Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fourth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, and the sixth entry overall. Set in 1986 within the fictional Vice City (based on Miami), the single-player story follows gangster Tommy Vercetti's rise to power after being released from prison and becoming caught up in an ambushed drug deal. While seeking out those responsible, Tommy gradually builds a criminal empire by seizing power from other criminal organisations.

The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The open world design lets the player freely roam Vice City, consisting of two main islands. The game's plot is based on multiple real-world people and events in Miami such as Cubans, Haitians, and biker gangs, the 1980s crack epidemic, the Mafioso drug lords of Miami, and the dominance of glam metal. The game was also influenced by the films and television of the era, most notably Scarface (1983) and Miami Vice (1984–1990). Much of the development work constituted creating the game world to fit the inspiration and time period; the development team conducted extensive field research in Miami while creating the world. The game was released in October 2002 for the PlayStation 2.

Vice City received critical acclaim, with praise directed at its music, gameplay, story, and open world design, though it generated controversy over its depiction of violence and racial groups. It received year-end accolades from several gaming publications, and it is considered one of the sixth generation of console gaming's most significant titles and among the best video games ever made. Vice City became the best-selling game of 2002 and one of the best-selling PlayStation 2 games with over 14.2 million copies sold; it has sold over 17.5 million copies overall. It was released for Windows and the Xbox in 2003, followed by enhanced versions and mobile ports in the 2010s and a remastered version in 2021. It was followed by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) and a prequel, Vice City Stories (2006).

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player controls mobster Tommy Vercetti and completes missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. It is possible to have several missions available at a time, as some missions require the player to wait for further instructions or events. Outside of missions, the player can freely roam the game's open world and has the ability to complete optional side missions.<ref name="AllGame Review" /> Composed of two main islands and several smaller areas, the world is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series.Template:Efn The islands are unlocked for the player as the story progresses.<ref name="Eurogamer Review" />

Gameplay screenshot of the player character driving a motorcycle through a busy city street.

The player can ride motorcycles in Vice City, unlike in its predecessor.<ref name="IGN Review"/>

The player may run, jump, or drive vehicles to navigate the game's world. The player uses melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies. The firearms include weapons such as the Colt Python, an M60 machine gun and a Minigun.<ref name="IGN Guns" /><ref name="IGN Inside 3" /> The game's three-dimension environment allows a first-person view while aiming with the sniper rifle and rocket launcher. In addition, the game's combat allows the player to commit drive-by shootings by facing sideways in a vehicle.<ref name="GameRev Review" /><ref name="GameSpot Review" /> A wide variety of weapon options can be purchased from local firearms dealers, found on the ground, retrieved from dead enemies, or found around the city.Template:Sfn

In combat, auto-aim can be used as assistance against enemies.<ref name="GameSpot PC Review" /> Should the player take damage, their health meter can be fully regenerated through the use of health pick-ups.Template:Sfn Body armour pickups can be used to absorb gunshots and explosive damage, but is used up in the process.<ref name="GameSpot Walkthrough" /> When health is entirely depleted, gameplay stops and the player respawns at the nearest hospital while losing all weapons and armour and some of their money.<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /> If the player commits crimes while playing, the game's law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD), which increases as the player commits more crimes. On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level, and the higher the level, the greater the response for law enforcement<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /> (for example, at the maximum six-star level, police helicopters and the military swarm to lethally dispatch players).<ref name="GameRev Review" />

During the story, Tommy meets characters from various gangs. As the player completes missions for different gangs, fellow gang members will often defend the player, while rival gang members will recognise the player and subsequently shoot on sight. While free roaming the game world, the player may engage in activities such as a vigilante minigame, a firefighting activity, a paramedic service and a taxicab service. Completion of these activities grants the player with context-specific rewards.<ref name="GameSpot Review" /> As Tommy builds his criminal empire, the player may purchase a number of properties distributed across the city, some of which act as additional hideouts where weapons can be collected and vehicles can be stored.<ref name="Edge Review" /> There are also a variety of businesses which can be purchased, including a pornographic film studio, a taxi company, and several entertainment clubs. Each commercial property has a number of missions attached to it, such as eliminating competition or stealing equipment; once all missions are complete, the property begins to generate an ongoing income available for the player.<ref name="GameRev Review" />

