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.
Type
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Release
31st October 2006
3rd November 2006
10th November 2006
10th November 2006
6th December 2007
3rd November 2006
10th November 2006
10th November 2006
6th December 2007
6th March 2007
9th March 2007
9th March 2007
6th December 2007
9th March 2007
9th March 2007
6th December 2007
April 2, 2013
Platform(s)
• PlayStation Portable• PlayStation 2
• PlayStation 3
Rating(s)
• ESRB: M• BBFC: 18
• PEGI: 18+
• OFLC: MA 15+
• OFLC (NZ): R18
• USK: 16+ No 23 mahalakshmi nivasam serial last episode.
Protagonist(s)
Location
Year
Grand Theft Auto series chronology of events |
---|
1961 – London 1961 1969 – London 1969 1984 – Vice City Stories 1986 – Vice City 1992 – San Andreas 1997 – Grand Theft Auto 1998 – Liberty City Stories 1999 – Grand Theft Auto 2 (Possible) 2000 – Advance 2001 – Grand Theft Auto III 2008 – Grand Theft Auto IV – The Lost and Damned – The Ballad of Gay Tony 2009 – Chinatown Wars 2013 – Grand Theft Auto 2 (Possible) 2013 - present – Grand Theft Auto Online 2013 – Grand Theft Auto V |
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 the PlayStation Network on April 2, 2013.
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
'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.' - Game's Description
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 who goes on to betrayTommy Vercetti in 1986. Victor briefly appears in GTA Vice City in the opening cut scene, in which he is killed during a drug deal gone wrong.
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, who is also featured in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. 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 medications. 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 weilding 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, and together they agree never to touch drugs again. The Vance Brothers then get in Lance's Helicopter and leave Vice City to send Pete the money for his asthma medications.
Characters
- See Characters in GTA Vice City Stories
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
Vice City in 1984
Similar to Liberty City in 1998 compared to 2001, Vice City has many differences including a fairground in the location where Avery Carrington's construction site is. There is also a warehouse that doesn't exist in GTA VC though the fate is explained in the game. The Mendez Building and Empire Buildings don't exist. 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 VC 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
GTA 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 Vice City Stories is 'empire building'. New to the GTA series, it borrows a few ideas from Vice City's '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.
For Vice City Stories, 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 Nena's 1980s hit, '99 Luftballons'. 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 GTA: San Andreas, remain absent. The game also reintroduces strip club interiors (absent in 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 VCS 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, 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 Vice City game, the look and feel of Vice City Stories is heavily influenced by the television series Miami Vice. 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 of the signature looks of Sonny Crockett, one of the primary characters in the show. Philip Michael Thomas, who portrayed Rico Tubbs, 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 Vice City, the game's soundtrack includes several songs that featured in the show, including 'Relax' by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, 'I Want to Know What Love Is' by Foreigner and 'In the Air Tonight' by Phil Collins, the latter in particular having a very strong association with the show after its iconic appearance in the pilot episode 'Brother's Keeper'. 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
- See: Radio Stations in GTA Vice City Stories
Like all other games in the Grand Theft Auto series, Vice City Stories' 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 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.
Vehicles
Sports and Muscle Cars | Two-Door and Hatchbacks | Four-Door Sedans and Saloons | SUVs, Pickups, and Vans | Commercial/Industrial | Gang |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Government/Emergency | Public Service | Bikes | Boats | Aircraft | Misc./Fun |
Gangs
- Cholos(wiped out)
- Trailer Park Mafia(wiped out)
- Mendez Cartel(wiped out)
- White Stallionz(wiped out)
Weapons
- See Weapons in GTA Vice City Stories
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 Vice City, 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 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.
Safehouses
- see Safehouses in GTA Vice City Stories
Accolades
Date | Award | Category | Recipient(s) and Nominee(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | IGN's History of Awesome 2006 | Best Licensed Soundtrack on PlayStation Portable | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | Won |
26 October 2007 | Golden Joystick Awards | Best Handheld Game | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | Won |
Tips and Tricks
Sound effect differences
There are some sound effect differences between the PSP and PS2 version. The PSP version recycles some sounds from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, whereas the PS2 version has some differences:
- Some of the 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 have the same sound as a vehicle explosion.
- The Stubby Shotgun emits the same firing sound as the SPAS-12.
- All firearms have louder and stronger reverberation after firing.
- The footstep sounds when running and jumping is slightly different.
