can hop on a golf cart or a baggage cart to explore their surroundings, but there are some restrictions. Vercetti must wear proper attire to gain access to the golf course, and players who try to enter the airport must first walk through a security gate that strips away their weapons and leaves them outside. It's easy to get lost in this world because for every building or house in Vice City, there are stairwells to climb, roofs to explore, parking lots to pilfer, and alleys to search through. Players can comb beaches in a dune buggy, race along a hilly track on a dirt bike, enter a stockcar race in a stadium, and of course, cause as much mischief as possible in between missions.

Missions start basic and then become far more intricate and involving as players delve deeper into the seedy world of Vice City. There are significantly more characters to interact with this time around, and they don't disappear entirely after players complete a group of missions. This allows for a more diverse storyline than in the previous game, and the scaled back salaries awarded to players make the concept of earning a living more meaningful. To that end, players can use their earnings to purchase buildings in Vice City, effectively giving them new residences or safe houses, or simply adding an extra save point on the map.

Players are now more motivated to complete missions or engage in various other extracurricular activities to earn cash, whether it's holding up a store or delivering pizzas to a hungry public in a mini-game patterned after Paperboy. The fire truck, ambulance, taxicab, and vigilante missions are also back, along with ice cream deliveries, and the police are armed with a few new tricks to make breaking the law a difficult proposition. The police in Vice City are much more aggressive and resilient than Liberty City's finest, and earning a wanted rating of only two stars is flat-out dangerous. Players won't be able to shake them off unless they change clothes or have their car spray-painted. Helicopters are back and more deadly, with automatic guns and SWAT team members rappelling down to the ground. It could be a nice opportunity for some target practice....

One mission, appropriately titled "Sir, Yes, Sir!," has players trying to steal a tank in the middle of a convoy. Three soldiers jog on either side, while trucks and jeeps appear in front and back. The mission objective is to capture the tank, but how players go about it is entirely up to them, which strikes at the core of what made the original so great. Block the route by parking a car in front of it, and the commander will order his troops to move the civilian vehicle off the road. If you try to stand in the middle of the road, the officer will give you a terse warning to get out of the way and then send a soldier to forcibly remove you. Open fire on the troops and you will be cut down to shreds within seconds.

The changes to the environment, missions, and vehicles may have created some problems, however. Whenever the character runs into a wall or a barrier, the camera has a panic attack and zooms close to Vercetti's face, thus obstructing the view momentarily. The targeting system is better but still not perfect, as players have to constantly cycle through enemy targets in order to find the right one -- the lock-on system seems to only target those in Vercetti's direct line of sight, so gangsters shooting at him to the immediate left will go unnoticed while a group in the distance is highlighted. Another minor annoyance is the constant "phasing in" of background objects. Palm trees, buildings, and other objects will materialize into view while driving along the streets, but the frame rate is fast and fluid throughout.

As in Grand Theft Auto III, such problems are taken with a grain of salt when a game comes around offering such an ambitious scope in design. Vice City offers a better storyline, a more engaging lead character, and more things to do in a larger environment. The addition of motorcycles, speedboats, and aircraft completely changes the feel of driving around the environments, and each element has been carefully thought out instead of tacked on. Follow-ups that come this quickly are not supposed to be this rewarding, which makes Vice City a remarkable achievement at a time when companies are all too willing to release so-called sequels with only a few tweaks and cosmetic changes.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

The new setting is larger and offers more detail than ever before.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

Some of the polygon models have jagged edges and the backgrounds tend to phase objects into view while driving along the streets. Nice textures and lighting effects make up for these issues.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

Nine hours of licensed music, humorous commercials, and radio personalities make for an unforgettable listening experience.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

It's hard to stop playing the game since there is so much to see and do. Players can find packages, perform stunts, smash vehicles, and outrun police. And then there are the missions....
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

The full-color manual gets points for style but everything is extremely vague. {*Vice City} is a game where discovering new things is part of the fun, so the brief manual is understandable to some extent.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Production Credits