Plot

In 1986, gangster Tommy Vercetti (voiced by Ray Liotta) is released from prison after serving a fifteen-year sentence for murder. His boss Sonny Forelli (Tom Sizemore), seeking to establish drug operations in the South, sends Tommy to Vice City, Florida, to oversee an important drug deal alongside crooked lawyer Ken Rosenberg (William Fichtner). However, the deal is ambushed by unknown assailants, with Tommy and Ken barely escaping. An infuriated Sonny orders Tommy to recover the drugs, alongside the money Sonny gave to him, under threat of consequences. Seeking information, Ken points Tommy towards retired army colonel Juan Garcia Cortez (Robert Davi), who helped set up the exchange. Expressing regret for the ambush, Cortez promises to find out who masterminded it. Cortez also serves as a mentor to Tommy, encouraging him to act increasingly independent of Sonny and the Forelli family.

While investigating, Tommy meets with others who become allies and partners, including band manager Kent Paul (Danny Dyer), who maintains connections with the city's criminal underworld; freelancer Lance Vance (Philip Michael Thomas), who aided in the deal and lost his brother in the ambush; Texan business tycoon Avery Carrington (Burt Reynolds), who in return enlists Tommy's help with several deals; and drug lord Ricardo Diaz (Luis Guzmán), who employs both Tommy and Lance. Eventually, Cortez begins voicing his suspicions that Diaz organised the ambush. Upon further investigation, Lance discovers this to be true and, against Tommy's advice, tries to kill Diaz, only to get himself captured. After Tommy saves Lance, they invade Diaz's mansion and kill him.

With Diaz dead, Tommy takes over his assets and, at Avery's suggestion, works to expand his new criminal empire by forcing businesses to pay him protection money and buying out nearly bankrupt companies to use as fronts for illicit operations. Tommy establishes his own gang to protect his businesses from rivals, and provides assistance to several prominent gang leaders in the hopes they will support his expansion. Finally located by agents of the French government, Cortez fends off assassination with Tommy's help, and the two men part amicably as the Colonel's yacht leaves for safer waters. Eventually, Sonny discovers that Tommy has gained complete control over Vice City's drug trade without cutting the Forellis in. Enraged at his independence, Sonny sends mobsters to forcefully collect money from Tommy's businesses. In response, Tommy hunts down and kills each of Sonny's men, severing his last ties with the Forelli family.

As Sonny arrives with numerous men to collect the money he believes he is owed, Tommy angrily confronts Sonny, accusing him of having framed him fifteen years ago. Sonny confirms this and reveals Lance has betrayed Tommy and allied himself with the Forellis, having felt inadequate in Tommy's presence since his rise to power. A shootout ensues in Tommy's mansion, during which Tommy prevents the Forellis from stealing his money and kills Lance for his betrayal, before finally killing Sonny. With the Forelli family destroyed, no one remains to stand in Tommy's way, and he and Ken optimistically discuss Tommy's status as the undisputed ruler of Vice City.

Development

Rockstar North's core 50-person team led the eighteen-month development of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.<ref name="NYT" /> Full production began in late 2001, as Grand Theft Auto III was nearing completion.<ref name="Design Museum" /> While early development only involved creating 3D models, executive producer Sam Houser said "it really kicked off at the beginning of 2002" and lasted about nine months.<ref name="Edge 2" /> After the release of the Windows version of Grand Theft Auto III, the development team discussed creating a mission pack for the game that would have added new weapons, vehicles, and missions. Upon further discussion, the team decided to adapt this concept into a stand-alone game, which became Vice City.<ref name="Digital Trends" />

The game was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on 22 May 2002.<ref name="GameSpot Announcement" /> It was Rockstar North's most expensive game at the time, with a development budget of Template:USDTemplate:Sfn and marketing budget of Template:USD.<ref name="THR Marketing"/> On 5 September 2002, Rockstar announced the release date of 22 October had been postponed until 29 October to meet product demand.<ref name="GameSpot Delay" /> By 15 October, development of Vice City stopped as the game was submitted for manufacturing.<ref name="GameSpot Gold" /> It was released for the PlayStation 2 on 29 October in North America, and on 8 November in Europe.<ref name="Date PS2"/> Capcom published the game in Japan on 20 May 2004 for PlayStation 2 and Windows.<ref name="IGN Capcom" /> The game was added to the Rockstar Games Launcher in September 2019.<ref name="Gamasutra Rockstar Launcher" />