Glitches
- see Glitches in GTA Vice City Stories
The 'disappearing vehicle' glitch - in which a car driven to a mission trigger point disappears after the cutscene - is at its worst in VCS. 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.
Further Reading
Trailers
GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer 1
GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer 2
GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer 3
GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer (PS2)
External Links
Wikipedia has an article on:
WikipediaNavigation
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(Redirected from Victor 'Vic' Vance)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | |
Publisher(s) | Rockstar Games |
Producer(s) | Leslie Benzies |
Designer(s) | David Bland |
Programmer(s) |
|
Artist(s) | Aaron Garbut Ian Bowden |
Writer(s) | |
Series | Grand Theft Auto |
Platform(s) | |
Release | PlayStation Portable
|
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer(PSP) |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is an action-adventurevideo game developed in a collaboration between Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 31 October 2006 for PlayStation Portable and later for PlayStation 2 on 5 March 2007. The game is the tenth instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series and the sixth in the 3D universe. This was also the last game in the series to use well-known and Hollywood voice talent; Grand Theft Auto IV onward would instead use lesser-known and unknown voice actors. It is a prequel to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and the successor to previous PSP release, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Vice City is a representation of Miami, Florida.
- 2Plot
- 3Development
- 4Reception
Gameplay[edit]
Grand Theft Auto Vice City Vs Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective, 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 environment in which to move around. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming, jumping, as well as using weapons and basic hand-to-hand combat. The player can drive a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, planes, helicopters, jetskis and motorcycles.
The open, non-linear environment allows the player 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 the player can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, the player can freely roam game's world. The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions. The traditional side missions of the past games are included, but have been moderately upgraded and enhanced compared to previous titles. A new addition to the game is 'Beach Patrol', in which Victor (the player's character) must deal with bikers on the beach by beach buggy (by ramming or shooting to knock them off their bikes) or throwing life preservers to drowning swimmers by boat or by taking a paramedic around to injured people on the beach.
One of the key gameplay elements in Vice City Stories is 'empire-building'. New to the Grand Theft Auto series, it borrows a few ideas from Vice City's 'properties' and San Andreas' 'gang wars' systems. To make money, the player must open and operate various businesses on property taken over from enemy gangs – these can range from protection rackets to brothels or smuggling compounds; the type and scale of a business is entirely dependent on the player's wants. For Vice City Stories, the combat system was overhauled. The targeting mechanism 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 the player can now perform grappling moves and throws, and stand on top of enemies lying on the ground. The player is able to bribe policemen or hospital staff when 'Wasted' (killed) or 'Busted' (arrested) to lower their wanted level, and keep weapons that ordinarily would have been lost.
The standard hidden package system returns in the form of 99 red balloons scattered around the city.[1] This is a reference to Nena's 1984 hit '99 Luftballons', which was featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Improvements to the graphics since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories include new animations, faster load times, a longer draw distance, reductions in clumping of pedestrians and vehicles, more complex explosions, and increases in the density of objects, vehicles, and NPCs.
Like the game's predecessor, the PSP version of Vice City Stories features a multiplayer mode, for up to 6 players through WiFi ad-hoc mode (local area). The game features 10 different modes of wireless multiplayer gaming, which incorporate the use of automobiles, aircraft, and water-based vehicles. Various pedestrian and character models from the single player mode are available as player avatars. These multiplayer modes are not included in the PS2 version.
Plot[edit]
Victor 'Vic' Vance (Dorian Missick) had an impoverished upbringing with two brothers; Pete who is suffering from asthma and lazy Lance Vance (Philip Michael Thomas). To make money for his dysfunctional family, Vic is employed as a Corporal for the U.S. Army.
In 1984, Vic is stationed at Fort Baxter in Vice City. His supervisor, Sergeant Jerry Martinez (Felix Solis), a corrupt soldier of the Army who works as a drug smuggler, gives Vic the task of managing a drug dealing business. Vic arrives on the buyer's yacht, but they are ambushed by unknown assailants who blow up the boat, leaving only Vic alive.
After the negotiations' failure, Martinez, despite being angry with Vic, gives him a new job. He visits Phil Cassidy (Gary Busey), an eccentric war veteran who owns a gun range at the docks. Cassidy gives him a gun and tests his skills. He makes another job with Martinez, who instructs him to get his girl Mary from a party. He goes to Phil's place and he provides him with the sports car. Vic arrives at the party, beats up several thugs and rescues the girl. He gets her back to the base, but a Master Sergeant confronts him about a pack of marijuana which Martinez planted under his bed, and he also confronts him about the girl, who reveals herself to be a prostitute. As a result, he is dishonorably discharged from the Army and charged with high treason.
