Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

"Not only is this the greatest game on PSP, it also leaves a large percentage of the PS2 back catalogue looking ordinary. Buy it right now."

- Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK.

"Vice City, 1984. Opportunity abounds in a city emerging from the swamps, its growth fueled by a violent power struggle in a lucrative drug trade. Construction is everywhere as a shining metropolis rises from foundations of crime and betrayal. As a soldier, Vic Vance has always protected his dysfunctional family, his country, himself. One bad decision later and that job is about to get much harder. Kicked out onto the streets between glamour and gluttony, Vic is faced with a stark choice...build an empire or be crushed."

- Official Description

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is the sixth and final game (but first chronologically) in the 3D Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series. Originally released as an exclusive game for the PlayStation Portable, it was later released on the PlayStation 2 console because of its success. It is the second Grand Theft Auto game to appear on the PSP system (the first being Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories). The game was developed by Rockstar Leeds, and published and released by Rockstar Games.

Take-Two Interactive originally announced the title was to be released in North America on October 17, 2006 and in Europe on October 20, but early in September, there was an announcement stating the game had been delayed for release until October 31 in North America and November 3 in Europe. It had also announced that the game will be released on November 10, 2006 in Australia.

On February 7, 2007, Rockstar Games announced plans for a PlayStation 2 release. The release dates were March 6, 2007, for North America and March 9, 2007, for Europe. It was released on PlayStation 3 via on April 2, 2013, but has since been made unavailable. The PS2 port version of the game has a number of improvements over the original PSP version of the game, including enhanced graphics, new activities and a new Easter Egg.

Story
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories marks the series return to Vice City, with the game taking place in 1984, roughly two years before the events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game focuses around Victor Vance, the brother of Lance Vance, both characters who have previously appeared in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Victor "Vic" Vance, the protagonist, is a U.S. Army soldier whose sergeant, Jerry Martinez, gets him involved in drug trafficking, which is strictly against Vic's morals. Soon, Vic is dishonorably discharged for the drugs found in his room and bringing a prostitute to the barracks, both of which were intended for Martinez. Vic works for Phil Cassidy. Phil's brother-in-law, Marty Williams, abuses his wife Louise and their baby Mary-Beth. After Marty kidnaps Louise, Vic kills him and begins a relationship with her, then shortly after, Victor takes over Marty's Empire.

Soon after, Vic's brother, Lance Vance, comes into town to join him on his quest to take over Vice City to get the money required to pay for their brother's asthma medication. Together they steal Martinez's cocaine, but tensions arise between the brothers after Vic finds out that Lance and Louise used it for themselves. A short time later, Victor discovers that Martinez was only transporting the drugs for the Mendez Brothers, leaving Lance and Vic with no option but to work with the Mendez Brothers, only to be betrayed after doing a few jobs for them. The Mendez Brothers then kidnap Louise sometime after Vic protects and saves Phil Collins' concert from the Forelli Family, and he and Lance rush to the rescue. Lance gets captured by Armando Mendez and Vic fights his way to the underground room of the Mendez Mansion, where a deranged Armando is waiting for him wielding a Flamethrower, but Armando is quickly killed by Victor during the intense fire-fight that ensues. Although Lance manages to survive, Vic is too late to save Louise. Afterwards, with help from Phil Cassidy and Ricardo Diaz, Vic manages to steal an army helicopter (The Hunter), and proceeds to gun down some of Diego Mendez's Goons, eventually bringing him to land on the roof of the Mendez Building where he enters inside and continues his killing spree.

Upon Victor's return to the rooftop, there is one final confrontation, which ends when Vic kills Diego and Martinez, who had arrived in a helicopter when Vic was halfway from reaching Diego. Lance arrives to help Vic, but turns up late. Lance offers Victor twenty kilos of cocaine for a deal ahead; however, Victor denies his interest and says that he wants to stay away from drugs. He then says that he would send some money to their sick brother Pete for his medical treatment. By the end of the game, Victor is a very wealthy man.