Setting

The game is set in 1986 in fictional Vice City, which is based heavily on the city of Miami, Florida.<ref name="GameSpot Graphics" /> Vice City previously appeared in the original Grand Theft Auto (1997); the development team decided to reuse the location and incorporate ideas from within the studio and from the fanbase.<ref name="IGN Inside 2" /> They wanted to satirise a location that was not contemporary, in contrast to Grand Theft Auto IIITemplate:'s modern-day Liberty City.<ref name="Design Museum" /> The team wanted to choose a location that had similarities and differences to New York City—the inspiration of Liberty City—eventually leading them to Miami, which producer Leslie Benzies described as "a party town, all sun and sea and sex, but with that same dark edge underneath".<ref name="Digital Trends" /> Sam Houser called it "the grooviest era of crime because it didn't even feel like it was crime ... it was a totally topsy-turvy back-to-front period of time".<ref name="Edge 1" /> The team intended to make Vice City a "living, breathing city" so the player would feel like "life still goes on" while their character was inside a building.<ref name="GameSpot Interaction" />

The game's look, particularly the clothing and vehicles, reflects its 1980s setting. Many themes were borrowed from the crime films Scarface (1983) and Carlito's Way (1993),<ref name="GameSpot Graphics" /> the latter for its characterisation of nuanced criminals. The television series Miami Vice (1984–1989) was also a major influence and was regularly watched by the team throughout development.<ref name="Crave" /> Art director Aaron Garbut used the series as a reference point for emulating neon lighting.<ref name="Edge 1" /> In recreating a 1980s setting, the team found it "relatively painless" due to the distinct culture of the time period and the team's familiarity with the era.<ref name="Crave" /> The art team was provided with large volumes of research, as well as reference photographs taken by other members of the development team. The team organised field research trips to Miami shortly after completing the development of Grand Theft Auto III, splitting into small teams and observing the streets.<ref name="Crave" /><ref name="IGN Unplugged" />

Story and characters

Ray Liotta voiced protagonist Tommy Vercetti.<ref name="IGN Voice" />

The team spent time "solving [the] riddle" of a speaking protagonist, a notable departure from Grand Theft Auto IIITemplate:'s silent protagonist Claude.<ref name="GameSpot III" /> Ray Liotta portrayed protagonist Tommy Vercetti and described the role as challenging: "You're creating a character that's not there before ... It's so intensive". While recording his voice, the team captured his physical performance against a blue screen to get a sense of how to visualise the cutscenes.<ref name="IGN Voice" /> The team strove to make the player feel a "real affinity" for Tommy by prioritising the game's narrative.<ref name="Design Museum" /> Dan Houser described Tommy as "strong and dangerous and prepared to wait for the right opportunity to arrive".<ref name="IGN Unplugged" /> Director Navid Khonsari found Liotta occasionally difficult to work with.Template:Sfn Sam Houser said, "In some sessions he was ... into it, but then sometimes ... he was very dark and couldn't work".<ref name="GamesRadar Sam" />

The majority of the game's animations were original, with only a few borrowed from Grand Theft Auto III. For the characters, the team used motion capture and stop motion animation techniques; cutscenes use the former, while gameplay movements use a combination of both techniques. The team encountered difficulty in animating motorcycle animations, due in part to the variety of models.<ref name="GameSpot Animation" /> Pedestrian character models use skins in Vice City, which allowed the artists to produce more realistic characters. There are 110 unique pedestrian models throughout the game world alongside roughly 50 story characters; each character is rendered using twice the amount of polygons and textures compared to Grand Theft Auto III.<ref name="GameSpot Graphics" /><ref name="IGN Unplugged" /> The increased polygons also impacted the character physics, improving gameplay aspects such as weapon-hit accuracy.<ref name="GameSpot Physics" /> Some character models and storylines were inspired by films such as The Godfather (1972), and the game's presentation was inspired by action television shows of the 1980s.<ref name="IGN Inside 1" /> The interplay between Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance was intended to mimic that of Miami ViceTemplate:'s James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs.<ref name="Edge 4" />

Sound design and music production

The game features 8,000 lines of recorded dialogue, four times the amount in Grand Theft Auto III.<ref name="IGN Unplugged" /> It contains over 90 minutes of cutscenes and nine hours of music,<ref name="IGN Unplugged" /> with more than 113 songs and commercials.<ref name="IGN Inside 4" /> The team enjoyed the challenge of creating the game's soundtrack, particularly in contrast to Grand Theft Auto IIITemplate:'s music, which Sam Houser described as "clearly satirical and its own thing".<ref name="Edge 2" /> In developing the radio stations, the team wanted to reinforce the game's setting by curating a variety of songs from the 1980s, which required extensive research.<ref name="IBTimes Soundtrack" /> The radio stations were published by Epic Records on seven albums—known collectively as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set—alongside the game in October 2002.<ref name="GameSpot Soundtrack 1" /><ref name="GameSpot Soundtrack 2" /> Vice City contains about three times as much talk radio as Grand Theft Auto III. The developers emphasised the extremity of the callers' personalities, drawing from the experiences of producer and talk show host Lazlow Jones. Dan Houser felt the talk stations gave depth to the game world.<ref name="GameSpot Radio" />

