Grand Theft Auto Vice City
One of my all time favourite games and it was great to revisit it as this was the first 3D GTA that I owned. Still looks great and it has a certain charm which separates it from its counterparts; that Miami setting really sets the tone for the entire experience in general. It shows its age in graphics and controls but I can easily brush that aside.
I love the story in this game and it really feels as if you start from the bottom and by the end you completely own the entire city - that feeling of empowerment is something that some GTA titles fail to do as effectively. What made the story great though was the voice acting. Tommy, the antagonist, is a very likable character if not a tad predictable. However, he still remains my favourite antagonist besides CJ in the entire series.
If i had one problem with this game, it would be the size and content. Missions are interesting and fun, an improvement on its predecessor, but the problem is that there simply isn't enough. Replaying the game made me realise just how short the main story is. It starts off at a good pace but before you know it you're nearing the final missions, which are unlocked by what seems like filler side missions that are compulsory. The map also feels rather small - mainly composed of two islands, the least in the series. Since the Islands were short in width and long in length it made them feel a lot smaller and slightly predictable when navigating. Maybe it's just me, but Vice City feels like a, somewhat, shorter game to its counterparts.
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Nevertheless, this game is amazing, a truly great representation of stereotypical life in 80's Miami. It pokes fun at that view and that's where most of the humour comes from, which the series is famous for. Characters compliment this as they were interesting and, at times, actually quite funny. The charm all comes from the setting though, and the game's amazing 80's soundtrack; which still remains one of my favourite soundtracks in all of gaming. Yes, the game does show age and yes, looking now, it seems like a shorter experience to other games in the series, but it's still a great achievement in gaming as a whole.
If GTA III was a revolutionary step in 3D, and open world gaming, then this game expanded on that in almost every aspect. It may have been surpassed by its successors but it's still an amazing game.
94/100