Company 1: Rockstar North ; Producer: Leslie Benzies ; Art Director: Aaron Garbut ; Technical Director: Obbe Vermeij, Adam Fowler ; Map Designer: Adam Cochrane, Nik Taylor, Gary McAdam, Keiran Baillie, Alisdair Wood, Andrew Soosay, Steven Mulholland, Wayland Standing, Campbell J. Dick, Mark Diamond ; Graphic Designer: Stuart Petri ; Lead Vehicle Designer: Paul Kurowski ; Vehicle Designer: Jolyon Orme, Alan Duncan ; Lead Character Designer: Ian McQue ; Character Designer: Toks Solarin, Alan Davidson ; Lead Animator: Alex Horton ; Animator: Lee Montgomery, Duncan Shields, Gus Braid ; Lead Programmer: Alexander Roger ; Programmer: Graeme Williamson, Barane Chan, Derek Payne, Gordon Yeoman, Alan Campbell, Mark Hanlon, Andrzej Madajczyk, Wayne Martin ; Audio: Allan Walker, Craig Conner, Raymond Usher, Stuart Ross, Will Morton ; Writer: Dan Houser, James Worrall ; Mission Design: Andrew Duthie, Craig Filshie, William Mills, Chris Rothwell, Imran Sarwar, John Haime, James Worrall ; Quality Assurance Manager: Craig Arbuthnott ; Lead Quality Assurance: Neil Corbett, Kevin Wong ; Quality Assurance: David Beddoes, David Watson, Barry Clark, Ross Sparrow, James Allan, Neil Meikle ; Additional Art: Tony Porter, Craig Moore ; Lead Technical Support: Lorraine Roy ; Technical Support: Christine Chalmers ; Development Director: Leslie Benzies ; Studio Director: Andrew Semple ; Office Support: Kim Gurney, Cassie Oliver ; Company 2: Rockstar NYC ; Executive Producer: Sam Houser ; Producer: Dan Houser ; Associate Producer: Jeremy Pope ; Vice President of Development: Jamie King ; Chief Technology Officer: Gary J. Foreman ; Director of Quality Assurance: Jeff Rosa ; Lead Analyst: Richard Huie ; Test Team: Joe Greene, Brian Planer, Elizabeth Satterwhite, Jameel Vega, Mike Hong, Lee Cummings, Lance Williams ; Research and Analysis: Joe Howell, Adam Davidson, Marc Fernandez ; Production Team: Terry Donovan, Jenefer Gross, Jung Kwak, Jeff Castaneda, Adam Tedman, Jennifer Kolbe, David Yu, Laura Paterson, Devin Winterbottom, Brian Wood, Renaud Sebanne, Richard Kruger, Jerry Luna, Michael Carnevale, Stuart Petri, Greg Lau, Futaba Hayashi, Jeff Williams, Carly Slater, Daniel Einzig, Stanton Sarjeant, Jacen Burrows, Jeronimo Barrera, Devin Bennett, Chris Carro, Susan Lewis ; Cover Art: Stephen Bliss ; Rockstar Games Intro Animation: Brian Shelton ; Cut Scenes Writer: Dan Houser, James Worrall ; Cut Scenes Audio Director: Dan Houser, Navid Khonsari ; Cut Scenes Producer: Jamie Kong ; Cut Scenes Talent Procurement: Jamie King, Sean Macaluso ; Voice of Tommy Vercetti: Ray Liotta ; Voice of Ken Rosenberg: Bill Fichtner ; Voice of Sonny Forelli: Tom Sizemore ; Voice of Steve Scott: Dennis Hopper ; Voice of Avery Carrington: Burt Reynolds ; Voice of Ricardo Diaz: Luis Guzman ; Voice of Lance Vance: Philip Michael Thomas ; Voice of Colonel Juan Cortez: Robert Davi ; Voice of Umberto Robina: Danny Trejo ; Voice of Phil Cassidy: Gary Busey ; Voice of Mitch Baker: Lee Majors ; Voice of Mercedes Cortez: Fairuza Balk ; Voice of Kent Paul: Danny Dyer ; Voice of Jezz Torrent: Kevin McKidd ; Voice of Taxi Controller: Deborah Harry ; Voice of Candy Suxxx: Jenna Jameson ; Voice of BJ Smith: Lawrence Taylor ; Voice of Auntie Poulet: Youree Cleomili Harris ; Voice of Supplier: Armando Riesco ; Voice of Cougar: Blayne Perry ; Voice of Hilary: Charles Tucker ; Voice of Congressman Alex Shrub: Chris Lucas ; Voice of Old Man Kelly: George Dicenzio ; Voice of Cam Jones: Greg Sims ; Voice of Psycho: Hunter Platin ; Voice of Maude the Ice Cream Lady: Jane Gennaro ; Voice of Jethro: John Zurhellen ; Voice of Gonzales: Jorge Pupo ; Voice of Dwayne: Navid Khonsari ; Voice of Dick: Peter McKay ; Voice of Mike the Goon: Robert Cihra ; Voice of Porn Guy: Robert Cihra ; Voice of Percy: Russell Foreman ; Voice of Stalker: Will Morton ; Motion Capture Technical Direction: Alex Horton ; Motion Capture Direction: Navid Khonsari ; Motion Capture Producer: Jamie King ; Motion Capture Recording Studio: Perspective Studios; Motion Capture Actor: Blayne Perry, Jonathon Sale, Charles Tucker, Eddie Marrero, William McCall, Jorge Pupo, Robert Jackson, Tara Radcliffe, Jenifer Gambetese, Kris Achevarria, Ali Ordoubadi, Kahleem Poole ; Cut Scene Lip-Sync Animation: Cosgrove Hall Films; Cut Scene Lip-Sync Animation Producer: Owen Ballhatchet ; Cut Scene Lip-Sync Senior Animator: Jon Turner ; Cut Scene Lip-Sync Animator: Richard Drumm, Dave Brown, Mair Thomas, Prashant Patel ; Audio Technology Consultant: Rik Ede ; DTS Integration Support: Ted Laverty, Chris Greer, Jason Page ; Pedestrian Dialogue Writer: Dan Houser, Marc Fernandez, Gillian Telling, Navid Khonsari, Lance Williams, Jeremy Pope, Jenny Jemison ; Pedestrian Dialogue Director: Dan Houser, Craig Connor, Marc Fernandez, Allen Walker ; Pedestrian Dialogue Producer: Renaud Sebanne ; Pedestrian Voice: Adam Davidson, Adam Watkins, Alejandro K. Brown, Alex Anthony Sioukas, Alex Garcia, Alice Saltzman, Alison Cihra, Amy Salima, Amy Salzman, Andrea Videla, Anthony Rivera, Anthony Atti, Bijan Shams, Blayne Perry, Brett Bisogno, Breye Mata, Brian Panen, Brock Voder, Carey Bertini, Charisse Lambert, Chris DiFat, Chris Reisenberger, Christopher Broday, Christopher Carro, Cynthia Greene, Damaries Lopez, Dan Lee, Dan Schneider, Dan Toyama, David Dean Chaltfield Jr., David Harrison, David Wiley, Deborah Collins, Debranda Chaney-Giles, Demetra Koukoulas, Denise Rosado, Devin Bennett, Devin Winterbottom, Doris Woo, Douglas Harrison, Duncan Coutts, Dupe Ajayi, Edwin Avellaneda, Elizabeth Howell, Elizabeth Satterwhite, Eric Nagle, Esteban Karplus, F. Font, Futaba Hayashi, Gene Hilgreen, Gerald Cosgrove, Gerard Luna, Gillian Telling, Gregg Carlucci, Gregory Clervoix Jr., Gregory Schweizer, Hadley Tomicki, J. Rossett, Jameel Vega, Jason Jones, Jeff Rosa, Jennifer Jemison, Jeremy Taggert, Jessica Rider, Joseph Greene, Joseph Howell, Kate Dukich, Kel O'Neill, Kevin Hopkins, Kim Gurney, LaDawn James, Lance Williams, Laura Bubbles, Laura Patterson, Lee Cummings, Leticia L. Young, Lindsay Kennedy, Lisa Ortiz, Lorna Jordan, Lucio Amadio, Marco Fernandez, Mariko Tanaka, Marlon Matthews, Mary Telling, Masayoshi Mitsuyama, Matthew Chung, Max Allstadt, Max Bogdanov, Melissa Alvarez, Michael May, Michael Rothstein, Miguel Vidal, Mike Federline, Natalie Descalzo, N'Gai Members, Nicolas Mallo, Noelle Sadler, Norbert Morivan, Oswald Greene Jr., Peter McKay, Peter Appel, Preston Savarese, Rafael Gonzales, Randy Johnson, Rey Concepcion, Richard Kroger, Rob Tibbs, Robert Jackson, Robert Schuler, Ross A. McIntyre, Russell Foreman, Ruth Nunez, Salvadore Suazo, Sam White, Santos Gonzales, Scott Smith, Seymour Frailman, Spelman Brauman, Stephanie Telling, Steve Knezevich, Steve Robert, Sumiko Yasuda, Susan Lewis, Sylvia Colacios, Tomoko Miyazaki, Tron, Verdel Hale, Yves Mondesir, Zeno Leinfelder ; "Fist Till Morning" Performed By: Love Fist ; "Fist Till Morning" Written By: Allan Walker ; "Fist Till Morning" Drums: Andy Thomson ; "Fist Till Morning" Bass: Mark Farquhar ; "Fist Till Morning" Rhythm Guitar: Neil Mchaffie, Trevor McDonald ; "Fist Till Morning" Lead Guitar: Trevor McDonald ; "Fist Till Morning" Vocals: Paul Mackie, Mark Farquhar, Trevor McDonald, Neil Mchaffie ; "Fist Till Morning" Lyrics By: Dr Boogie ; "Down Down Down" Performed By: Love Fist ; "Down Down Down" Drums: Andy Thomson ; "Down Down Down" Bass: Mark Farquhar ; "Down Down Down" Rhythm Guitar: Neil Mchaffie, Trevor McDonald ; "Down Down Down" Lead Guitar: Trevor McDonald ; "Down Down Down" Vocals: Paul Mackie ; "Down Down Down" Written By: Allan Walker, Paul Mackie, Trevor McDonald ; "Down Down Down" Arranged By: Paul Mackie, Trevor McDonald ; "Dangerous Bastard" Performed By: Love Fist ; "Dangerous Bastard" Drums: Andy Thomson ; "Dangerous Bastard" Bass: Mark Farquhar ; "Dangerous Bastard" Rhythm Guitar: Neil Mchaffie ; "Dangerous Bastard" Lead Guitar: Trevor McDonald ; "Dangerous Bastard" Guest Guitar: Niall Mathewson ; "Dangerous Bastard" Vocals: Paul Mackie ; "Dangerous Bastard" Backing Vocals: Paul Mackie, Mark Farquhar, Craig Conner, Les Benzies, Colin Donald ; "Dangerous Bastard" Written By: Allan Walker ; "Dangerous Bastard" Arranged By: Allan Walker, Craig Conner ; "Dangerous Bastard" Lyrics By: Craig Conner; Voice of Wildstyle DJ: Mister Magic; Wildstyle Imaging Voice: Frank Silvestro; Wildstyle Imaging Production: Lazlow ; "Pump Me Up" Performed By: Trouble Funk; "Pump Me Up" Written By: Avery, Reed, Fisher; "One For the Treble (Vocal Mix)" Performed By: Davy DMX; "One For the Treble (Vocal Mix)" Written By: Davy Reeves ; "Clear" Performed By: Cybotron; "Clear" Written By: Rik Davis, Juan Atkins ; "Al-Naafiyish (The Soul)" Performed By: Hashim; "Al-Naafiyish (The Soul)" Written By: G. Calliste Jr. ; "Rockit" Performed By: Herbie Hancock; "Rockit" Written By: Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Michael Beinhorn; "Looking For The Perfect Beat" Performed By: Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force; "Looking For The Perfect Beat" Written By: Arthur Baker, John Robie; "Get It Girl" Performed By: 2 Live Crew; "Get It Girl" Written By: L. Campbell ; "Rock Box" Performed By: Run DMC; "Rock Box" Written By: L. Smith, D. McDaniels, R. Rubin ; "Bassline" Performed By: Mantronix; "Bassline" Written By: Curtis Khaleel, MC Tee ; "The Smurf" Performed By: Tyrone Brunson; "The Smurf" Composed By: O. Redding III ; "Magic's Wand" Performed By: Whodini; "Magic's Wand" Written By: T. Dolby, Jail Hutchins, John Rivas, T. Robertson, Matthew Segilman ; "More Bounce To the Ounce" Performed By: Zapp & Roger; "More Bounce To the Ounce" Written By: Roger Troutman ; "The Message" Performed By: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five; "The Message" Written By: Fletcher, Glover, Robinson, Chase ; "The Breaks" Performed By: Kurtis Blow; "The Breaks" Written By: Lawrence Smith, J.B. Moore, Kurtis Blow ; "Hip Hop Be Bop (Don't Stop)" Performed By: Man Parrish; "Hip Hop Be Bop (Don't Stop)" Written By: M. Parrish, Robie, Paul A. Rodriguez ; Voice of Flash FM DJ: Toni-Maria Chambers; Flash FM Imaging Voice: Jeff Berlin; Flash FM Imaging Production: Jeff Berlin; "Out of Touch" Performed By: Hall & Oates; "Out of Touch" Written By: Daryl Hall, John Oates ; "Dance Hall Days" Performed By: Wang Chung ; "Dance Hall Days" Written By: Jack Hues; "Billie Jean" Performed By: Michael Jackson; "Billie Jean" Written By: Michael Jackson ; "Self Control" Performed By: Laura Branigan; "Self Control" Written By: Giancario Bigazzi, Raffaele Riefoli, Stephen Piccolo ; "Call Me" Performed By: Go West ; "Call Me" Written By: Peter Cox, Richard Drummie; "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)" Performed By: INXS; "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)" Written By: Farriss, Michael Hutchence ; "Run To You" Performed By: Bryan Adams; "Run To You" Written By: Bryan Adams, J. Vallance; "Four Little Diamonds" Performed By: Electric Light Orchestra; "Four Little Diamonds" Written By: Jeff Lynne ; "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" Performed By: Yes; "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" Written By: Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Horn ; "Video Killed The Radio Star" Performed By: The Buggles; "Video Killed The Radio Star" Written By: Horn, Downes, Woolley ; "Japanese Boy" Performed By: Aneka; "Japanese Boy" Written By: Bobby Heatlie ; "Life's What You Make It" Performed By: Talk Talk ; "Life's What You Make It" Written By: Mark Hollis, Tim Friese-Green; "Your Love" Performed By: The Outfield; "Your Love" Written By: John Spinks; "Stepping Out" Performed By: Joe Jackson; "Stepping Out" Written By: Joe Jackson ; "One Thing Leads To Another" Performed By: The Fixx; "One Thing Leads To Another" Written By: Cyril Curnin, Adam Woods, James West-Oram, Peter Greenall, Alfred Agius ; "Running With the Night" Performed By: Lionel Richie; "Running With the Night" Written By: Lionel Richie, Cynthia Well ; K-Chat Writer: Dan Houser, Lazlow; K-Chat Producer: Lazlow; K-Chat Editor: Lazlow; Voice of K-Chat DJ Amy Sheckenhausen: Leyna Weber ; Voice of Mandy: Colleen Corbett ; Voice of Michelle Carapadis: Mary Birdsong ; Voice of Mr. Zoo: Carl Dowling ; Voice of Gethsemanee: Lynn Lipton ; Voice of Claude Maginot: John Mauceri ; Voice of Thor: Frank Fava ; Voice of Radio Caller: Couzin Ed, Josh Clark, Jason Buhrmester, Juan Aller, Wayne Oliver, Susan Lewis, Gillian Telling, Tom Murray, Mike Ferrante Sr., Emmanuel Goldstein, Dan Houser, Nick Mandelos, Gerry Cosgrove, Mike Palermo, Porkchop, Keith Broadas ; Voice of DJ Oliver "Ladykiller" Biscuit: Julius Dyson ; Flash 105 Male Imaging Voice: Ed McMann ; Flash 105 Female Imaging Voice: Shawnee Smith ; Flash 105 Imaging Production: Listen Kitchen ; "And The Beat Goes On" Performed By: Whispers; "And The Beat Goes On" Written By: L. Sylvers III, S. Shockley, W. Shelby ; "Act Like You Know" Performed By: Fat Larry's Band; "Act Like You Know" Composed By: T. Price, N. Martinelli, M. Birts ; "Get Down Saturday Night" Performed By: Oliver Cheatham; "Get Down Saturday Night" Written By: K. McCord, Oliver Cheatham ; "Automatic" Performed By: The Pointer Sisters; "Automatic" Written By: Patrick Walsh, Mark Goldenberg ; "I'll Be Good" Performed By: René & Angela; "I'll Be Good" Written By: René Moore, Angela Winbush; "All Night Long" Performed By: Mary Jane Girls; "All Night Long" Written By: Rick James ; "Ghetto Life" Performed By: Rick James; "Ghetto Life" Written By: Rick James ; "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Performed By: Michael Jackson; "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Written By: Michael Jackson ; "Shame" Performed By: Evelyn "Champagne" King; "Shame" Written By: J.H. Fitch, R. Cross ; "Behind The Groove" Performed By: Teena Marie; "Behind The Groove" Written By: Mary C. Brockert, Richard Rudolph; "Juicy Fruit" Performed By: Mtume; "Juicy Fruit" Music By: James Mtume; "Juicy Fruit" Written By: James Mtume ; "Summer Madness" Performed By: Kool & The Gang; "Summer Madness" Written By: R.A. Westfield, A. Taylor, C.E. Smith, R.N. Bell, R.E. Bell, G.M. Brown, D.R. Thomas, R.S. Mickens ; "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" Performed By: In Deep; "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" Written By: M. Cleveland ; Voice of VRock DJ: Lazlow; Imaging Voice: Joe Kelly; Imaging Production: Jonathan Hanst; "I Wanna Rock" Performed By: Twisted Sister; "I Wanna Rock" Written By: Dee Snider ; "Too Young to Fall in Love" Performed By: Motley Cruë; "Too Young to Fall in Love" Written By: Nikki Sixx ; "Cum On Feel the Noise" Performed By: Quiet Riot ; "Cum On Feel the Noise" Written By: N. Holder, J. Lea; "She Sells Sanctuary" Performed By: The Cult ; "She Sells Sanctuary" Written By: I. Astbury, B. Duffy; "Bark At The Moon" Performed By: Ozzy Osbourne; "Bark At The Moon" Written By: Ozzy Osbourne; "2 Minutes To Midnight" Performed By: Iron Maiden ; "2 Minutes To Midnight" Written By: Bruce Dickinson, Adrian Smith; "Working for the Weekend" Performed By: Loverboy; "Working for the Weekend" Written By: Paul Dean, Matthew Frenette, Mike Reno ; "God Bless Video" Performed By: Alcatrazz ; "God Bless Video" Written By: G. Bonnet, S. Vai; "Cumin' Atcha Live" Performed By: Tesla; "Cumin' Atcha Live" Written By: Frank Hannon, Jeff Keith, Brian Wheat ; "Turn Up The Radio" Performed By: Autograph; "Turn Up The Radio" Written By: Steven Plunkett, Randy Rand, Steve Isham, Steve Lynch, Keni Richards ; "Peace Sells" Performed By: Megadeth ; "Peace Sells" Written By: Mustaine; "Madhouse" Performed By: Anthrax; "Madhouse" Written By: Anthrax ; "Raining Blood" Performed By: Slayer; "Raining Blood" Lyrics By: K. King, J. Hanneman; "Raining Blood" Music By: J. Hanneman ; "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" Performed By: Judas Priest; "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" Written By: G. Tipton, R. Halford, K.K. Downing; "Fist Fury" Performed By: Love Fist; "Fist Fury" Written By: Allan Walker; "Yankee Rose" Performed By: David Lee Roth; "Yankee Rose" Lyrics By: S. Vai; "Yankee Rose" Written By: D.L. Roth ; VCPR Writer: Dan Houser, Lazlow; VCPR Producer: Lazlow; Voice of Maurice Chavez: Phillip Anthony Rodriguez ; Voice of Jonathan Freeloader: Patrick Olsen ; Voice of Michelle Montanius: Kelly Guest ; Voice of Callum Crayshaw: Sean Modica ; Voice of John F. Hickory: LJ Gansen ; Voice of Pastor Richards: David Green ; Voice of Jan Brown: Maureen Silliman ; Voice of Barry Stark: Renaud Sebbane ; Voice of Jenny Louise Crab: Mary Birdsong ; Voice of Konstantinos Smith: Konstantinos.com ; Voice of Jeremy Robard: Peter Silvestro ; Voice of Radio Espantoso DJ Pepe: Tony Chilrodes ; "A Gozar Con Mi Combo" Performed By: Cachao; "A Gozar Con Mi Combo" Written By: I. Lupez ; "The Bullís Wrong" Performed By: Alpha Banditos; "The Bullís Wrong" Written By: Stuart Ross; "Yo Te Mire" Performed By: Tres Apenas Como Eso ; "Yo Te Mire" Written By: Craig Conner; "Latin Flute" Performed By: Deodato; "Latin Flute" Written By: E. Deodato ; "Mama Papa Tu" Performed By: Mongo Santamaria ; "Mama Papa Tu" Written By: Norman Simmons; "Me & You Baby (Picao Y Tostao)" Performed By: Mongo Santamaria; "Me & You Baby (Picao Y Tostao)" Written By: Mongo Santamaria ; "Mambo Mucho Mambo" Performed By: Machito & His Afro-Cuban Orchestra; "Mambo Mucho Mambo" Written By: Rafael Bianco Suazo ; "La Vida Es Una Lenteja" Performed By: Unaesta; "La Vida Es Una Lenteja" Written By: Craig Conner; "Expansions" Performed By: Lonnie Liston Smith ; "Expansions" Written By: Lonnie Liston Smith; "Aguanlle" Performed By: Irakere ; "Aguanlle" Written By: C. Valdes; "Super Strut" Performed By: Deodato; "Super Strut" Written By: E. Deodato ; "Jamay" Performed By: Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra; "Jamay" Written By: Roman C. Roberto ; "Maracaibo Oriental" Performed By: Beny More; "Maracaibo Oriental" Written By: Jose A. Castaneda ; "Mambo Gozón" Performed By: Tito Puente and His Orchestra; "Mambo Gozón" Written By: Tito Puente; Voice of Emotion 98.3 DJ Fernando: Frank Chavez; Emotion 98.3 Imaging Voice: Jen Sweeney; Emotion 98.3 Imaging Production: Jonathan Hanst ; "Waiting For A Girl Like You" Performed By: Foreigner ; "Waiting For A Girl Like You" Written By: Mick Jones, Lou Gramm; "Wow" Performed By: Kate Bush; "Wow" Written By: Kate Bush ; "Tempted" Performed By: Squeeze ; "Tempted" Written By: Chris Difford, Glenn Tilbrook; "Keep On Loving You" Performed By: REO Speedwagon ; "Keep On Loving You" Written By: Kevin Cronin; "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" Performed By: Cutting Crew ; "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" Written By: Eede; "More Than This" Performed By: Roxy Music; "More Than This" Written By: Bryan Ferry ; "Africa" Performed By: Toto ; "Africa" Written By: D. Paich, J. Porcaro; "Broken Wings" Performed By: Mr. Mister; "Broken Wings" Written By: Richard Page, Steven George, John Lang; "Missing You" Performed By: John Waite ; "Missing You" Written By: John Waite, Charles Sandford, Mark Leonard; "Crockett's Theme" Performed By: Jan Hammer ; "Crockett's Theme" Written By: Jan Hammer; "Sister Christian" Performed By: Night Rangers ; "Sister Christian" Written By: Kelly Keagy; "Never Too Much" Performed By: Luther Vandross ; "Never Too Much" Written By: Luther Vandross; Voice of Wave 103 DJ Adam Fist: Jamie Canfield; Wave 103 Imaging Voice: Jen Sweeney; Wave 103 Imaging Production: Jonathan Hanst; "Two Tribes" Performed By: Frankie Goes To Hollywood ; "Two Tribes" Written By: Gill, Johnson, O'Toole; "Love Missile F1-11" Performed By: Sigue Sigue Sputnik ; "Love Missile F1-11" Written By: James, Degville, Whitmore; "Cars" Performed By: Gary Numan ; "Cars" Written By: Gary Numan; "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" Performed By: The Human League; "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" Written By: J. Callis, P. Oakey ; "Atomic" Performed By: Blondie; "Atomic" Written By: Deborah Harry, Jimmy Destri ; "99 Luftballons" Performed By: Nena ; "99 Luftballons" Composed By: Joern U. Fahrenkrog-Petersen; "99 Luftballons" Lyrics By: Carlos Karges; "Kids in America" Performed By: Kim Wilde; "Kids in America" Written By: R. Wilde, M. Wilde; "Pale Shelter" Performed By: Tears For Fears; "Pale Shelter" Written By: R. Orzabal ; "Sunglasses At Night" Performed By: Corey Hart ; "Sunglasses At Night" Written By: C. Hart; "Poison Arrow" Performed By: ABC ; "Poison Arrow" Written By: ABC; "I Ran (So Far Away)" Performed By: A Flock Of Seagulls ; "I Ran (So Far Away)" Written By: Alister Score, Paul Reynolds, Michael Score, Francis Maudsley; "Love My Way" Performed By: The Psychedelic Furs; "Love My Way" Written By: Timothy Butler, Richard Butler, John Ashton, Vincent Davey, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris ; "Obsession" Performed By: Animotion ; "Obsession" Written By: H. Knight, M. Des Barres; "Gold" Performed By: Spandau Ballet ; "Gold" Written By: G. Kemp; "Hyperactive!" Performed By: Thomas Dolby ; "Hyperactive!" Written By: Thomas Dolby; "Never Say Never" Performed By: Romeo Void; "Never Say Never" Written By: Debora Iyall, Larry Carter, Benjamin Bossi, Frank Zincavage, Peter Woods ; Radio Commercial Writer: Dan Houser, Lazlow; Radio Commercial Producer: Lazlow; Additional Jingle Producer: Craig Conner; Commercial Voice: Adam Davidson, Alex Anthony, Alice Saltzman, Amy Salzman, Kat Dukich, Aran Ronicle, Barb Jones, Ben Krech, Brian Thomas, Brock Yoder, Chris Ferrante, Craig Conner, Dave Ryan, David Green, Doris Woo, Douglas Harrison, Ed McMann, Frank Chavez, Frank Fava, Gene Hilgreen, Greg Schweizer, Hunter Platin, James Ferrante, Jeff Berlin, Jeff Rosa, Joe Kelly, John Mauceri, Josh Clark, Julie Wemyss, Kevin Straley, Kim Gurney, Lance Williams, Laura Paterson, Lazlow, Lisa Ortiz, Lorna Jordan, Lucien Jones, Maureen Silliman, Mike Ferrante Jr., Pete Gustin, Pete Silvestro, Raff Crolla, Randy Johnson, Richard Kruger, Ron Reeve, Shelley Miller, Sky, TJ Allard ; Radio Commercial Singer: Raff Crolla, Aron Ronicle, Julie Wemyss; Voice of Police Controller: Silva Solas; Voice of Beatbox: Robbott de Negro; Music Consultant: Heinz Henn; Soundtrack Coordinator: Terry Donovan
~ Mark Hoogland, All Game Guide
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Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Developer(s) Rockstar North (PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows)