Reception

Critical response

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released to critical acclaim. Metacritic calculated an average score of 95 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 62 reviews. It is Metacritic's highest-rated PlayStation 2 game of 2002,<ref name="MC" /> and the fifth-highest rated PlayStation 2 game overall, tied with a number of others.Template:Efn Reviewers liked the game's sound and music,<ref name="AllGame Review" /><ref name="GameRev Review" /> open-ended gameplay,<ref name="GameInformer Review" /><ref name="IGN Review" /> and open world design,<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /><ref name="GameSpy Review" /> though some criticism was directed at the controls and technical issues.<ref name="GameSpot Review" /><ref name="Edge Review" /> IGNTemplate:'s Douglass Perry declared it "one of the most impressive games of 2002",<ref name="IGN Review" /> and GameSpyTemplate:'s Raymond Padilla named the experience "deep, devilishly enjoyable, and unique".<ref name="GameSpy Review" />

Reviewers generally considered the missions an improvement over Grand Theft Auto III, although some noted occasional awkwardness and frustration.<ref name="GameSpot Review" /><ref name="GameSpy Review" /> IGNTemplate:'s Perry wrote that the game's missions give the player "a stronger feeling of being inside a story within a world that truly exists".<ref name="IGN Review" /> Game InformerTemplate:'s Matt Helgeson found the missions to be more complex,<ref name="GameInformer Review" /> and AllGameTemplate:'s Scott Alan Marriott felt that the storyline was improved as a result. Marriott also found the lead character of Tommy to be more engaging than Grand Theft Auto IIITemplate:'s Claude;<ref name="AllGame Review" /> IGNTemplate:'s Perry felt that Rockstar "found the right person and the right choice",<ref name="IGN Review" /> and Edge wrote that Tommy "sweats charisma", commending Ray Liotta's performance.<ref name="Edge Review" />

An urban city centre, surrounded by trees with a blimp in the sky, at sunset.

Reviewers praised the design and detail of Vice City, noting it felt more alive than Grand Theft Auto IIITemplate:'s Liberty City.<ref name="AllGame Review" /><ref name="Eurogamer Review" /><ref name="GameSpy Review" />

The game's open world design was praised by reviewers, many of whom felt that it contained more detail and felt more alive than its predecessors.<ref name="AllGame Review" /><ref name="Eurogamer Review" /> GameSpy's Padilla made favourable comparisons between Vice City and Grand Theft Auto IIITemplate:'s Liberty City, noting the former's level of detail.<ref name="GameSpy Review" /> Game RevolutionTemplate:'s Ben Silverman wrote that the game's depth is "unparalleled", praising the world's realism and detail,<ref name="GameRev Review" /> while AllGame's Marriott commended the "ambitious scope in design".<ref name="AllGame Review" />

Marriott of AllGame named Vice City an "unforgettable listening experience",<ref name="AllGame Review" /> and Perry of IGN declared the music as "the most impressive list of songs in a game".<ref name="IGN Review" /> Many reviewers commended the game's radio stations and talk radio,<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /><ref name="GameSpot Review" /> and felt that the game's collection of licensed 1980s music fit the tone and time period of the world.<ref name="GameRev Review" /><ref name="GameSpy Review" /> The voice acting also received praise;<ref name="GameInformer Review" /> GameSpotTemplate:'s Jeff Gerstmann named the cast of characters "colorful and memorable",<ref name="GameSpot Review" /> and IGNTemplate:'s Perry found the voice acting "among one of the best of its kind".<ref name="IGN Review" /> Game RevolutionTemplate:'s Silverman felt that the acting "gives the story credence".<ref name="GameRev Review" />

