One of the hardest things to do in the video game industry is make a sequel to a legendary game. Creating a game that would be a worthy sequel to Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 3 would be no small task. However, true to form, Rockstar does not disappoint. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City stays loyal to what GTA 3 did so well and at the same time introduced an abundance of new content. I would not have thought it possible but GTA: Vice City actually ended up exceeding my very high expectations.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City puts you in the roll of Tommy Vercetti, who is a recently freed mafia hitman. Fearing that his presents will produce unwanted attention, the Forelli family decides to send Tommy to run some operations for the family in Vice City. Upon his arrival Tommy is the victim of a drug deal gone bad. Now he is stuck in Vice City without the money and without the drugs. You spend the rest of your time in Vice City trying to piece together what went wrong and hunting down those responsible. In true GTA fashion Vice City is filled with extravagant and unforgettable characters that are complimented by great story telling.
Rockstar did an unbelievably exceptional job crafting Vice City without taking away from what we all loved about GTA 3. Easily my favorite addition to the gameplay was property purchasing. Not only could you now buy multiple hideouts all across the city but you can also purchase different businesses. Each business comes with a set of missions that are instrumental to the success of the business. After all missions for a business are complete, that business then earns a specified amount of money per day. Right off the bat I could see the improvements when I realized that Tommy Vercetti actually talked. Having a main character that could actually speak really helped to improve the dynamic of the story. With a larger map, the ability to go in and out of buildings, new vehicles to operate and with multiple outfits to choose from, Vice City really expands on what Grand Theft Auto 3 offered.
Just as I could not find any faults with Grand Theft Auto 3, I can not find anything wrong with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. From beginning to end Vice City surpasses what GTA 3 did, and that is no small feat. There is always room for improvement, but to point out sub par graphics and odd combat mechanics would be nitpicky. Not to mention that anything I could pick at does not take away from the experience as a whole.
Once again Rockstar proves why it is often imitated but never duplicated. Great sequels are not all that uncommon but sequels that surpass a truly sensational original are. If you liked Grand Theft Auto 3 then I am confident that you will like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.