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Worst Entry of GTA

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: May 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

After playing through the trilogy of GTAs and Liberty City Stories, I would have to say this is the worst one of them all. The story was mature, but this game just took itself too seriously. Graphicswise, this game is showing its age, but comparatively, the original Grand Theft Auto Vice City's graphics were better in my opinion. Gameplaywise, the game was absolutely horrible. The driving and targeting was horrendously loose. This game will satisfy your cravings for GTA until GTA IV. Until then, avoid this game if you possibly can and pick up the better game, Bully.

I can see why this would be a great portable game...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: June 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

But on a console it really loses something.
Compared to GTA Vice City, this game is simply an inferior copy. One of the great improvements from Grand Theft Auto III to VC was its licensed soundtrack. Also to compare, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories had most of the original GTA3 radio with a few new songs and a new channel. For this game they only kept the worst VC channel, the Latin channel and nearly all the new music, outside of maybe two songs, is awful.
The GTA series has never really been about the story, but the laughably bad cut scenes fall flat in this one. It doesn't help that the voice acting is terrible and the characters are almost all annoying one-dimensional stereotypes.
Vice City had a number of things, like the full map or motorcycles, which the original GTA3 did not. So GTA:LCS with those improvements was a better game. In this game you can swim, but it isn't a huge part of the game. Honestly this isn't really much of an improvement. If anything the fact that it originated on the PSP means that it has a much worse engine than the original PS2 games.
Just go back and play the original Vice City, don't listen to this "story."

Fun, but Fixes None of the Typical GTA Issues

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First off, this game is definitely fun to play. As previously mentioned, the music does set a whole new standard for video games. Millions of GTA fans and dozens of imitators have proven that the GTA franchise is a powerhouse to contend with. If you enjoyed previous GTA games, chances are you will enjoy Vice City Stories. However, the inheritance of almost every single shortcoming of previous GTA titles, especially the PS1-like graphics, is in excusable. When Rockstar ported GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas to XBOX they took advantage of the system's higher graphical capabilities. Thus, the graphics were dramatically improved in the porting process. It can certainly be appreciated that this PSP-ported game is only $20. However, how many folks would have paid a little more for a polished title that attempted to fix at least some of the native GTA problems that have plagued this franchise?

Pros:
·Unparalleled music track selection and quality. They took some of the very best songs from the 80s and brought them back to life.
·GTA through and through (for good, bad, or indifferent)
·The unmistakable GTA atmosphere that cannot be reproduced by any of the wanna-bees is omnipresent in Vice City Stories
·Fun missions abound
·Great sense of humor still there
·Vehicles and stunts are still fun as hell

Cons:
·Graphics are embarrassingly low quality. A large screen TV will reveal heavy pixelation that can be blinding at times when you are squinting to see necessary mission critical details.
·No mid-mission saves - inexcusable in today's gaming era on any platform.
·Close-quarter fighting is frustrating and has degraded from most other GTA titles. This really should have been polished up.
·Long load times

Gameplay is cool,other aspects not so much...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 18
Date: March 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm a big fan of the first two GTAs and I like how Rockstar gave us a chance to go back to Liberty and Vice City with new stories and added bonuses.

I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail,because by now people are familiar with this game series and they either like it or hate it.The gameplay is as fun as it ever was,and it's nice that Rockstar decided to make the main character "Vic Vance",black;but not a thug.I couldn't stand the whole gangsta dialouge of San Andreas which is why I never played it all the way through.

The only minor complaints I would have about this title is 1.) the radio station soundtrack is not nearly as good as the original Vice City one.I was pretty disapointed with the V Rock and New Wave selection.So I'm pretty much flipping back and forth more when I'm in a vehicle.

Also,enough with the propaganda Rockstar.Please give it a rest!I'm so sick of hearing the Ammunation radio commercials.Yes,we all know you're anti-gun,anti-war and anti-republican.Yes,we know that you think America is always the one at fault.Even though your completely wrong with your views and your thinking,it's your opinion,which you have a right to.But I bought this game to play;not to listen to some political rant.Save it for CNN.Funny how the commercials are all anti-gun;but you make games that glamourize guns and killing people.Can we say double-standard?The whole deal with the transgendered dude is also pretty disgusting.It wasn't needed,just some extra ammo for Rockstar to put in it's "shock value" weapons.Whatever.

2.)Why Rockstar ever invented the clear stage 15 of the paramedic, vigilante and firetruck missions is beyond me.Although the game developers
do show some mercy by letting the game save your point of progress every 5 levels you pass.However this aspect of the game can still be extremely annoying as old issues haven't been resolved.Cars that WILL NOT get out of your way,short time limits for long distances,an inevetable encounter where one patient/fire/criminal is in between some buildings and it's next to impossible to get them in a timely fashion.What's worse is that in Vice City Stories,the blips on the map that were once a bright pink and easy to spot,have now been turned to DARK BLUE!!Try squinting your eyes as you are looking for the blip that almost completely mixes in with the street!Not a good idea esp when you are on a time limit!Just stick with the good old days of GTA3 (save 50 patients/arrest 50 criminals/put out 50 fires in a nonconsecutive order to be rewarded)

For the price,this is a fun title.I still think the GTA series was really in all it's glory when it was first released on PS2.There was nothing like it before.Now,they are growing a little stale.Also it seems like Rockstar is trying to make up for it by throwing in more aggressive shock material and militant,one-sided viewpoints.These are all okay games,but no longer my favorites.

Only good for GTA fanatics...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Let me start off by saying that I am an AVID GTA fan. I've beat every GTA game from GTA 3 until this one. Being a GTA fan, I HAD to beat this one.