Many reviewers found that the game offers a better variety of vehicles than Grand Theft Auto III,<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /><ref name="GameInformer Review" /><ref name="GameSpy Review" /> and found them easier to control;<ref name="GameRev Review" /> GameSpotTemplate:'s Gerstmann named the driving "more exciting and dangerous",<ref name="GameSpot Review" /> and IGNTemplate:'s Perry found the motorcycle's controls pleasing.<ref name="IGN Review" /> In addition to the vehicle handling, reviewers noted improvements in the targeting and shooting mechanics, although still recognised issues.<ref name="AllGame Review" /><ref name="GameRev Review" /><ref name="GameSpot Review" /><ref name="IGN Review" /> Helgeson of Game Informer wrote that "targeting is improved to the point where combat can actually be fun".<ref name="GameInformer Review" />

Some reviewers recognised an improved draw distance over Grand Theft Auto III, although many identified frame rate drops during hardware-intense sequences.<ref name="GameSpot Review" /><ref name="GameSpy Review" /><ref name="IGN Review" /> The changes in character models polarised reviews; while GameSpyTemplate:'s Padilla and IGNTemplate:'s Perry noted the improvement in character models,<ref name="GameSpy Review" /><ref name="IGN Review" /> EurogamerTemplate:'s Tom Bramwell considered it "maddening to see that character ... models haven't been smartened up at all".<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /> The game's artificial intelligence and long load times were frequently criticised in reviews,<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /><ref name="GameSpot Review" /><ref name="Edge Review" /> and many reviewers noted the awkward camera angles and environment during gameplay.<ref name="AllGame Review" /><ref name="Edge Review" /><ref name="GameInformer Review" />

Windows version

When Vice City was released to Windows in May 2003, it received similar critical acclaim. Metacritic calculated an average score of 94 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 30 reviews.<ref name="MC PC" /> It was the highest-rated Windows game on Metacritic in 2003.<ref name="MC Top PC" /> Reviewers liked the visual enhancements,<ref name="GameSpot PC Review" /><ref name="GameSpy PC Review" /> and were generally positive towards the control improvements.<ref name="AllGame PC Review" /><ref name="Eurogamer PC Review" /><ref name="IGN PC Review" />

The port's visuals received a positive response from reviewers. AllGameTemplate:'s Mark Hoogland praised the improved car details, environment textures, and weather effects;<ref name="AllGame PC Review" /> GameSpotTemplate:'s Greg Kasavin echoed similar remarks, noting occasional frame rate drops.<ref name="GameSpot PC Review" /> GameSpyTemplate:'s Sal Accardo commended the draw distance improvements, identifying very few texture issues.<ref name="GameSpy PC Review" /> IGNTemplate:'s Steve Butts found the port's system requirements to be reasonable, unlike Grand Theft Auto III, and praised the faster load times.<ref name="IGN PC Review" /> EurogamerTemplate:'s Martin Taylor was critical of the visuals, stating that the higher resolutions "aren't kind to the overall visual quality", and criticising the hardware requirements.<ref name="Eurogamer PC Review" />

The control changes of the port were generally well received. Most reviewers found the targeting and shooting mechanics to be improved with mouse and keyboard controls;<ref name="GameSpot PC Review" /><ref name="IGN PC Review" /> EurogamerTemplate:'s Taylor called them "far more fluid",<ref name="Eurogamer PC Review" /> and GameSpyTemplate:'s Accardo wrote "there's simply no substitute for aiming with a mouse".<ref name="GameSpy PC Review" /> However, the driving control changes were widely criticised;<ref name="Eurogamer Review" /> IGNTemplate:'s Butts called it "crap".<ref name="IGN PC Review" /> AllGameTemplate:'s Hoogland found the controls to be "more forgiving" over time.<ref name="AllGame PC Review" />

Mobile version

When Vice City was released on mobile devices in December 2012,<ref name="Mobile Announce" /><ref name="Mobile Release" /> it received "generally favorable" reviews. Metacritic calculated an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 19 reviews.<ref name="MC Mobile" /> Reviewers liked the enhanced visuals,<ref name="IGN Mobile Review" /><ref name="Destructoid Mobile Review" /> but criticism was directed at the touchscreen controls.<ref name="Digital Spy Review" /><ref name="Pocket Gamer Review" />

The port's visuals were well received. DestructoidTemplate:'s Chris Carter felt that they "[suit] the neon and bright pastel veneer", and wrote that the "new lighting effects and smoothed-out engine really allow the game to pop like it never has before".<ref name="Destructoid Mobile Review" /> IGNTemplate:'s Justin Davis praised the updated character models, lighting, and textures,<ref name="IGN Mobile Review" /> and Touch ArcadeTemplate:'s Eric Ford noted that the "visuals are improved but not in a drastic manner".<ref name="Touch Arcade Review" /> NowGamer found that the mobile display improves the visual enjoyment of the game, despite the issues with the original game.<ref name="NowGamer Mobile Review" /> Tom Hoggins of The Telegraph identified some issues with character models, but stated "the city looks terrific".<ref name="Telegraph Mobile Review" />

