Grand Theft Auto: Vice City takes the open-world foundation established by Grand Theft Auto 3 and expands it into a colourful, dangerous 1980s playground. Playing as Tommy Vercetti, you build money and power through crime, violence, drug dealing and a cast of wildly unsuitable characters. This is firmly aimed at mature players, not children.
Rockstar Games pushes the PlayStation 2 hardware hard. Vice City feels like a living 3D location rather than a collection of missions, with pedestrians, traffic, beaches and businesses filling its nearly six-square-mile map. A visit to the beach can reveal several computer-controlled characters moving around and relaxing on screen at once, an impressive display of the game’s scale and atmosphere.
A city powered by the 1980s
The period setting is one of Vice City’s greatest strengths. Its radio stations deliver a memorable licensed soundtrack, including Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark at the Moon”, Lionel Richie’s “Running with the Night” and two Michael Jackson tracks. Hearing “Billie Jean” immediately after the opening cinematic establishes the game’s era and attitude with remarkable confidence.
That music does more than fill the silence while Tommy travels between missions. It gives the city an identity, making every drive, chase and boat trip feel connected to the decade Rockstar is recreating. For more arcade and gaming coverage, explore the RETROCADE blog.
More ways to explore
Vice City includes dozens of cars and boats, while adding helicopters and motorcycles to the driving options from Grand Theft Auto 3. Flying above the city gives a fresh view of its broad layout, and simply travelling through the world can be as entertaining as completing a mission.
The setting also makes the game feel larger than its predecessor. From the beach to the streets and waterways, the map encourages free-form exploration and gives players plenty of reasons to take a different vehicle or route. It remains a strong example of why a well-designed arcade machine setup can make classic games a social talking point, even when the original experience is single-player.
Controls show their age
Vice City’s shooting mechanics retain the familiar structure of GTA 3. Tommy locks onto targets and fires with a button press, a system that works adequately but lacks the accuracy offered by contemporary console shooters such as Halo on Xbox and Turok: Evolution on PlayStation 2. The trade-off is a broader experience built around driving, missions, exploration and mayhem rather than precise gunplay alone.
There are other conspicuous limitations. Tommy cannot swim, which feels particularly odd in a tropical coastal city. Falling into the water is therefore more dangerous than it should be, and the omission stands out whenever the action moves near the shoreline.
Single-player only
The PlayStation 2 version offers no multiplayer mode. Friends can watch someone cruise around Vice City or attempt its missions, but they cannot join the action. Some objectives are difficult enough to provoke a frustrated controller toss, so spectators may want to keep their distance.
Verdict
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a major step beyond GTA 3 in presentation, sound and variety. Its 1980s setting, expanded vehicle list and detailed free-roaming world give it a personality that few other games can match. The aiming system, lack of swimming and absence of multiplayer prevent perfection, but they do little to diminish the overall achievement.
With its memorable soundtrack, larger-feeling world and outrageous cast—including adult-film performer Candy Suxx—Vice City is an exceptional PlayStation 2 blockbuster. It also leaves an obvious question for the future: what could Rockstar do next with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, expected to arrive on PS2 the following year?
If you are building a dedicated home gaming space, compare options in the Arcade Machine Buying Guide, or consider a compact bartop arcade for a smaller Australian games room.
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