Now on the streets, he gets a call from Phil, who gives him his old place to stay. He also does several missions with him, usually confronting Cholos. Later, he meets Marty Jay Williams, who is Phil's brother-in-law. Marty is the leader of a small organisation known as the Trailer Park Mafia, known for being involved in racketeering, loan sharking, and prostitution. Vic does various missions with Marty, often protecting his business. Marty often abuses his wife Louise, who has a child with him. Louise develops a relationship with Vic, which angers Marty. One day, Louise is beaten up badly and kidnapped by Marty, and Vic is able to track Marty down and kill him.
With Marty dead, Vic takes over the Trailer Park Mafia, now renamed Vance Crime Family. Soon after, his brother, Lance Vance, arrives, hearing the news. He picks him up from the Escobar International Airport, but they are ambushed by Cholos. They manage to escape. As Vic expands the Vance Crime Family by taking over rackets from Cholos and Bikers, Lance sets up various deals. They transact with the Cuban-Americans under the leadership of Umberto Robina (Danny Trejo). Using a pinata resembling a rudely gesturing Robina, Vic destroys the Cholo's business, eliminating them from Vice City. Meanwhile, Lance has connected with local drug dealer Bryan Forbes. After several deals, they find out that Forbes is actually an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, and he runs away with their money. They catch him and lock him in an old slum building, where they force him to expose drug deals around the town. He misleads them into various traps, even leading them to a gay bar. They return only to discover Forbes attempting to escape their captivity. Vic chases him and kills him.
After this, they locate and steal a major drug shipment, unaware that the drug shipment belongs to the Mendez brothers, Armando (Yul Vazquez) and Diego. Soon, they are kidnapped by them. Lance lies to them that Martinez stole the coke shipment, and that he is actually a DEA agent who wants evidence to arrest them. They take photos of Martinez with a DEA agent, and they copy the Forbes files with Martinez's file, which describes Martinez as an agent. They do several jobs for the Mendez brothers, who connect them to Reni Wassulmaier (Barbara Rosenblat), a transsexual film director. Reni gives Vic several jobs to work, and he also helps Reni's manager, Barry Mickelthwaite (Timothy Spall), to get Phil Collins (himself) on his concert unharmed from the Forelli mobsters, to whom Barry owes money.
Reni connects Vic to Ricardo Diaz (Luis Guzmán), a drug baron, for which Lance and Vic do a few jobs. The Mendez brothers are not pleased with this, and they betray them, saying that Martinez exposed them off, and if they give all of their businesses to them, they will let them go alive. They refuse this offer, and they are knocked out. They wake up at the power plant, where they kill several of Mendez's men and barely escape. Vic cooperates with Diaz to take them out, and they break into the Mendezes' safe and destroy their bearer bonds, which makes Armando and Diego bankrupt. As revenge, the Mendez Brothers kidnap Louise. Vic wants to save her, but Lance is hesitant, until the Mendez's henchmen blow up his car. Losing his mind, Lance assaults them, and he gets into a trap, and the Mendez brothers kidnap him as well. Left with no choice, Vic arrives at their mansion, and fights with Armando, who arrives with a flamethrower and tries to burn him alive, but he manages to kill him. He finds Lance and Louise, but Louise is badly beaten and dies in his arms. Vic leaves angry, swearing revenge against Martinez and also Diego, who escaped.
Diaz helps Vic track Diego and Martinez. He makes Vic steal an army chopper from Fort Baxter. Phil helps Vic by making a diversion. After Vic successfully steals the chopper, Vic assaults the Mendez's fortress. He blows up a few floors, but his chopper is shot and he is forced to land on the building. He raids several offices, and he finds out that Martinez and Diego are on the roof. After a tense stand-off, Victor kills them. Moments later, Lance arrives in his chopper to find Martinez and Diego dead. Lance and Vic agree to never engage in drug business again. The Vance Brothers then leave Vice City to send Pete the money for his asthma medications.