Most reviewers criticised the port's touchscreen controls. Pocket GamerTemplate:'s Mark Brown found them "not ideal", but noted that this was also the case in the original game,<ref name="Pocket Gamer Review" /> while Digital SpyTemplate:'s Scott Nichols felt that the game "only complicated [the controls] further".<ref name="Digital Spy Review" /> IGNTemplate:'s Davis was thankful for the addition of customisable controls, and wrote that they "make the experience much more controllable",<ref name="IGN Mobile Review" /> and Touch ArcadeTemplate:'s Ford greatly appreciated the developer's efforts to "make the situation bearable".<ref name="Touch Arcade Review" /> DestructoidTemplate:'s Carter spoke favourably of the controls, despite noting awkward character movement,<ref name="Destructoid Mobile Review" /> while The TelegraphTemplate:'s Hoggins found the controls "far more accomplished" than Grand Theft Auto IIITemplate:'s mobile port.<ref name="Telegraph Mobile Review" />

Accolades

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City received multiple nominations and awards from gaming publications. It was nominated for six awards at the 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards,<ref name="AIAS Nom"/> of which it won Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year;<ref name="AIAS Win"/> it was nominated for Computer Action/Adventure Game of the Year the following year.<ref name="AIAS Nom"/> It led the 1st British Academy Games Awards with eight nominations and six awards, including PlayStation 2 Game,<ref name="BAFTA PS2" /> PC Game,<ref name="BAFTA PC" /> Action Game,<ref name="BAFTA Action" /> Design,<ref name="BAFTA Design" /> and Sound.<ref name="BAFTA Sound" /> It was similarly named the Best PlayStation 2 game at the Golden Joystick Awards<ref name="Golden Joystick" /> and from Entertainment Weekly,Template:Sfn IGN,<ref name="IGN GOTY" /> and GameSpot,<ref name="GameSpot GOTY" /> and was awarded the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards.<ref name="Golden Joystick Ultimate" /> GameSpot awarded it Best Action/Adventure Game,<ref name="GameSpot ActionAdventure" /> Best Music,<ref name="GameSpot Music" /> and Best Graphics (Technical and Artistic).<ref name="GameSpot GraphicsT" /><ref name="GameSpot GraphicsA" /> IGN awarded it Best Action/Adventure Game,<ref name="IGN Action" /> and it was the runner-up for Reader's Choice Overall Game of the Year.<ref name="IGN GOTY Overall" />

Sales

Within 24 hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sold over 500,000 copies.<ref name="GameSpot Sales" /> Within two days of its release, it sold 1.4 million copies, making it the fastest-selling game in history at the time.Template:Sfn It was the highest-selling game of 2002 in the United States;<ref name="NPD 2002" /> by 2004, the game had sold 5.97 million units,<ref name="Magic 2004" /> and by December 2007 it had sold 8.20 million.<ref name="Magic 2007" /> In July 2006, Next Generation ranked it as the highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, or Xbox between January 2000 and July 2006 in the United States, with an estimated 7 million copies sold and Template:US$ million in revenue.<ref name="Next Gen Sales"/> In February 2005, it was re-released as part of PlayStation's Greatest Hits selection, indicating high sales.<ref name="Greatest Hits" /> In Japan, Vice City sold about 223,000 copies in its first week and over 410,000 by January 2008.<ref name="Japan Sales" /> The game earned a "Diamond" award in the United Kingdom, indicating over one million sales.<ref name="UK Diamond" /> Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack—a bundle containing Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City—became one of the best-selling Xbox games with over 1.59 million copies sold in the United States<ref name="Magic 2007"/> and over 1.25 million in Japan.<ref name="Shrine"/> Vice City was one of the PlayStation 2's best-selling games with 14.2 million copies sold,<ref name="Guinness 2009"/> and across all platforms it sold 17.5 million units by March 2008.<ref name="March 08 Sales" />

