- Set in the 80s.
- Power, glamour, and corruption.
- More freedom of movement than ever before..
- Gangs are much more intelligent in this game, and so are pedestrians - don't worry, you've got all-new moves and weapons to face them with.
- There's also a much wider selection vehicles -- boats, motorcycles and more New camera angles like the over-the-shoulder view.
Product Description
-------------------
Following the success of Grand Theft Auto, developer Rockstar
North takes gamers on a tour of a new city in Grand Theft Auto:
Vice City. With new s, new characters, new (ahem) business
rtunities, and even a whole new '80s themed era, players can
indulge in more criminal fun than ever before. Vice City features
more expansive locations, and over 120 vehicles ripe for the
picking such as exotic cars, motorcycles, luxury yachts and
planes. The soundtrack boasts three times the tunes compared to
the previous GTA, and features countless '80s hits. Over 40
different weapons ensure effective firepower and provide enough
variety for stylish defensive measures (samurai anyone?).
.com
----
How big is this game? Even publicists for other games end up
talking about Vice City when they call our office, babbling in
the same helplessly intoxicated way that afflicts everyone who
plays it. The achievement of Vice City (which, as everyone knows
by now, is set in the 1980s and offers an all-new, Miami
Vice-inspired story) is not only that it manages to live up to an
absurd level of expectation, but that it takes the game places
that fans of its predecessor Grand Theft Auto 3 never dreamed of,
and that it achieves this astonishing level of innovation without
losing anything that made GTA3 the bestselling PS2 game of all
time.
After a brilliant homage to the era of the Commodore 64 in the
opening credits, the first thing you'll notice is the improved
graphics, which are smoother and more detailed, and--with effects
like neon lights reflected on rain-slick streets, and intense
Florida sunlight--have a lush, tropical look that immediately
gives you a strong sense of place. The architecture is more
fabulous by tenfold, with art deco buildings, high-rise hotels,
and believably seedy back alleys. The control scheme is
essentially the same as in GTA3, but the cars handle much better,
and in pedestrian mode there is a new crouch move. You will have
access to fast, great-handling cars right away, as sed to
GTA3 which made you unlock the second island before you could get
your hands on any respectable wheels. This game has such riches
to offer that there is no need to be chintzy with the vehicles.
Cops are more vigilant this time--minor offenses like whacking
innocent bystanders will more often than not get you a two-star
wanted level--and are harder to elude (though they still can't
seem to climb stairs or negotiate sharp turns). So while
free-roaming exploration is as fun as ever, there is more
incentive to perform the missions instead of randomly raising
hell. Not that that's a bad thing: even lazy criminals like
myself (in GTA3, I would rather toss hand grenades into traffic
than follow orders from some rude Mafia boss) will be quickly
caught up in the vivid characters and hilarious, fascinating
story, in which you play an -washed-jeans-wearing thug named
Tommy Vercetti. Where in GTA3 missions were blocky, schematic
affairs only nominally connected to the story, this time tasks
move the story briskly along and deftly blend cinematics and game
action. For example, there is a scene of a character throwing
Tommy a , at which point you are suddenly thrown back into the
action and must make an instant decision about whom to trust and
what to do.
There are more, and more detailed, indoor environments,
including a hotel, station, and mall (a slight downside to
this is that some of the more elaborate indoor environments
require load times). The layout of the city, with tons of
backyards, narrow alleys, and fire escapes, encourages creativity
when eluding pursuit, as does greater access to rooftops. Get
your motorcycle up the fire escape and a whole new world of
action is possible, including... well, use your imagination.
This overview barely scratches the surface of the Vice City
experience, its colorful explosion of music, clothes, combat, and
brilliant voice acting, not to mention the plot twist midway
through the game that changes the very nature of the game itself.
Though it was the outrageous, amoral violence that got all the
press, the essential genius of GTA3 was its intoxicating blend of
script and open-ended action. In Vice City this is--to use a
cliché that is for once apropos--taken to a whole new level.
--David Stoesz
Pros:
* Astonishing, innovative gameplay
* Godlike attention to detail
* rtunity to drive on the beach at midnight listening to the
Human League's "Fascination" Con:* More load times
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From the Manufacturer
---------------------
Welcome to Vice City. Welcome to the 1980s.
Having just made it back onto the streets of Liberty City after
a long stretch in maximum security, Tommy Vercetti is sent to
Vice City by his old boss, Sonny Forelli. They were
understandably nervous about his reappearance in Liberty City, so
a trip down south seemed like a good idea. But all does not go
smoothly upon his arrival in the glamorous, hedonistic metropolis
of Vice City. He gets set up and is left with no money and no
merchandise. Sonny wants his money back, but the biker gangs,
Cuban gangsters, and corrupt politicians stand in his way. Most
of Vice City seems to want Tommy dead. His only answer is to
fight back and take over the city himself.
From the decade of big hair, excess, and pastel suits comes a
story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile as Grand
Theft Auto returns to the PlayStation2. Vice City is a huge urban
sprawl--ranging from the beach to the swamps and from the glitz
to the ghetto--and the most varied, complete, and alive digital
city ever created. Combining nonlinear gameplay with a
character-driven narrative, the game plops you into a town
brimming with delights and degradation, where you are given the
rtunity to take it over as you choose.
As a major gateway to South America and the Caribbean and for
attracting migrants, Vice City is brimming with diverse
characters, so there's a friend for everyone. It is a sociable
place, and the new guy in town is sure to meet all manner of
friendly people in the sunshine capital of America. Athletes, pop
stars, real estate developers, politicians, trailer
t--everyone is moving to Vice City to find out what makes it
the number one growth city in America. But, as Tommy quickly
finds out, trust is still the rarest of commodities.
Vice City offers vehicular pleasures to suit every taste. For
the speed enthusiast, there are high-performance cars and
motorbikes. For the sporty type, a powerboat or golf cart lets
you enjoy the great outdoors. For those needing that sense of
freedom and escape, why not charter a helicopter and see the
beauty of Vice City from the air?
As all this happens in the party capital of America, you'd
expect your ears to be seduced by a host of sultry melodies and
pumping beats, but the city is truly rocking. You'll be amazed as
you sweep through Vice City's FM dial. If you are feeling like
trouble, you can tune into some driving rock, or some crucial
electro, or maybe you want to slow down with some sweet soul, and
there will always be some great romantic anthems if you want to
really take your mind off things. For the action man or outdoors
type, there are tons of fun things to do and adventures to be
had--guaranteed. For the secretive or creepy type, Vice City is
full of surprises, a place where you'll be constantly surprised
by the vivacious, fun-loving types who live there and the things
you can discover.
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