Characters[edit]
Like previous Grand Theft Auto games, Vice City Stories features notable voice actors. Gary Busey, Luis Guzmán, Philip Michael Thomas, and Danny Trejo reprise their roles as Phil Cassidy, Ricardo Diaz, Lance Vance, and Umberto Robina, respectively, which they previously played in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Phil Collins makes a cameo as himself, making him the first famed musician to ever appear in a Grand Theft Auto as a virtual representation with a character model, with his song 'In the Air Tonight' in the game's soundtrack, including an on-screen performance of the song by the animated version. Phil Collins was played by Joseph Martignette during the in concert scene. His songs like 'Easy Lover' with Philip Bailey and 'Turn It On Again' with Genesis also appear on the soundtrack. Also, Opie and Anthony, as well as several crew members of The Opie and Anthony Show were recorded and used as voices of several minor characters.
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 Stallionz, and the Mendez Brothers. Also, it explores the Vance Crime family, that was introduced in the original game, in more detail.
Development[edit]
Take-Two Interactive originally announced the title was to be released in North America on 17 October 2006 and in Europe on 20 October 2006, but an announcement in early September stated that the game's North American release had been delayed until 31 October.[2] It was also announced that the game would be released on 10 November 2006 in Australia. Moreover, in Europe (Excluding the UK & Ireland) the game suffered another delay, from 3 November 2006, to 10 November 2006, the same as Australia.
PlayStation 2 port[edit]
On 7 February 2007 Rockstar Games announced plans for a PlayStation 2 port, released on 6 March. It was confirmed by Rockstar Games that the PlayStation 2 version of the game would be an almost straight port.[3] The port has improvements such as enhanced graphics (including the addition of bloom effects, enabled via a 'trails' option), draw distance, and performance as expected, but also includes a few new side activities that were not in the PSP release such as five new odd jobs, six additional unique jumps, five more rampages, and a new easter egg.
While other Grand Theft Auto ports have had extra features added (such as replays or custom soundtracks), this is the first port of any Grand Theft Auto game to include extra in-game content.
The PS2 version of Vice City Stories was announced as a digital release for the PlayStation 3 in 2012, as a PlayStation 2 Classics title,[4] and was released in April 2013 via the PlayStation Network.[5]
Reception[edit]
Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories has received 'generally favorable' reviews from critics, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[6]
The PlayStation 2 port of the game was criticised for having the same coding as the PSP version and for fixing very few issues and removing some things, but was praised for better lighting.[by whom?] As of 26 March 2008, Vice City Stories has sold 4.5 million copies according to Take-Two Interactive.[13]Hyper's Eliot Fish commends the game for using 'the slick veneer of the 1980s [and the] story is well integrated into missions'.[14]
The game's PlayStation Portable version received a 'Platinum' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[15] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[16]
Accolades[edit]
- Received IGN's award for the best licensed soundtrack on PlayStation Portable in 2006.[17]
- Best Handheld Game - Golden Joystick Awards 2007.[18]
References[edit]
- ^'Welcome to the 80's - GTA Vice City - Red Balloons'. Vicecity.ucoz.net. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'News — Vice City Stories Delayed Globally — GTAPortable.com — GTA: Chinatown Wars, Vice City Stories and Liberty City Stories Info, News, Cheats, Hints, Tips and many more!'. Gtaportable.com. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
- ^Rob Purchese (15 February 2007). 'Vice City Stories PS2 details News // PS2 /// Eurogamer — Games Reviews, News and More'. Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
- ^[1]
- ^R*Y (30 March 2013). 'Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories Coming to PSN Next Week'. Rockstar Games. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- ^ ab'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories for PSP Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories for PlayStation 2 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^Ford, Greg (31 October 2006). 'GTA: Vice City Stories Review for PSP from'. 1UP.com. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^Tom Bramwell (2 November 2006). 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories'. Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^McShea, Tom (8 March 2010). 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^Roper, Chris (30 October 2006). 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Review'. IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^Roper, Chris (6 March 2007). 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Review'. IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^'Recommendation of the Board of Directors to Reject Electronic Arts Inc.'s Tender Offer'(PDF). Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. 26 March 2008. p. 12. Archived from the original(PDF) on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
- ^Fish, Eliot (December 2006). 'GTA: Vice City Stories'. Hyper. Next Media (158): 82. ISSN1320-7458.
- ^'ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum'. Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009.
- ^Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). 'ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK'. Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
- ^'IGN Presents the History of Awesome: 2006'. IGN. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
- ^'Gears of War wins Joystick awards'. BBC News. 26 October 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
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