Customer Reviews

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Folks,

Let me get this out of the way San Andreas is by far the best GTA game so far (GTA IV is promising). But, my 1st love with GTA games is The original Vice City, so paying another visit was very exciting. I know my way around it (short cuts) was a huge advantage.

Do not worry it is a new game, with new missions, some new characters, new lead character. so yes the streets are the same, all the cars are repeated (with the addition of some new vehicles).
I read at a review some where that the game is short, I disagree totally. The game kept me busy for sometime. I took my time, enjoying all the side missions, shooting red balloons, Unique Jumps, Rampages, Main Missions, etc,etc,etc.

Do yourself a favor buy the game, I was not disappointed!

For those who are still reading, here are the Pros & Cons in my opinion:
1. Great price.
2. New side missions: Beach patrol, Helicopter rescue, Acquiring several types of bussinesses.
3. Great new radio Music.
4. Funnier than the original Vice City.
5. Just hard enough for you to finish the game (Try finishing it without cheats).
6. You don't drown in water anymore like you did in the original game.

Cons:
1. Long loading time.
2. Graphics are not all that impressive (Not Rockstar's main aim).
3. Close fights are clumsy.
4. Auto aiming needs more work (also clumsy).
5. Faced glitches a number of times.
6. That goes for the parents: Some kids have access to the game.

All the best,
Nawaf

I am just starting this game and already I love it. The sound track if nothing else does it for me. Other improvements include swimming and flying, which were missing in LCS. This is a $20 game and was meant for the psp so keep that in mind. The graphics are not great but the classic game play more than makes up for it. All the LCS naysayers may not be that impressed but it's only meant to be an added installment to Vice City not an improvement over the other titles. Again, the soundtrack is what sets it apart from LCS. Classic eighties tunes and hillarious commercials. For $20 a steal and a good tide-over 'til GTA4 for ps3.

First off, this game is definitely fun to play. As previously mentioned, the music does set a whole new standard for video games. Millions of GTA fans and dozens of imitators have proven that the GTA franchise is a powerhouse to contend with. If you enjoyed previous GTA games, chances are you will enjoy Vice City Stories. However, the inheritance of almost every single shortcoming of previous GTA titles, especially the PS1-like graphics, is in excusable. When Rockstar ported GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas to XBOX they took advantage of the system's higher graphical capabilities. Thus, the graphics were dramatically improved in the porting process. It can certainly be appreciated that this PSP-ported game is only $20. However, how many folks would have paid a little more for a polished title that attempted to fix at least some of the native GTA problems that have plagued this franchise?

Pros:
·Unparalleled music track selection and quality. They took some of the very best songs from the 80s and brought them back to life.
·GTA through and through (for good, bad, or indifferent)
·The unmistakable GTA atmosphere that cannot be reproduced by any of the wanna-bees is omnipresent in Vice City Stories
·Fun missions abound
·Great sense of humor still there
·Vehicles and stunts are still fun as hell

Cons:
·Graphics are embarrassingly low quality. A large screen TV will reveal heavy pixelation that can be blinding at times when you are squinting to see necessary mission critical details.
·No mid-mission saves - inexcusable in today's gaming era on any platform.
·Close-quarter fighting is frustrating and has degraded from most other GTA titles. This really should have been polished up.
·Long load times

Like Liberty City Stories before it, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a conversion of the hit PSP game to the PS2. Like the aforementioned game, Vice City Stories is a near perfect emulation of the portable title, and like that game as well, this is good and bad. The first thing you'll notice is the graphical transition from the PSP to the PS2, which is far from the prettiest thing you'll ever see. Now I know the GTA series has never been reknowned for it's graphics, but Vice City Stories has possibly the muddiest and blurriest graphics of the series. That being said, just about everything else from there on is pretty much fine. Playing as Vic Vance (brother of Lance, who you'll remember from the original Vice City game), you perform the kind of missions that you'd expect to play in a GTA game. The open world setting may be getting old these days, but it's nice to make a return to Vice City, which is pretty much how you remember it. The game also pretty much controls the same way too, although there are some noticeable issues with the gunplay and driving mechanics. That aside, the overall package of Vice City Stories is nicely rounded thanks to an awesome soundtrack, and engaging story, longer missions, and a great voice cast that features many returning actors like Philip Michael Thomas, Gary Busey, and Luis Guzman. All in all, there may be nothing in Vice City Stories that we haven't seen before, but with the budget price and the tried but true gameplay that GTA made famous, you can't really go wrong here.

As soon as I saw the VCS PS2 release date, I got excited. I've been a big fan of the GTA series, ever since GTA III. I absolutely fell in love with Vice City (the music, gameplay, the overall nostalgia)...had me watching all of my favorite Miami Vice recordings all over again. I haven't gotten around to getting a PSP yet, so I hadn't had a chance to play VCS. After checking stores like Best Buy and Spin Street (neither of which had ordered any copies) I made one last stop (Game Stop) and fortunately for me, they had a few extra copies available that hadn't already been reserved.