Eventually, Victor is dragged back into the Vice City criminal underworld by his brother Lance. They set up a deal with the Forelli crime family, apparently with the help of Colonel Cortez according to Ken Rosenberg. As the two groups are about to exchange their goods, a small group of hitmen arrives and shoots at them, killing Vic and two of the Forelli family members, whilst the Forelli representative Tommy Vercetti and Ken Rosenberg drive off and Lance flies away from the scene, starting the events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Characters
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories contains many of the characters (and voice actors) from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, including Phil (Gary Busey), Ricardo Diaz (Luis Guzman), Lance Vance (Philip Michael Thomas) and Umberto Robina (Danny Trejo). In addition to the gangs previously featured in Vice City, new gangs make a debut in this game: the Trailer Park Mafia, the Cholos, the Mendez Brothers Gang, and the Stallionz. Some of the gangs from the previous game have been renamed: the Streetwannabe's are known as the Sharks, and the Cubans are known as the Los Cabrones.

Vice City in 1984
Similar to Liberty City in 1998 compared to 2001, Vice City has many differences due to the different timeline setting, including a fairground in the location where Avery Carrington's construction site is. There is also a warehouse in Little Haiti that does not exist by the time GTA Vice City takes place, though the fate is explained in the game. The Mendez Building and Victor's Empire Buildings no longer exist in 1986. Diaz's Mansion (later the Vercetti Estate) is only partially finished. The Mendez Mansion is newer and still resided in, although the fate of the mansion is explained in the game. Phil Cassidy runs a business in Viceport instead of Downtown Vice City. InterGlobal Studios is owned by future Flashback FM DJ Reni Wassulmaier instead of Steve Scott, but the reason why this is explained later in the game. A Trailer Park is present, that is absent in GTA Vice City and is replaced by a bigger Sunshine Autos near Escobar International Airport.

Compared to its chronological sequel, Vice City seems to be much more chaotic and crime-riddled.

Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is structured similarly to other releases from the Grand Theft Auto series. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, affording the player a large, open environment to move around in. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming (an ability last available in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), and jumping, as well as utilizing weapons and basic hand to hand combat. Players can steal and drive a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, airplanes, helicopters, and motorcycles.

The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain areas and content, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam and create havoc (e.g. Drive-By Shooting, robberies, etc.). However, doing so can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities. The more chaos caused, the stronger the response: police will handle minor infractions, whereas SWAT teams, the FBI, and the Vice City national guard respond to higher wanted levels.

The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions. The traditional side missions of the past games are included, such as dropping off taxi cab passengers, putting out fires, driving injured people to the hospital, and fighting crime as a vigilante. A new addition to the game is "Beach Patrol", in which Victor plays lifeguard on Vice City's beach, saving citizen's lives or dispatching local gangs. One improvement to the PS2 controls with regards to many of these side missions is that exiting a vehicle (accidentally or intentionally) usually does not fail a sub-mission anymore, allowing easier replacement of damaged vehicles, or re-entering a vehicle if the exit was due to hitting the wrong button.

One of the key gameplay elements in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is the "Empire Building" system. New to the Grand Theft Auto series, it borrows a few ideas from Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citys "properties" and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas "gang wars" systems. In order to make money, the player must open and operate various businesses on property taken over from enemy gangs.

The combat system was overhauled to feature more depth than ever before. The targeting mechanic has been tweaked to "intelligently target"; enemies posing a threat or attacking the player will be targeted over pedestrians. The biggest changes concern the hand-to-hand combat system, as players can now perform grappling moves and throws, and stand on top of enemies laying on the ground.

For the first time in a Grand Theft Auto game, players are able to bribe policemen or hospital staff when "Wasted" or "Busted" in order to keep weapons that ordinarily would have been lost. Also new to the series are icons scattered around the city that allow Vic to purchase vehicles. For example, a bulletproof Sanchez is available at the first safehouse (only in the PS2 version).

The standard hidden package system returns in the form of 99 red balloons scattered around the city. This is a reference to 's 1980s hit, "". Also, extras that have been discovered (Red Balloons, Rampages and the Unique Stunt Jumps) appear on the in-game map. Trip skips also return. However, functions such as eating and exercise and skill-level increases, last seen in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, remain absent. The game also reintroduces strip club interiors (absent in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories), albeit in a non-interactive form and depending on what Empire Building options the player chooses.

Improvements to the graphics since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories include new animations, faster load times (although a load screen is still displayed when travelling between the two major islands), a further draw distance, reductions in clumping of pedestrians and vehicles, more complex and realistic explosions, and increases in the density of objects, vehicles, and NPCs.

One new feature of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is that the player can receive a small cash bonus for being a good Samaritan and rescuing pedestrians being attacked by enemy gang members.