Rockstar Vienna (Xbox)
Publisher(s) Rockstar Games
Series Grand Theft Auto
Engine RenderWare
Version 1.1
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox
Release date(s) PlayStation 2
NA October 27, 2002
AUS November 8, 2002
EU November 8, 2002
Microsoft Windows
NA May 12, 2003
AUS May 20, 2003
EU May 15, 2003
Steam January 4, 2008
Xbox
NA October 31, 2003
AUS January 2, 2004
EU January 2, 2004
Genre(s) Sandbox game
Mode(s) Single-player
Rating(s) BBFC: 18
ESRB: M
OFLC: MA15+
OFLC: R18
PEGI: 18+
USK: 16 (cut)
Media CD, DVD, Download
System requirements Microsoft Windows[1]
Input methods PS2 and Xbox: Gamepad
Windows: Keyboard, mouse, gamepad (optional)

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (abbreviated as GTA: VC) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game designed by Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design) and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall. It debuted in North America on October 27, 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and was later ported to the Xbox and PC in 2003. Vice City was preceded by Grand Theft Auto III and followed by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Vice City draws much of its inspiration from 1980s American culture. Set in 1986 in Vice City, a fictional city modeled after Miami, the story revolves around Mafia member Tommy Vercetti, who was recently released from prison. After being involved in a drug deal gone wrong, Tommy seeks out those responsible while building a criminal empire and seizing power from other criminal organizations in the city. The game uses a tweaked version of the game engine used in Grand Theft Auto III and similarly presents a huge cityscape, fully populated with buildings, vehicles, and people. Like other games in the series, Vice City has elements from driving games and third-person shooters, and features "open-world" gameplay that gives the player more control over their playing experience.

