Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PlayStation Portable, 2006)

In 2002 we were all introduced to a game that many of us will know to as one of the greatest GTAs ever. We were taken to the beautiful Vice City (fictionalized Miami) set in 1986 we were introduced to Tommy Vercetti who during a money/drug trade off were ambushed losing all the money. This puts him into the hot seat to do various jobs and to repay the lost money and build an empire.

Welcome to 1984 and you play as Vic Vance (Lance Vance's older brother) who some of you remember made an appearance in Vice City only to be killed moments later. Similar to the other GTAs you are thrown into the streets with nothing and you have to work your way back up to the top and build a vast empire.

Audio

GTA when you think about that alot of the time people remember the lovable radio stations, with there satirical humor and whitty attitude it was a laugh to listen to while driving around shooting up the town. The radio stations return with new material and with the same humor, many of the DJs from Vice City return including the unforgetable Lazlo who is now an intern working for V-Rock. The Voice over cast is another amazing one with many notable actors as Lee Majors, Philip Michael Thomas (reprising his role as Lance Vance) and many others. The GTA series was always known for its cast and this game is no different. All the vehicles and weapons all sound the same as they did in VC so no change there.

Audio Score 10/10


Graphics:

Ok it's GTA were not expecting that much in graphics, but VCS delivers the graphics are solid and are probably the best to date for any GTA series. The characters are nicely animated in the cutscenes and ingame with not slow downs or lag. The vibrant city is nicely detailed with Neon lights on every building at night capturing the 80's vibe on a tiny UMD disc.

Graphics Score 9/10

Gameplay

This game still plays the same as the other GTA's steal cars, do random missions, gain money. But this time around there's a new "business" feature where you can occupy empty lots and turn them into businesses making you more money. This concept plays out similar to GTA:SA gang turf system where you go around town trying to occupy as much turf as possible but this times its businesses. Also this time around you can swim... Yes you heard me "SWIM" that means no more falling into the water and drowning, but the swimming has a limit but better than nothing right?

Gameplay score 8/10

Overall

This games great for the GTA fan in everyone though it may take us back to beautiful city of Vice. It introduces Vic Vance in a more open and caring manner rather that the 10 seconds of screen time he had in Vice City. The gameplay hasn't changed all that much but then think about it what GTA has? All in all a great game one of the rare games that comes along once in a while... Well I guess all we have to do is wait for "GTA: San Andreas Stories"

Overall Score 10/10

Vice City Stories improves upon some of the flaws found in the first game, not the least of which is improved length and direction, as well as a great deal more personality. The story's still pretty subpar, though, and as much as this is very much Grand Theft Auto, certain conventions of the series are starting to feel a bit antiquated. Vice City Stories returns to the pastel- and neon-colored excesses of the 1980s and Vice City. Modeled after '80s-era Miami, GTA: Vice City told a Scarface-inspired tale of Tommy Vercetti. Vice City Stories is, again, a prequel, taking place a couple of years prior to the original game. Running around causing mayhem and blasting away at the masses is just as enjoyable as it's ever been, and there's a good variety of guns and other instruments of destruction to play with. Vice City is a sizable open-world environment and driving around it can be a bit overwhelming at first. But even though it'll take a while to figure out all the roads and side streets, there's plenty of familiar scenery and landmarks that appear just about where you remember them. You'll run into plenty of multitiered missions, with several objectives that appear over time. Yes, you're still killing rival gang members, stealing contraband, chasing down crooks in cars, and the like, but these missions are much more satisfying than anything found in LCS, and it'll take you a decent bit longer to complete the main story. One aspect that Vice City did better than anything before it (including Grand Theft Auto III) was atmosphere, and Vice City Stories is just about as good in this regard. Everything about the cheeseball decade of the 1980s is on display here. Neon lights, slick sports cars, awful fashion, and fantastic music all permeate the experience. This game nails the same look that Vice City had, and the basic graphics engine looks a good bit better than it did in Liberty City Stories, especially regarding the frame rate, which stays fairly consistent throughout the game. The game's audio is easily the high point. Vic, annoying as he is, is voiced well, as are the other characters voiced by celebrities and unfamiliar actors alike. The writing is still sharp, even if the overall storyline isn't. Of course, no GTA game is worth much without great radio stations, and much the way that Vice City set the standard for how music in games ought to be handled, Vice City Stories delivers another fantastic soundtrack. The same selection of radio stations from the original Vice City is on hand here, letting you enjoy the best of '80s rock, pop, dance, and hip-hop, among other genres. The storytelling is some of the weakest of any GTA game, and the game engine isn't nearly as impressive as it once was. Still, for $20, those who just want to experience the gaudy delights of Vice City one more time won't be doing themselves wrong by checking this one out.

i love this game its asome the tipcle grand theft auto 10 out of 10 the graphics are amazing for the psp . story Vice City, 1984. Opportunity abounds in a city emerging from the swamps, its growth fueled by the 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, and himself. One bad decision later and that job is about to get much harder. Kicked out onto the streets of a city torn between glamor and gluttony, Vic is faced with a stark choice: build an empire or be crushed.



GTA: VCS is the PlayStation Portable follow-up to Rockstar's monumental handheld entry in the series, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. As in Liberty City Stories, this game ventures back to the location of the second PS2 game.

the only problem i found with this game is that sometimes when you are driving fast it sometimes doesn't load the road or buildings around you for a certain section. its a pain when it does that cuz you can run into things that you can't see. other than that its a great game, full of fun.

its going to take some time to get 100% completion for this game, just like any other gta game. missions only account for around 40%, just like all the others. plenty of side missions that are still fun, not just a pain. for a first generation psp, this game is simply awesome. would highly reccomend, especially if you're really into the gta games for ps2 and are on the go a lot.
-jamie

This was one of the first games we had for the psp. My teenager and my
ll yr. old both fought over who was going to play it first. They seem
to challenge each other on the game. It kept their attention.