Controversies

Similar to its predecessors, Vice City was labelled violent and explicit and considered controversial by many advocacy groups.<ref name="Chicago Theory" />Template:Sfn<ref name="NYTimes Amendment" />Template:Sfn Peter Hartlaub of SFGate noted the game's "mindless violence", but attributed it to the developers' attempt to achieve accuracy.<ref name="SFGate" /> Jeremy Pope, who worked on various Rockstar games including Vice City, vowed never to work on violent games again due to their portrayal in mainstream media.<ref name="Gamesindustry Pope" /> In Australia, the game was pre-edited to receive an MA15+ classification;<ref name="Australia 2002" /> an uncensored version was released in the region in 2010, retaining its classification.<ref name="Australia 2010" />

File:GTAVC PC Gang Attack.jpg

The game allows the player to fight immigrant gangs made up of Haitians (pictured) and Cubans, and missions involve fighting both gangs. Civil rights organisations accused the game of inviting ethnic violence, and of featuring discriminatory phrases.

In November 2003, the Haitian Centers Council and Haitian Americans for Human Rights staged a protest in New York City publicly criticising the game, contending that it invited the player to harm Haitian immigrants and claiming that it depicted Haitians as "thugs, thieves and drug dealers".<ref name="GameSpot Haitian1" /> In response, Rockstar issued a press release apologising and acknowledging the concern, but insisted that the violence should be taken within the context of the game, which also contains violence towards other ethnic groups.<ref name="IGN Haitian" /> When New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg threatened distributor Take-Two Interactive with legal action, the company apologised and removed offensive statements from future copies of the game.<ref name="GameSpot Haitian2" /> In January 2004, North Miami's majority Haitian-American council filed an ordinance to ban the selling or renting of violent games to anyone under 18 without parental permission. The proposal, apparently sparked by Vice City, was supported by North Miami mayor Josaphat Celestin, who stated "We don't believe the First Amendment was written to protect those who want to incite violence".<ref name="GameSpot Haitian3" /> The case was later downgraded from federal court to state court.<ref name="GameSpot Haitian4" />

On 7 June 2003, 18-year-old Devin Moore shot and killed two Alabamian police officers and a dispatcher before fleeing in a patrol car; he was later apprehended. In statements to police, Moore reportedly said "Life is like a video game. Everybody's got to die sometime".<ref name="CBS Moore" /> A $600 million lawsuit was filed against Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Sony Computer Entertainment, GameStop, and Wal-Mart, claiming that Moore frequently played Vice City and that his experience with the game led him to commit the crimes. The plaintiffs' attorney, Jack Thompson, claimed the graphic nature of the game caused Moore to commit the murders.<ref name="GameSpot Moore1" /> Thompson removed himself from the case Strickland v. Sony in November 2005<ref name="GameSpot Moore2" /> after being scrutinised by the judge for unprofessional conduct.<ref name="GameSpot Moore3" /> In March 2006, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the defendants to dismiss the case.<ref name="GameSpot Moore4" />

In September 2006, Thompson brought another $600 million lawsuit against Cody Posey, Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, and Sony Computer Entertainment.<ref name="Engadget Posey" /><ref name="Tribune Posey" /> The lawsuit claimed that 14-year-old Posey played the game obsessively before murdering his father, stepmother, and stepsister on a ranch in Hondo, New Mexico.<ref name="GameSpot Posey" /> Posey's defence team argued that he was abused by his father<ref name="GamePolitics Posey" /> and was taking Sertraline at the time of the killings.<ref name="CourtTV Posey" /> The suit alleged that the murders would not have taken place if Posey had not obsessively played Vice City.<ref name="ABQJournal Posey" /> The case was dismissed in December 2007, as New Mexico held no jurisdiction over Sony or Take-Two.<ref name="GamePolitics Posey2" />

In July 2017, the Psychic Readers Network (PRN) sued Rockstar over the character named Auntie Poulet, alleging similarities between the character and Youree Harris, who voiced the character.<ref name="Eurogamer Poulet" /> Brandon J. Huffman, a lawyer for Odin Law and Media, noted that PRN's lawsuit faced challenges due to the timing of the lawsuit, as the Eleventh Circuit's statute of limitations for copyright infringement is three years; the lawsuit was filed almost 15 years after the game's release. Huffman added that Take-Two could also claim parody or settle out of court, but that it was unlikely to do either initially.<ref name="Mashable Poulet" />

