GTA Recap #1: Vice City Stories and Vice City
After 13 years, Rockstar is back with the next Grand Theft Auto. GTA VI is all set for November 19. While we wait, we’re looking back at the games that made GTA what it is. This is the first story in our new recap series. We’ll take each game on its own, starting with Vice City Stories and Vice City.
GTA Vice City Stories
We play as Victor Vance, who joins the army to help his sick brother Pete. However, his corrupt sergeant, Jerry Martinez, who runs a drug business from the army base, sets him up in a gone-wrong deal and gets him kicked out.
With nowhere to go, Vic starts working for Phil Cassidy, who makes him meet Marty Jay Williams, who abuses his wife Louise. As if being abusive wasn't enough, Marty tries to force Louise into prostitution, which doesn't go well with Vic, and he kills Marty.
Lance, Victor brother, then enters the story with a plan to make the brothers rich. The brothers steal a cocaine shipment with Bryan Forbes, who turns out to be a DEA agent in disguise. They kill him, then learn the drugs belong to the Mendez brothers. The Lance brothers are then forced by the cartel to work off the debt, but Lance becomes greedy and secretly sells some of the drugs, making things worse.
The Mendez brothers eventually go after Vic’s businesses and kidnap Louise. Vic kills Armando, but Louise dies from her injuries. With help from Ricardo Diaz, Vic and Lance attack the Mendez brothers’ headquarters. The two leave Vice City together.
My take on GTA Vice City Stories
The game's soundtrack grew on me in an instant, and most of the missions were fun, though a few were a bit frustrating. Besides the missions, finally being able to swim around Vice City was great, even if permanent water stamina requires completing a side mission.
Combat is where the game gets frustrating. Drive-by SMGs felt like miniguns, so a Gang Rancher full of sharks was able to shred my car in seconds. On foot, they were able to drain my armor and health before I had time to react. The FBI were even worse: their roadblocks can set your car on fire, and several FBI Washingtons can bring a dozen agents into the fight. For me, a bulletproof car feels almost essential. However, the good thing is that you get your weapons back after being arrested or killed.
Even with those combat issues, I had a great time with the game. I just wish some fights felt fairer.
GTA Vice City
After 15 years in prison, Tommy Vercetti is sent to Vice City by Sonny Forelli to handle a cocaine deal arranged by Colonel Cortez. The deal is ambushed, Victor Vance is killed, and Tommy loses the drugs and money. Sonny wants them back.
Tommy takes jobs around the city while looking for whoever set him up. Lance Vance (the most annoying guy in the Vice City Stories ) is also investigating who killed his brother. A leak from Gonzalez points them to Ricardo Diaz. Tommy kills Gonzalez, then rescues Lance after Diaz captures him (yes, another timed rescue mission). They both then storm Diaz’s mansion, kill him, and take over the estate.
Tommy then builds his empire through businesses like the Malibu Club, film studio, and Print Works. Sonny, Tommy's previous boss, demands that Tommy pay him the money he lost in the failed deal, but Tommy refuses. When Sonny comes to collect in person, Lance betrays Tommy and joins him. The meeting ends in a shootout, with Tommy killing both Sonny and Lance and taking control of Vice City.
My take on GTA Vice City
A lot of people definitely disagree, but to me Vice City is way better than every other GTA game when it comes to storytelling. I’ve played all of the major ones and love them, but this one just stands out for me.
And Tommy specifically is a big reason why I feel that way. Yes, Claude is great too; he barely talks and just gets the job done, but Tommy feels like someone you can rely on. He’s calm, smart, and I’ve always liked the Scarface influence on his character.
The plot kept me hooked the first time I played the game. Tommy loses Sonny’s money, tries to get it back, and ends up building his own criminal empire. And the ending caught me off guard. Lance had been helping Tommy the whole game, so his betrayal was a real shock. I also loved having to defend the safe during the final mission.
The missions keep you guessing. San Andreas felt hard to me, and GTA V mostly felt easy, but Vice City could go either way. I finished some missions in ten minutes. Demolition Man had me stuck for days.
Next up in our GTA Recap series: San Andreas.