Upon its release, Vice City became the best-selling video game of 2002. As of July 2006, Vice City was, in the American market, the best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time. Vice City also appeared on Japanese magazine Famitsu's readers' list of all-time favorite 100 videogames in 2006, the only fully-Western title on the list.[2] Following this success, Vice City saw releases in Europe, Australia and Japan, as well as a release for the PC. Rockstar Vienna also packaged the game with its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto III, and sold it as Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack for the Xbox. Vice City's setting is also revisited in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, which serves as a prequel to events in Vice City.

Contents

Setting

Riding a motorcycle (PCJ 600) towards Downtown at dawn. In contrast to GTA III, Vice City's setting is a cleaner and sunnier resort city.

The game is set in fictional Vice City, which is based on Miami, Florida. The game's look, particularly the clothing and vehicles, reflect (and sometimes parody) its 1986 setting. In contrast to the gritty urbanism of Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City, Vice City appears (mostly) clean and upscale, with golden beaches, waving palm trees, and vivid sunsets.

Plot

The player takes on the role of Tommy Vercetti, a Mafia hitman released from prison after serving 15 years for killing 11 men.[3] The Mafia family for whom he used to work, the Forellis, fears that Tommy's presence in Liberty City will heighten tensions and bring unwanted attention upon their criminal activities.[4] To prevent this, they ostensibly "promote" Tommy and send him to Vice City to act as their buyer for a series of cocaine deals.[5] During Tommy's first meeting with the drug dealers, an ambush by an unknown party results in the death of Tommy's bodyguards Harry and Lee and the dealer, Victor Vance. Tommy narrowly escapes with his life, but he loses both the Forelli's money and the cocaine.[6]

Vercetti is tasked with retrieving the money and cocaine and killing whoever was responsible for the ambush.[7] Towards this end, he follows leads of Forelli lawyer Ken Rosenberg and contacts mid-level drug dealer and ex-military Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez, British record producer Kent Paul, real estate mogul Avery Carrington and a local criminal named Lance Vance.[8] Vance is eventually revealed to be helping Vercetti as his brother and business partner was the dealer killed in the ambush, and he too is seeking revenge.[9] Vercetti subsequently begins to do jobs for Cortez before being hired by Ricardo Diaz, a Colombian Drug Lord.[10]

Suspicion for the ambush ultimately falls upon Diaz. Vercetti initially plans to continue the status quo to prepare for his own attack, but his hand is forced when Lance Vance attempts to take revenge himself. The two proceed to raid Diaz's mansion and kill him in his office. With Diaz dead, his empire quickly crumbles. Tommy and Lance personally take over Diaz's businesses becoming Vice City's cocaine kingpins and seizing the assets of several near-bankrupted companies.

Tommy becomes the head of his own organization, the Vercetti Gang. The more powerful and rich Tommy becomes, the more Lance begins to exhibit paranoid and sociopathic behaviors, to the point that he begins to physically abuse his own bodyguards and constantly calls Tommy in states of hysteria.

The Forellis find out that Tommy has taken over crime in Vice City without sending a cut to the don as required. The Forellis send collectors to force money out of Tommy's assets, although Tommy disposes of them. An angered Sonny Forelli arrives in Vice City with a small army of mafiosi and street thugs, intent on wiping out Tommy once and for all. When Sonny and his henchmen arrive at the Vercetti Estate, Tommy attempts to bribe them with counterfeit money. However, Lance, having come to resent Tommy's substantial share of their profits, betrays Tommy and allies himself with the Forellis. In the game's climax -- a pastiche on the end of the Brian De Palma film Scarface -- Lance, Sonny, and Sonny's henchmen raid Tommy's mansion. Tommy kills Lance on the roof and storms downstairs where he faces off with Sonny. Sonny reveals he is the one who set Tommy up and had him kill the eleven men who were expecting him. Tommy faces off against Sonny in a large, climactic gun battle, eventually killing him as well. His enemies vanquished, Tommy establishes himself as the undisputed crime kingpin of Vice City, with Ken Rosenberg, who has worked with Tommy throughout the events of the game, as his right-hand-man.

Themes and inspiration

Many themes are borrowed from the films Scarface and Carlito's Way, along with the hit 1980s television series Miami Vice. Vice City also parodies and pays tribute to much of 1980s culture in the cars, music, fashion, landmarks, and characters featured in the game. After much advertisement of the game, the song "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls became the known signature theme of the game.

Ricardo Diaz's opulent mansion and the climactic battle which takes place in it at the story's end, are very similar to their counterparts in Scarface.[11] Another reference is the game's overall storyline, as it is highly similar to the film, as is the design of the final mission. There are also more subtle references, such as an apartment hidden within the game with blood on the bathroom walls and a chainsaw (in a nod to the film's "chainsaw torture" scene).[11] Additionally, the "Mr. Vercetti" suit players receive when purchasing a local strip club bears a striking resemblance to Tony Montana's.

Most of the characters wear the then-fashionable white or pastel linen suits and, mirroring many episodes of Miami Vice, much of the storyline takes place in a glamorous Miami mansion and features a speedboat chase. In fact, if the player's "wanted level" reaches three stars, an undercover sports car (called a Cheetah) strongly resembling a Ferrari Testarossa, which is featured prominently in Miami Vice, joins the police in chasing the player; the occupants of the sports car are two undercover police officers resembling the Miami Vice main characters (Crockett and Tubbs) in both skin tone and dress.

The Cuban and Haitian gang member uniforms are heavily based on clothes worn by two extras in a scene of the pilot episode of Miami Vice where Tubbs first arrives at Miami International Airport.

Other notable popular culture references include:

 This article contains too many minor or trivial fictional references. Mere trivia, or references unimportant to the overall plot of a work of fiction, should be deleted. See also what Wikipedia is not.
Ocean Beach at night, driving a Comet.

The game also features many references to 1980s trends and events:

Characters

Main article: List of characters in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Vice City features dozens of characters, many appearing only in the cut scenes which describe each mission. The voice-talent includes Ray Liotta as protagonist Tommy Vercetti, Tom Sizemore as Sonny Forelli, Robert Davi as Colonel Juan García Cortez, William Fichtner as Ken Rosenberg, Danny Dyer as Kent Paul, Dennis Hopper as pornography Director Steve Scott, Burt Reynolds as Avery Carrington, Luis Guzmán as Ricardo Diaz, Miami Vice star Philip Michael Thomas as Lance Vance, Danny Trejo as Umberto Robina, Gary Busey as Phil Cassidy, Lee Majors as "Big" Mitch Baker, Fairuza Balk as Mercedes Cortez, and porn actress Jenna Jameson as Candy Suxxx. The voice of the taxi dispatcher is provided by Blondie singer Debbie Harry.