Sadly, this one just isn't as good as the other ones. The missions are longer and more drawn out. Given, each game is bound to have a mission or 2 that makes you go from 1 end of the map to the other... but seriously, about 1/4 of all the missions are like that in this game. In addition, the missions are very boring. There are a few here and there that are unique (i've yet to see them in another GTA game), but again, any GTA game is bound to have a FEW gems. By the final 5 missions, I was simply playing out of the hope that it would end soon.

Although the missions fell short, there is a lot of other things to do. It seems like they upped the amount of expensive cars driving around, so getting around is a lot more fun. Also, they added a new optional business system: you can choose to take over as many of the 18-or-so business that you want. Each business will give you additional money, but might get attacked periodically.

To sum it all up: missions aren't that great, lots of stuff to do aside from the storyline.

Play it if you're a GTA fanatic. If you're just looking for a cheap GTA game to pass the time, go with either Liberty City Stories or the original Vice City.

Pretty Fun

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is fun, but not as fun as the original. There are some neat additions though, like when you suffer a concussion from being too close to an explosion the controls and the screen move all around and prevent you from driving easily. I enjoyed this game for a couple of days before I went back to Final Fantasy XI. I plan to play more on a rainy day.

Sincerely,
Ira Carmel.

A Fun (if not thrilling) ride...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: March 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

As soon as I saw the VCS PS2 release date, I got excited. I've been a big fan of the GTA series, ever since GTA III. I absolutely fell in love with Vice City (the music, gameplay, the overall nostalgia)...had me watching all of my favorite Miami Vice recordings all over again. I haven't gotten around to getting a PSP yet, so I hadn't had a chance to play VCS. After checking stores like Best Buy and Spin Street (neither of which had ordered any copies) I made one last stop (Game Stop) and fortunately for me, they had a few extra copies available that hadn't already been reserved.

Vice City Stories is not quite as exciting to me as my first Vice City experience was. Perhaps that's because a little of the newness of the GTA thrill ride has worn off (hundreds of hours playing Vice City, Liberty City, and San Andreas can do that to you). Also, there aren't really any NEW features in this game to look forward to. Of course there's a new storyline to follow, and the fun of revisiting Vice City (this time in a slightly different light), and some of the best characters from the original game (Lance, Phil, Umberto, Diaz, to name a few). The graphics also have been upgraded a bit, giving the game more of a San Andreas feel. The sky, the background, and the overall color scheme will probably remind you of San Andreas a bit more than Vice City, if you're familiar with both.

Overall, the gameplay is fun and familiar. I was pleased with the added swimming feature (something that really bugged me in Vice City - Tommy Vercetti drowning anytime he came near water). And the jet ski missions are also fun. You can drive, fly, swim (all of the main transportation features from San Andreas are available here, although if there's a jet pack available I have yet to find it). I got spoiled by that jet pack in San Andreas - so much so that for a while, I stopped walking/driving altogether).

The only complaint that I have about VCS thus far (still working my way through the game) is that the storyline and the soundtrack aren't quite as strong or as interesting as it has been in previous games. I could also have done without some of the beastiality inferences (a bit over the top for me). At this point, I'd have to say that VCS was well worth the $20 that I spent.

Welcome back to Vice City; we've missed you

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: March 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Like Liberty City Stories before it, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a conversion of the hit PSP game to the PS2. Like the aforementioned game, Vice City Stories is a near perfect emulation of the portable title, and like that game as well, this is good and bad. The first thing you'll notice is the graphical transition from the PSP to the PS2, which is far from the prettiest thing you'll ever see. Now I know the GTA series has never been reknowned for it's graphics, but Vice City Stories has possibly the muddiest and blurriest graphics of the series. That being said, just about everything else from there on is pretty much fine. Playing as Vic Vance (brother of Lance, who you'll remember from the original Vice City game), you perform the kind of missions that you'd expect to play in a GTA game. The open world setting may be getting old these days, but it's nice to make a return to Vice City, which is pretty much how you remember it. The game also pretty much controls the same way too, although there are some noticeable issues with the gunplay and driving mechanics. That aside, the overall package of Vice City Stories is nicely rounded thanks to an awesome soundtrack, and engaging story, longer missions, and a great voice cast that features many returning actors like Philip Michael Thomas, Gary Busey, and Luis Guzman. All in all, there may be nothing in Vice City Stories that we haven't seen before, but with the budget price and the tried but true gameplay that GTA made famous, you can't really go wrong here.

An improvement over Liberty City Stories

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: March 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I am just starting this game and already I love it. The sound track if nothing else does it for me. Other improvements include swimming and flying, which were missing in LCS. This is a $20 game and was meant for the psp so keep that in mind. The graphics are not great but the classic game play more than makes up for it. All the LCS naysayers may not be that impressed but it's only meant to be an added installment to Vice City not an improvement over the other titles. Again, the soundtrack is what sets it apart from LCS. Classic eighties tunes and hillarious commercials. For $20 a steal and a good tide-over 'til GTA4 for ps3.

Vice City Revisted

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Back before Vice City, this is a good game in the Grand Theft Auto series.
I was actually impressed with Liberty Stories and likewise with this.
The Vice City of this game is much grittier than the Vice City of old.
Especially the main island where parts of it are just flat out dumpy and dirty.
The trailer parks are a nice added "Florida" touch.

For the price, it's one of the best values on game out there.
Plenty of missions and side mission to keep ya busy until another
full fledge Grand Theft Auto games coues out, sometime in October of 2007.

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