For the three people reading who don't know what Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is, it takes place in an alternate version of Miami known as Vice City. You play Tommy Vercetti, a Liberty City mob member who finds himself in trouble with the family back in Liberty and double-crossed by parties unknown in the tropical gangster's paradise.
The story is much more in-depth than that of "GTA3" and features higher production values, plus a star-studded voice cast. "GTA: VC" features some of the most inspired voice casting in any videogame to date. From the Haitian gang leader voiced by the one and only Miss Cleo to Dennis Hopper's brilliant work as the porn director with big dreams, every cutscene in the game is a joy to hear and watch.
Vice City in 1986 is a different town from Liberty City circa 2001, of course. The beachfront city is bright, colorful, and heavily laden with electric colors and neon lights. Players of the PS2 version will notice that the PC incarnation of Vice City is a much prettier town. The graphics are sharp, crisp, and much more detailed than before. They're certainly not the best visuals available on the PC, but considering the amount of activity occurring both on and offscreen at any given time, GTA:VC looks very good.
Boasting the most impressive licensed soundtrack ever, the radio waves of Vice City have '80s tunes from all genres. If you tire of the included '80s tunes, you can play your own MP3s on the radio as well.
The basic gameplay remains essentially the same as GTA3, but you now have motorcycles, planes, and helicopters to steal and play with. The driving is easy enough with a keyboard and mouse, but if you plan to do much flying, you'll want to pick up a controller. The helicopters are almost impossible to fly without analog control.
With the transition to the PC comes the elimination of the clunky targeting system players had to struggle with on the PS2. Now all aiming is done with the mouse, and it turns "GTA: VC" into a different game. Difficult missions, such as the infamous rescue of Lance from the junkyard, are far easier to complete now that you can aim and shoot effectively. This improvement alone would make the PC version of "GTA: VC" superior to its console cousin.
You no longer automatically get new hideouts to rest and save in. You must buy the hideout buildings scattered about the city if you wish to save anywhere but the Ocean Beach Hotel. After a certain point in the game's story line, Tommy can start to buy businesses that will then benefit him in various ways. Some places will open up new mission trees to complete. Other places function as free cash machines, periodically coughing up money that you can pick up to boost your cash flow.
Most of these purchases are simply diversions, and none of them are essential to completion of, or even survival in, the game. The need to make money to invest in businesses and maintain a steady income is an intriguing addition. Certain other moneymaking methods (firefighting, for example) are so much more lucrative and less time-consuming that the property aspect comes off as more of a gimmick than anything else. Best of all, the numerous bugs and glitches that brought the PS2 version down a notch have been cleaned up and eliminated, for the most part. Enemies no longer shoot you through solid walls, you no longer randomly lose health while running, and cars remain in your garage until you take them out.
GTA: VC is an all-around better experience on the PC. PC owners new to the GTA phenomenon and fans who want to see what the series could be like if it weren't shackled to the PS2 should pick this up.
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