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If every other publisher in the country has been waiting for Rockstar and Grand Theft Auto's reign of
chart dominance to come to an end, or wishing that GTA III would prove to be a fluke hit - they better
be ready to wait another year. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City doesn't just match the magic of GTA III;
it bests it in every way possible. There's a lot to say about this game, but let's put it this way:
Vice City is a lot more than some new GTA III missions cobbled together.
No doubt you've already heard a lot of hype regarding the early-'80s vibe
of Vice City. Usually, it's risky to change a successful game's setting and
time frame this dramatically, but you'll soon see that the skinny-tie era
gimmick works exactly as Rockstar North intended it. For those of us who spent
our childhood in the decade of Reagan, the nostalgic kick received from seeing
a pastel Miami Vice suit, or hearing a long-forgotten Animotion song, gives
Vice City an extra dimension of entertainment value that other games just
can't capture. The same goes for the amazing cast, which includes Burt Reynolds,
Ray Liotta, and Miss Cleo (among others) assembled for the voice-overs. It's
a blast to play "spot the superstar" while watching cutscenes. Yes, the presentation
is just a window dressing, but it's the first time that I've felt that a video
game was really part of pop culture in the way a movie, TV show, or music
video is.
Sure, the high-profile voice actors and over 100 vintage songs are the things
that selling over 8 million copies of GTA III can buy. Thankfully, the improvements
aren't just found in the production values; the nuts and bolts of the gameplay
have also received some significant alterations. For one, the selection of vehicles
is flat-out awesome, and the motorcycles and helicopter are sure to become fast
fan favorites. Popping wheelies and cutting razor-sharp corners on a bike with
a hot babe on your back is awesome, and the helicopter allows you to explore
the areas of the city you might never find on foot; including rooftops that
are inaccessible from the ground. You can also become a real estate magnate
by buying various pieces of property around the city, which then becomes new
save points - a nice time-saving feature that gamers will definitely appreciate.
There are so many new facets to Vice City that I don't have time to hit them
all, so I'll just lay out the two things that I really believe make this a much
better game than GTA III. One, the gun targeting, which is now set on a fixed
over-the-shoulder perspective, is improved to the point where combat can actually
be fun, not a chore. Two, the missions are much, much more complex and varied
in nature. You'll do everything from destroying an office complex with the aid
of a remote-controlled helicopter, to attacking an enemy compound with the real
thing. Vice City is definitely not a "pizza delivery" game (although
that minigame is included as well).
Oh yeah, it's still packed with all the "mature" content that fans
love, and critics loathe. Hopefully, this time around, both parties will begin
to ignore the controversy and recognize Grand Tehft Auto: Vice City for what
it really is: a brilliant video game.