Although the main character is not the same as the one in Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City contains a few characters from GTA III at an earlier point in their lives. Donald Love, a business tycoon in GTA III, makes an appearance as an apprentice to real estate mogul Avery Carrington. The one-armed Phil Cassidy from GTA III appears in Vice City as well, and one mission actually explains when and how he lost his arm.

Several of GTA III’s radio hosts can also be heard in Vice City: Lazlow, who was the host of Chatterbox, the talk radio station in GTA III, is the DJ for the hard-rock station, V-Rock, in Vice City (he mentioned in passing in GTA III that he used to be a DJ on a rock station). Toni, the burned-out, female disc jockey of Flashback 95.6, the 1980s music radio station in GTA III, also appears as a young, club-hopping DJ in Vice City's pop music station, Flash FM. Finally, Fernando, a self-glorifying procurer of women ("not a pimp... a savior," he claims) who appeared on Lazlow's show in GTA III, runs Emotion 98.3. Also naturist Barry Stark, a caller for Chatterbox in GTA III, appears as a guest on VCPR in Vice City.

Gameplay

Flying a Maverick helicopter over Vice Point.

Because Vice City was built upon Grand Theft Auto III, the game follows a largely similar gameplay design and interface with GTA III with several tweaks and improvements over its predecessor. The gameplay is very open-ended, a characteristic of the Grand Theft Auto franchise; although missions must be completed to complete the storyline and unlock new areas of the city, the player is able to drive around and visit different parts of the city at his/her leisure and otherwise, do whatever they wish if not currently in the middle of a mission. Various items such as hidden weapons and packages are also scattered throughout the landscape, as it has been with previous GTA titles.

Players can steal vehicles, (cars, boats, motorcycles, and even helicopters) partake in drive-by shootings, robberies, and generally create chaos. However, doing so generally attracts unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the police (or, in extreme cases, the FBI and even the National Guard). Police behavior is mostly similar to Grand Theft Auto III, although police units will now wield night sticks, deploy spike strips to puncture the tires of the player's car, as well as SWAT teams from flying police helicopters and the aforementioned undercover police units, à la-Miami Vice.

A new addition in the game is the ability of the player to purchase a number of properties distributed across the city. Some of these are additional hideouts (essentially locations where weapons can be collected and the game saved). There are also a variety of businesses called "assets" which the player can buy. These include a film studio, a dance club, a strip club, a taxi company, an "ice-cream delivery business" (acting as a front company), a boatyard, a printing works, and a car showroom. Each commercial property has a number of missions attached to it, such as eliminating the competition or stealing equipment. Once all the missions for a given property are complete, the property will begin to generate an ongoing income, which the increasingly-prosperous Vercetti may periodically collect.

Police trouble.

Various gangs make frequent appearances in the game, some of whom are integral to story events. These gangs typically have a positive or negative opinion of the player and act accordingly by shooting at the player or following him. Shootouts between members of rival gangs can occur spontaneously and several missions involve organized fights between opposing gangs.

Optional side-missions are once again included, giving the player the opportunity to make pizza deliveries, drive injured people to a hospital with an ambulance, extinguish fires with a fire truck, deliver passengers in a taxi, and be a vigilante, using a police vehicle to kill criminals. Monetary rewards and occasional gameplay advantages (e.g. increased health and armor capacity and infinite sprinting) are awarded for completing different difficulty levels of these activities. Different sums of money are awarded for landing trick jumps in motorcycles or fast cars depending on the number of flips and height achieved.

Weapons

The weapons system used in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is derivative of those from its predecessors, but has been significantly expanded. Compared to 12 forms of weapons from Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City features a total of 35 weapons divided into 10 classes (classified by portability, firepower or function), with the player allowed to carry only one weapon from each class. Each class presents a set of weapons with each presenting their own strengths and weaknesses, such as weight, damage and efficiency. For example, when a player has semi-automatic pistol in hand (which inflicts lower damage, but has a higher firing rate and larger magazine capacity) and encounters ammunition for a Colt Python (which inflicts a large amount of damage, but is weak in firing rate and more frequent reloading), he or she can only choose to replace the automatic with the revolver or choose not to replace the automatic. Because of this, the player is only allowed to carry up to 10 weapons at once while being allowed to pick specific weapons from each class.

The weapons, which range from a variety of mêlée weapons and firearms become available to the player as he or she completes more and more missions. Guns (such as pistols, rifles, thrown weapons and heavy weapons) may be purchased at firearm store Ammu-Nation or obtained via a weapons dealer, and other types of weapons (such as baseball bats, hammers and chainsaws) can be bought at various hardware stores. There are also heavy-duty weapons such as flamethrowers and rocket launchers. Another quirk is the inclusion of a camera, which is used in only one mission to capture pictures.

Various ports of Vice City also present modifications on the inventory of weapons. The PlayStation 2 version is the only version of the game to feature tear gas, while the PC version and the Xbox version from Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack features modified names of weapons (i.e. the MP5 renamed as "MP" and the PSG-1 sniper rifle renamed as ".308 Sniper") The Kruger assault rifle has changed color as well.

Soundtrack

Main articles: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City OST - Greatest Hits

Vice City includes a large collection of licensed music from 1986 and before that can be listened to by means of various in-car radio stations. Each station covers a particular music genre, such as rap music (Wildstyle), rock (V-Rock) and (most predominantly) pop music (WAVE 103, Flash FM). The tracks are for the most part works from various real-life artists, such as Electric Light Orchestra, Judas Priest, Toto, Blondie, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, INXS, Michael Jackson, Bryan Adams, Luther Vandross, Kool & the Gang, Spandau Ballet, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five and Eumir Deodato. Additionally, a talk station (KCHAT) and a public radio debate show Pressing Issues (VCPR) are included. The radio stations and the game's storyline also feature a fictional heavy metal band called Love Fist. The multi-CD soundtrack to the game was an instant best-seller.

In addition to music and interviews, the stations also include satirical commercials, such as the Degenatron, a fictional video game console (Save the green dots with your fantastic flying red square!), likely a parody of the Atari 2600. The commercials and the game setting are consistent: Degenatron advertisements appear on billboards, and ads air for stores in which the player can actually shop, such as Ammu-Nation. Months before the release of Vice City, Rockstar Games created a Degenatron "fansite", which allowed users to actually play the "emulated" games.

