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The Plot:  (game review taken from PS2 version; notes on the XBOX version have been added. "Vice City" is only available on XBOX in a double pack with "Grand Theft Auto III") "Grand Theft Auto III" was released last year and was met with a mixture of controversy and praise. The game's violence made headlines, prompting warnings from news programs, articles and other media. On the other hand, gamers and most of the video game industry were impressed and amazed. Finally, here was a game that allowed total freedom. No longer were gamers forced to travel down narrow paths in an attempt to complete missions. Yes, certainly, the missions were available at any time, often at different places within "III"'s huge city, but you didn't have to do them. You could take a police car and hunt down some of Liberty City's other criminals or take a taxi and try to get some fares. Sure, the graphics weren't that remarkable, but the addition of things like day/night cycling and exceptional car physics made for thrilling gameplay. Although some games boast fast and furious driving, "GTA III" really was the only game where I felt truly as if I was flying down a steep hill at 80 mph. "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City", the highly anticipated follow-up to "III", continues the kind of free-flow gameplay that "III" offered, while building upon it in several regards. Rockstar Games (also responsible for "Max Payne" and other well-produced video games) has not simply made an "extended" version or an "update". That could have probably been an easy task and a sure-fire way towards profit. Instead, they have made the game remarkably more cinematic and immersive, not to mention a great deal more vast. The player is Tommy Vercetti (voiced wonderfully by Ray Liotta, who hits the needed tone perfectly), who has just done a fifteen-year term in jail. As a reward for time spent, he gets shipped down to 1980's Vice City (read: Miami) to run operations there. Unfortunately, it's not long before a drug deal goes totally, utterly bad, leaving Tommy with no money or drugs and one very angry crime boss. It's up to Tommy to track down both the money and drugs before its too late. Vice City gradually introduces a legion of perfectly imagined (and well-voiced, by the likes of William Fichtner, Burt Reynolds, Dennis Hopper, Tom Sizemore, Luis Guzman, Gary Busey and Danny Trejo) characters to interact with. Rockstar's also achieved that perfect gangster-film feel, where, although some of the characters may say they're on your side, chances are, they aren't. "Vice City" is, as previously mentioned, much bigger than "GTA III"'s Liberty City, not to mention much brighter and more colorful. While the additional size is certainly a terrific addition to gameplay, I'd also very highly recommend taking out the included map and spending a few hours simply driving or walking around this new city. With the addition of more buildings to walk into and more important points to visit, it's good to know where everything is. Even after quite a few hours of gameplay, I was still getting a bit turned around when attempting to seek out a certain place. As with the previous game, there are additional, major areas that are unlocked after a number of missions are completed. Some of the new interior spaces include a mall and additional shops, not to mention a few multi-level parking garages. There's also quite a few back alleys. Many of the same smaller features of "GTA III" are still present here. There are a series of "jumps" hidden throughout the city, which allow the gamer to zip cars into the air, which results in an "insane stunt bonus". In the case of one remarkable moment, I escaped police chase by driving to the top of a parking garage and then speeding across its top level, flying through the air and landing on the top of the building across the street. Although I was a little disapointed that the police didn't give chase up the garage, these new areas did provide some nifty opportunities. I was also surprised to see that, when I broke up a chase between another criminal and a police officer by attacking the criminal, I got a $50 bonus. As for the police, aside from some disapointing aspects (such as the previously noted inability for the cars to give chase up the garages), they are as determined to catch you as ever before, if not more determined. And, as before, the greater your "wanted level" becomes, the bigger the force (the return of the SWAT vans and the new arrival of some unmarked cars) that will try and stop you. Police can also blow out your tires this time around (although you can take out their tires, too.) Overall, police chases are even more adrenaline-fueled this time around. As for vehicles, more - and more varied - cars are present here and all of them handle differently. Still, no matter what car you pick, the driving in this game still feels as thrilling as the speedy driving in the prior game (and, this time around, you can dive out of vehicles while in motion, even if they're flying through the air). In addition, there are a series of motorcycles (although you do get hurt if you crash), boats and even some airborne transit available in various areas of the game. Although I won't go into spoiling missions by describing them in much detail, I was impressed that the missions seemed bigger and more creative here. While it was a little frustrating to have to start off lengthy missions again from the beginning, there's a little taxi that often appears to take you back to the start point of the mission (although for a reasonable fee). You can also purchase various properties throughout Vice City once you get enough money from the missions or elsewhere. Yes, "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" is violent and definitely M-rated, but, as with "GTA: III", Rockstar has realized the kind of breakthrough gaming experience that players wanted, allowing the player to choose the path they want to take in the midst of a major city. Note: The loading times of the "GTA" cames on the XBOX versions are noticably improved. While one had to wait for a while for the game (or sections of it) to load on the PS2 version, XBOX wait times seem more than twice as fast. There are two control schemes - "classic" and "default"; the classic makes it so that some of the functions will be similar to the controls of the PS2 version. Rating: 9.8/10 The DVD Graphics: As with "GTA III", "Vice City" benefits from a very noticable graphics upgrade for the XBOX edition. Overall, the game appears much sharpner and detailed, allowing players to stop and read signs and check out other details that previously seemed like not much more than a blur. Textures are much cleaner and characters seem more detailed. Draw-in distance, which was a problem on both "III" and "Vice City" on the Playstation 2, is somewhat remedied here, as the problem is still occasionally visible, but certainly not to the same degree. Lighting has also been greatly improved, which is especially apparent with all of the lights in the Miami-esque "Vice City". The game is even more detailed down to rain/explosion effects, which have been retouched for the new game. Even the cars have gotten a "digital paint job" as they look much better, with a considerably more shiny appearance and stronger reflections. The camera still gets caught once in a while, the character animations are still somewhat primitive and the frame rate occasionally slows up, but this is still very much an improvement over the visuals of the Playstation 2 version. The XBOX versions of both "GTA" games also support progressive scan. Rating: 9.3/10 Sound: "Vice City" is also presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. I was never terribly pleased with the soundtracks for either "III" or "Vice City" on the playstation 2. Sound effects had rather cramped dynamic range and surround (in Pro Logic) was limited and ineffective. Now, players can hear street noises zipping all around the room. Those who can enable a back rear surround should also do so, as it further enhances the envelopment. The 5.1 mix also adds greatly to the more exciting moments of the game, as gunfire can be heard all around, and the police choppers that give chase seem to be flying overhead. One of the biggest changes to the game (also available on "III") is the addition of custom soundtracks. While "GTA III" and "Vice City" have become famed for their use of classic tunes on the game's radio stations, the addition of being able to create your own driving music for the game (in "Vice City" it's a "Tape Deck" option) is certainly a terrific bonus. Sound quality also seems upgraded here, as some of the sound effects seemed a bit bolder, crisper and cleaner than they did on the PS2 version. Rating: 9.4/10 Rating Issues: Obviously, "GTA: Vice City" and "GTA:III" are rated M (Mature) for heavy, graphic violence. Final Thoughts: Those who have played "GTA III" and "Vice City" to the point where they're tired of them may want to check out the improvements made on this XBOX version. Those who only have XBOX or those who are still fans after playing the PS2 version during all this wait should absolutely check out this nicely priced ($50 for both games) XBOX double pack. |