Vice City Stories is not quite as exciting to me as my first Vice City experience was. Perhaps that's because a little of the newness of the GTA thrill ride has worn off (hundreds of hours playing Vice City, Liberty City, and San Andreas can do that to you). Also, there aren't really any NEW features in this game to look forward to. Of course there's a new storyline to follow, and the fun of revisiting Vice City (this time in a slightly different light), and some of the best characters from the original game (Lance, Phil, Umberto, Diaz, to name a few). The graphics also have been upgraded a bit, giving the game more of a San Andreas feel. The sky, the background, and the overall color scheme will probably remind you of San Andreas a bit more than Vice City, if you're familiar with both.

Overall, the gameplay is fun and familiar. I was pleased with the added swimming feature (something that really bugged me in Vice City - Tommy Vercetti drowning anytime he came near water). And the jet ski missions are also fun. You can drive, fly, swim (all of the main transportation features from San Andreas are available here, although if there's a jet pack available I have yet to find it). I got spoiled by that jet pack in San Andreas - so much so that for a while, I stopped walking/driving altogether).

The only complaint that I have about VCS thus far (still working my way through the game) is that the storyline and the soundtrack aren't quite as strong or as interesting as it has been in previous games. I could also have done without some of the beastiality inferences (a bit over the top for me). At this point, I'd have to say that VCS was well worth the $20 that I spent.

Back before Vice City, this is a good game in the Grand Theft Auto series.
I was actually impressed with Liberty Stories and likewise with this.
The Vice City of this game is much grittier than the Vice City of old.
Especially the main island where parts of it are just flat out dumpy and dirty.
The trailer parks are a nice added "Florida" touch.

For the price, it's one of the best values on game out there.
Plenty of missions and side mission to keep ya busy until another
full fledge Grand Theft Auto games coues out, sometime in October of 2007.

I was tentative about getting Vice City Stories for the PS2, since it hasn't been long since I have played the original Vice City all the way through for the second time. But I was pleasantly surprised by how well the glamour and style of the original Vice City transferred over to the new version. It almost feels like a completely different game.

However, that might have alot to do with the fact that this game takes a different approach to the city than the original (in VCS, you start the game on the Western island as opposed to the Eastern). Still, the game seems remarkably fresh, despite the fact that it takes place in the same time period as the original.

Another notable aspect of the game is it's soundtrack, which tramples Liberty City Stories' soundtrack into the dirt. Much like the original Vice City, this game features original tracks by top 80's artists. The Cure's "A Forest", Blondie's "Heart of Glass", Roxy Music's "Avalon" (!), Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" (!!), New Order's "Blue Monday" (!!!). It's all here, and all wonderful. And trust me, this is only scratching the surface.

The only major problem in the game is the fighting mechanics, which should've been fixed with the transfer to the PS2. But I find this easy to forgive. However,I must urge anyone who's thinking about purchasing this title to please play the original Vice City for the PS2 first. While this is a good title, the original is far superior.

Let me start off by saying that I am an AVID GTA fan. I've beat every GTA game from GTA 3 until this one. Being a GTA fan, I HAD to beat this one.

Sadly, this one just isn't as good as the other ones. The missions are longer and more drawn out. Given, each game is bound to have a mission or 2 that makes you go from 1 end of the map to the other... but seriously, about 1/4 of all the missions are like that in this game. In addition, the missions are very boring. There are a few here and there that are unique (i've yet to see them in another GTA game), but again, any GTA game is bound to have a FEW gems. By the final 5 missions, I was simply playing out of the hope that it would end soon.

Although the missions fell short, there is a lot of other things to do. It seems like they upped the amount of expensive cars driving around, so getting around is a lot more fun. Also, they added a new optional business system: you can choose to take over as many of the 18-or-so business that you want. Each business will give you additional money, but might get attacked periodically.

To sum it all up: missions aren't that great, lots of stuff to do aside from the storyline.

Play it if you're a GTA fanatic. If you're just looking for a cheap GTA game to pass the time, go with either Liberty City Stories or the original Vice City.

I am a Grand Theft Auto fanatic and I love revisiting the cities we've seen, but with new storylines. The way that the games tie into one another through various characters gives the player a feeling of investment in their fates. "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories" is no different. It is fascinating to see how the city appeared prior to the rise of Tommy Vercetti. An avid GTA fan will notice the subtleties and will catch themselves amused by them. The game is humorous and as fun to play as the original Vice City. I understand that this is a transfer from the PSP, but my only complaint is that I still would like to see the cities expand as we revisit them. All in all a good game.

This game perhaps more than all other GTA games, has an abundance of little side missions. Rescues from helicopter, put out fires from helicopter, repossess vehicles, ram cars & damage for $$, drug running, pimping, extortion (bash on racks of clothes, stereos or food cases until the guy behind the counter says he'll pay). The map blips stand out loud and clear (unlike other gta games where you wonder where exactly the patient, cab fare, etc is) Missions aren't so difficult that you have to devote days trying to complete them. I do miss the armed robberies of Vice City but I get to ride a bike just like San Andreas. This game may be close to perfect in that it has everything I want. The graphics aren't quite as thrilling as Vice City (check out the mall) but all the extra missions, clarity, ease of play ... this is one fine game.