Review
Release Date: 10.29.2002
Platform:
PlayStation 2Developer:
Rockstar NorthPublisher:
Rockstar GamesReviewed by
Wade Monnig on 4.26.2003
| Review Rating: 10/10 | User Rating: 8.15/10 |
In October of 2001, Rockstar and Rockstar North (then called DMA Design) started a revolution. That revolution was called Grand Theft Auto 3 and it blew the interactive entertainment industry away with both barrels of a well-placed shotgun blast. It showed that the idea of adult games for adult gamers not only worked but the number of copies sold were enough to quell the firestorm of controversy. It was the video game equivalent of the Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” or Steven Bochco’s “N.Y.P.D. Blue.” GTA3 helped to prove that videogames are a viable medium for a complete range of releases, be they (in movie terms) rated G or rated R.
Fast forward to a year later and the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Rockstar decided to show everyone that that “ripples of controversy” they created was only the result of getting their feet wet and, this time, they are going to cannonball into the deep end. Instead of Reservoir Dogs and N.Y.P.D. Blue, Rockstar North has created the videogame twin of Pulp Fiction and The Sopranos. GTA3 is tame in comparison to what you will find in Vice City. And, while I refer to GTA3 a number of times in this review, I want to state that this release is anything but a simple add-on to that release. Forget pushing the envelope, Rockstar picked it up and lit it on fire.
The opening gambit in the progression of Vice City is the setting. Rockstar threw away any noble plot elements such as the revenge motif found in GTAIII and gave into gluttony. What better era for this than the 1980’s, the generation of greed, and what better setting than the sunlit hedonism of the fictional Vice City, Florida. Take off your socks, put on your pastels and let’s hope they don’t show bloodstains.
To create this city of sin, they needed to stock it with characters and Rockstar managed to fill their line up with fantastic voice-over actors in GTA: VC. Instead of doing the typical laundry list of included actors, I’m going to keep to the 1980’s theme and list their characters and the shows/movies they appeared during the 80’s:
Henry Hill - Good Fellas
Roger Van Zant - Heat
Chance Wilder - Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
Frank Booth - Blue Velvet
The Bandit - Smokey and the Bandit 2
Frankie - Black Rain
Ricardo Tubbs - Miami Vice (TV series)
Big Johnson - Die Hard
Mr. Joshua - Lethal Weapon
Colt Seavers - The Fall Guy (TV series)
Dorothy Gale - Return to Oz
Betty Blueballs - Cherry Pie (The movie, not the video)
Blondie - The pioneering Punk/New Wave, Blondie
# 56 - from the New York Giants (The Football team)
And, while the movies they appeared in were not released in the 80’s, the actors behind these characters also make an appearance:
Navajas - Desperado
Billy The Limpet - Mean Machine
Tommy MacKenzie - Trainspotting
Miss Cleo – Do I really have to tell you which infomercial?
As you can probably tell, a movie featuring all of these actors would be unprecedented but it is just another day on the beach at Vice City. As you would expect, the quality is unparalleled and the only negative is that you want to hear more from each character, especially from some of the minor ones. Ray Liotta nails his portrayal of Tommy Vercetti: main character, anti-hero, and all around bad mother…well…let’s just say that even Shaft would have a problem taking him down (shut yo’ mouth!).
If the cast of actors is unprecedented, then the 80’s soundtrack is also unmatched. Instead of just the one-soundtrack/one theme most games use, Vice City uses the Radio Station approach from GTA3 to deliver an entire FM dial worth of Hip-Hop, Metal, New Wave, Top 40, Urban, Talk and Spanish hits. My radio is usually firmly set on Vrock (as shown in my stats as “Favorite radio station”), and you haven’t lived until you have mowed down a gang of innocents with Megadeth’s “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?” blaring at full volume. If you prefer to do your business to the sounds of Flock of Seagulls, Michael Jackson or Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Vice City has you locked and loaded.
After setting the stage with 80’s memorabilia, Rockstar didn’t simply settle for simply putting GTA3 into this era. When I first played GTA3, I thought they had put everything in but the kitchen sink (a good aiming system). Guess what? Vice City not only brought the kitchen sink but the even hauled along some solid gold plumbing.
The new kitchen sink…err…weapon aiming system is a nice step up from the old system. It uses a priority aiming system that targets the most powerful enemy first. R1 still aims and L2/R2 cycles through the enemies. You can also crouch using the L3 (pressing in on the left analog stick), which is nice when you want to improve your aim but it also can’t be turned off and I found myself accidentally crouching in some of the more heated battles. It still isn’t the best aiming system since it stays locked to dead enemies instead of cycling to the next available live target but, in my eyes, that sort of adds a little thought to the gunning process.
The solid gold plumbing that VC adds comes in two forms. Some little “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could…” items like extra sets of clothes, the ability to bail out of a moving car, and tires that can be shot out. There are also some game defining big advancements such as the addition of motorcycles (which, in turn, adds the ability to shoot forward during a chase), real flying (the Dodo is now extinct, prepare for taking control of helicopters), and something to do with your money besides buy more weapons…purchase real estate.
I’ve have only briefly touched on the advancements in Vice City but if I don’t stop now, this novel of a review will turn into a mini-series. More importantly, adding all of these extras wouldn’t mean a thing if the gameplay wasn’t there. Even after spicing up the variety of missions, the play balance is maintained. If you think Vice City is too hard, I’ve got bad news for you Sparky; you’re playing it wrong! I wonder how much hate mail I would get if I suggested that schools start using GTA: VC as a tool to teach problem solving techniques?
Let me explain. Take the mission “Check out at the Check-in.” Your objective it to assassinate a businessman at the airport. Once you do, the police are immediately alerted and you get two stars on your wanted meter, which means they are after you hot and heavy. Once you grab the briefcase the businessman drops, his comrades begin pursuit in armor plated black SUV’s a set distance from the Airport. As they fire from the sunroof of their pursuing cars, they pour gasoline on the already primed fire while you attempt to race to the point on the map where you need to drop off the merchandise. So, what are you to do? Well, one not-so-wise plan would be to park a fast car outside the airport and run like hell and hope you make to the drop off point in one smoldering piece. But, if you back up and think about the mission, you could choose to fly a helicopter to the airport. However, there is no way that the police will ever let you leave the ground and, if you happen to make it into the air, will probably pursue you in their own ARMED helicopters. Now what? Well, you make your hit, leave the briefcase, and snag a fast car and make a run for the nearest pay-n-spray. Without the briefcase, the men in the black SUV’s don’t follow you. Why would they? You don’t have what they need. A quick duck into the pay-n-spray repaints your car, thus confusing and losing the police. You have effectively reduced you pursuers by 50%. Now you can tool back to the Airport and pick up the briefcase. You could go back to your fast car and try to outrun the men in black, but why? Simply climb into your helicopter and fly to the drop-off point, beating them by a dozen city blocks and all without taking a single shot from their tire shredding automatics.
This is just one example of the possible outcome of one mission. Every mission can be approached in a dozen different ways. If one tactic doesn’t work, simply choose another and try that. The options are endless and so is the future of this franchise. As suggested by Mr. Parish (via our message boards), how about Grand Theft Auto: The Prohibition Years or maybe Grand Horse Rustling: Dodge City? Eliot Ness and Marshal Dillon? We can take them; just give us the chance Rockstar.
Once again, Rockstar has released a true contender for game of the year. If you are “licensed-to-kill” (which means if you are old enough to drive, you are pretty much old enough to purchase this game), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City gives new meaning to the “Must own” cliché.