Multiplayer
Like the game's predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories features a multiplayer mode that can be played via WiFi. Ten different modes of play are offered, and these multiplayer games will incorporate use of automobiles, aircraft, and water-based vehicles.

Influence
Much like the original Grand Theft Auto: Vice City game, the look and feel of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is heavily influenced by the television series . More specific references include the corrupt VCPD detective Bryan Forbes, who dresses in a white suit, loafers and a pastel pink t-shirt, mimicking one of the signature looks of, one of the primary characters in the show. Philip Michael Thomas, who portrayed, Crockett's partner and the other main character in Miami Vice, also returns to provide the voice of Lance Vance in the game.

Much like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the game's soundtrack includes several songs that featured in the show, including "" by, "" by and "" by Phil Collins, the latter in particular having a very strong association with the show after its iconic appearance in the pilot episode "". Collins additionally appears in Vice City Stories as himself, "performing" a live rendition of "In the Air Tonight" (in fact taken from his No Ticket Required video) during the mission of the same name. This parallels how Collins likewise appeared in an acting role in Miami Vice, playing a con-artist in the episode "Phil the Shill".

Soundtrack
Like all other games in the Grand Theft Auto series, the soundtrack plays an integral role in setting the game's atmosphere. The game features nine different radio stations which play over 100 licensed songs from the 1970s and 1980s. Most of the stations remain the same as in the settings of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (1986), though Fever 105 and Wildstyle are replaced with Fresh 105 and Paradise FM, and the talk radio station K-Chat does not broadcast.

Gangs

 * Cholos (wiped out)
 * Trailer Park Mafia (wiped out)
 * Cubans
 * Forelli Family
 * Bikers
 * Sharks
 * Mendez Cartel (wiped out)
 * Diaz's gang
 * White Stallionz (wiped out)
 * Vance Crime Family
 * Gonzales Syndicate

Weapons
The weapons in Vice City Stories are set to fit the time the game is set on. For instance, the Tec-9 is replaced with a Scorpion and the rocket launcher has the look of an M72 LAW. The M4 is switched to the look of a M16 as there were no M4's during 1984. The main pistol in the game was changed to the Beretta 92. Most of the other weapons are the same as the ones from GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas and Liberty City Stories, while the Python now has a scope, though it's not functional. It is unusual that GTA Vice City Stories has the AK-47 whereas GTA Vice City has the Ruger. Note that the AK-47 was designed and manufactured in 1946. The machine gun in the game was a M249, where as in GTA: Vice City the M-60 was used. The Sniper Rifle now has the look of a Springfield M12 while the Laser Sniper is based on a Dragunov.

Sound effect differences
There are some sound effect differences between the PSP and PS2 version. The PSP version recycle the same sounds from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, whereas the PS2 version has some differences:
 * Several vehicles have their engine sounds in a higher pitch. In addition, vehicles that share the same sound as the Perennial will emit the Sentinel's engine sound while idling and revving.
 * The explosion of grenades and the rocket launcher shares the same sound as a vehicle explosion, similar to that of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV.
 * The Stubby Shotgun emits the same firing sound as the Combat Shotgun.
 * All firearms have louder and stronger reverberation after firing.
 * The footstep sounds when running and jumping is slightly different.
 * The Hunter's helicopter blades sound different.

Glitches
The "disappearing vehicle" glitch - in which a car driven to a mission trigger point disappears after the cutscene - is at its worst in this title. Not only do vehicles almost always vanish after the mission cutscenes, but they also vanish if the player saves their game in a safehouse with a vehicle parked outside, even if Victor immediately goes back outside (in previous games the last vehicle driven by the player remains parked outside the safehouse after a save as long as the console isn't reset or a game reloaded).

Trivia

 * In GTA Vice City Stories, Victor Vance's voice is one of an average American, but in GTA Vice City, Victor speaks with a thick Colombian accent.
 * Singer Phil Collins appears as himself in the game, making him the first real-life celebrity to appear physically in a Grand Theft Auto game.
 * This is the only 3D Universe game to feature checkpoints. Episodes from Liberty City and Grand Theft Auto V (from the HD Universe) would continue this idea.
 * However, the final mission of Grand Theft Auto IV (A Revenger's Tragedy/Out of Commission) features a single checkpoint where the player can start from if they fail the mission.
 * The same mechanic was also featured in the mobile versions of 3D Universe games.
 * Unlike its predecessor, this game was not ported for mobile.

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