Reception and sales

Awards
GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002 Best Music on PlayStation 2,[12] Best Action Adventure Game on PlayStation 2,[13] Game of the Year on PlayStation 2[14]
IGN's Best of 2002 Best Adventure Game for PlayStation 2 (Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice),[15] Special Achievement for Sound (Reader's Choice),[16] Best Game of the Year for PlayStation 2 (Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice)[17]

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released to extremely positive reviews from critics and fans alike. The game received ratings of 9.7/10 from IGN,[18] 9.6/10 from GameSpot,[19] 5/5 from GamePro,[20] and 10/10 from Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. The game has a score of 95 out of 100 on the review compiling website Metacritic making Vice City the sixth highest rated PlayStation 2 game on the site.[21] Most critics[who?] praised the game for its open-ended action and entertaining re-creation of 1980s culture.

As of September 26, 2007, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has sold 15 million units according to Take-Two Interactive.[22] As of March 26, 2008, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has sold 17.5 million units according to Take-Two Interactive.[23]

Controversy

Like Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has been labeled as violent and sexually explicit by many special interest groups, and is considered highly controversial. Some suggest that parental supervision is necessary when young people play this game, since children were never the game's intended audience. The ESRB rated this game "M" for Mature. In Australia, it was slightly modified to comply with current Australian censorship laws; the ability to pick-up prostitutes was disabled, allowing the game to be given an MA15+ rating by the OFLC. In the UK, Vice City received an "18" certificate from the BBFC.

Attacking a Haitian gang in Little Haiti. The game was accused of inviting people to harm immigrant Cubans and Haitians, and featuring anti-Haitian and anti-Cuban phrases.

In November 2003, Cuban and Haitian groups in Florida targeted the title. They accused the game of inviting people to harm immigrants from those two nations.[24] The groups' claims of racism and incitement to genocide attracted a good deal of public attention towards Vice City. Rockstar Games issued a press release stating that they understood the concern of Cubans and Haitians, but also believed those groups were blowing the issue out of proportion. Under further pressure, including threats from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to "do everything we possibly can" if Rockstar did not comply, Take-Two (the game's publisher) did agree to remove several lines of dialogue.[25] This seems to have largely satisfied the groups who raised the complaints, although the case was then referred to a state court, downgraded from the initial decision to refer the case to a federal court.[26] In 2004, a new version of the game was released, removing and changing those lines of dialogue.[27]

In February 2005, a lawsuit was brought upon the makers and distributors of the Grand Theft Auto series claiming the games caused a teenager to shoot and kill three members of the Alabama police force. The shooting took place in June 2003 when Devin Moore, 17 years old at the time, was brought in for questioning to a Fayette police station regarding a stolen vehicle. Moore then grabbed a pistol from one of the police officers and shot and killed him along with another officer and dispatcher before fleeing in a police car.[28][29] One of Moore's attorneys, Jack Thompson, claimed it was GTA's graphic nature - with his constant playing time - that caused Moore to commit the murders, and Moore's family agrees. Damages are being sought from the Jasper branches of GameStop and Wal-Mart, the stores from which GTA III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, respectively, were purchased and also from the games' publisher Take-Two Interactive, and the PlayStation 2 manufacturer Sony Computer Entertainment. The case is currently being heard by the same judge who presided over Moore's criminal trial, in which he was sentenced to death for his actions.

In September 2006, Jack Thompson brought another lawsuit, claiming that Cody Posey played the game obsessively before murdering his father, stepmother, and stepsister on a ranch in Hondo, New Mexico. The suit was filed on behalf of the victims' families.[30] During the criminal trial, Posey's defense team argued he was abused by his father, and tormented by his stepmother.[31] Posey was also taking Zoloft at the time of the killings.[32] The suit alleged that were it not for his obsessive playing of Vice City, the murders would not have taken place.[33] Named in the suit were Cody Posey, Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, and Sony. The suit asked for US$600 million in damages.[34]

References

  1. ^ "Windows System Requirements". Take-Two Interactive. http://www.take2games.com/index.php?p=games&platform=PC&title=gtavc. Retrieved on 2006-08-29. 
  2. ^ "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100". Next Generation. http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2401&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=1. Retrieved on 2006-08-18. 
  3. ^ Sonni Forelli: Tommy! What? No big hugs for your old buddy? / Tommy Vercetti: I've had fifteen years out of the loop. I'm a bit rusty on family etiquette, / Sonny: Always angry, eh Tommy. Didn't I say your temper would get you into trouble, huh?[...]How many was it? Ten? No, eleven men. That's how you get to be called the Harwood Butcher! (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North/Take-Two Interactive, 2002.)
  4. ^ Mobster: [Vercetti] kept his head down...helps people forget. / Sonny: People will remember soon enough; when they see him walking down the streets of their neighborhoods it will be bad for business. (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North/Take-Two Interactive, 2002.)
  5. ^ Sonny: We treat [Tommy] like an old friend and keep him busy out of town. OK? We been talking about expanding down South, right? Vice City is twenty-four carat gold these days[...] / Mobster: But it's all drugs, Sonny. None of the families will touch that shit! / Sonny: Times are changing[...]So, we send someone down to do the dirty work for us and cut ourselves a nice quiet slice. OK? (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North/Take-Two Interactive, 2002.)
  6. ^ Sonny: So, how'd the deal go down - you sitting on some white gold? / Tommy: Look Sonny, we were set up. The deal was an ambush. Harry and Lee are dead. / Sonny: You better be kidding me Tommy! Tell me you still got the money! / Tommy: ...no Sonny...I don't have the money. / Sonny: That was MY money, Tommy, MY MONEY!!! (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North/Take-Two Interactive, 2002.)
  7. ^ Tommy: Wait Sonny. You have my personal assurance that I'm going to get you your money back...and the drugs. And I'm gonna mail you the dicks of those responsible. (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North/Take-Two Interactive, 2002.)
  8. ^ Guides: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Guide (PC)
  9. ^ Lance: Hey, I've been asking around and it's obvious that Diaz jumped the deal and iced my brother[...]I can take Diaz! (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North/Take-Two Interactive, 2002.)
  10. ^ Guides: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Guide (PC)
  11. ^ a b "Grand Theft Auto: Scarface - Examining Grand Theft Auto's Scarface Connection". Cliff O'Neill. http://www.gamechronicles.com/features/gtascarface/body.htm. Retrieved on 2006-08-18. 
  12. ^ "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002: Special Achievement Awards - Best Music on PlayStation 2". http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/ps21.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. 
  13. ^ "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002: Genre Awards - Best Action Adventure Game on PlayStation 2". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/ps29.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. 
  14. ^ "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002: Game of the Year on the PlayStation 2". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/ps226.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. 
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