Legacy

Mike Snider of USA Today wrote that Vice City "raised the bar for video games", citing its interactivity, violence, and soundtrack.<ref name="USA Today" /> KotakuTemplate:'s Luke Plunkett and PC MagazineTemplate:'s Jeffrey L. Wilson both named Vice City the best game in the series, with the former naming it the "perfect Grand Theft Auto experience".<ref name="Kotaku Best" /><ref name="PCMag Best" /> The readers of Official UK PlayStation Magazine named Vice City the fourth-greatest PlayStation title ever released.<ref name="OPM Best" /> In 2006 Vice City appeared on Japanese magazine FamitsuTemplate:'s readers' list of top 100 games; it was one of the only Western titles on the list.<ref name="Famitsu 100" /> Art director Aaron Garbut felt that, alongside its predecessor Grand Theft Auto III and successor San Andreas, Vice City led the trend of open world games.<ref name="Crave" /> A new rendition of Vice City is set to return in Grand Theft Auto VI (2026).<ref name="Verge GTA VI"/>

Ports

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released for Windows on 13 May 2003 in North America and 16 May in Europe,<ref name="Date PC"/> supporting higher screen resolutions and draw distance, and featuring more detailed textures.<ref name="PC" /> Vice City was bundled with Grand Theft Auto III in a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack, released on the Xbox on 4 November 2003 in North America<ref name="Date Xbox NA"/> and 2 January 2004 in Europe.<ref name="Date Xbox EU"/> The Xbox version featured a custom soundtrack support as well as improved audio, polygon models, and reflections over the previous ports.<ref name="Xbox" /> Double Pack was later bundled with San Andreas in a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, released in October 2005.<ref name="Trilogy"/> Analysts believed that the game would eventually release on GameCube,<ref name="GameCube"/> though it never materialised.<ref name="GameCube 2"/> The Trilogy was also released for OS X on 12 November 2010.<ref name="Mac" />

For its tenth anniversary in 2012, Vice City was ported to mobile devices by War Drum Studios, building on the Windows version with enhanced visuals and a customisable layout.<ref name="Mobile Announce" /> It was released for iOS devices on 6 December,<ref name="iOS Release" /> for Android on 12 December following a delay due to technical issues,<ref name="Android Release" /> and for Fire OS on 15 May 2014.<ref name="Fire OS" /> An emulated version of Vice City was released on the PlayStation 3 on 30 January 2013 via the PlayStation Network's PS2 Classics;<ref name="PS3" /> another emulated version was released for the PlayStation 4 on 5 December 2015, upscaled to 1080p and with support for Trophies.<ref name="PS4" /> A remastered version of The Trilogy, subtitled The Definitive Edition, was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 11 November 2021,<ref name="Definitive Edition"/> and for Android and iOS on 14 December 2023.<ref name="Definitive Edition 3"/> The original game was removed from digital retailers in preparation for The Definitive Edition,<ref name="Definitive Edition"/> but later restored as a bundle on the Rockstar Store.<ref name="Definitive Edition 2"/>

A core team of six fans reverse-engineered the game and released it as an executable in December 2020, having worked on it since May; titled reVC, the project allows the game to be unofficially ported to platforms such as the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U.<ref name="reVC Eurogamer" /><ref name="reVC GameSpot" /> Take-Two issued a DMCA takedown for the project in February 2021.<ref name="reVC Eurogamer DMCA" /> In April, Theo, a New Zealand-based developer who maintained a fork of the source code, filed a counter-notice on GitHub, claiming that the code does not contain any original work owned by Take-Two; per DMCA rules regarding disputes, Theo's content was restored after two weeks.<ref name="reVC Kotaku" /> On 10 June 2021, the team behind reVC filed a counter-notice; per DMCA rules regarding disputes, the source code was restored after two weeks.<ref name="reVC Eurogamer DMCA 2" /> In September 2021, Take-Two filed a lawsuit in California against the programmers, asserting that the projects constitute copyright infringement.<ref name="reVC Lawsuit" />

A team of Russian modders released an unofficial port of the game to Grand Theft Auto IVTemplate:'s engine in January 2025, aiming to address perceived issues with The Definitive Edition.<ref name="NGE TE"/><ref name="NGE TheGamer"/> A DMCA complaint by Take-Two resulted in the deletion of the mod's trailer and YouTube channel, though some journalists noted the 2022 decree protecting Russian companies from copyright enforcement by Western firms (as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine) may shield the mod and team from legal action by Take-Two.<ref name="NGE GamesRadar 1"/><ref name="NGE GamesRadar 2"/> Vice CityTemplate:'s technical director, Obbe Vermeij, defended Take-Two's decision, opining that the mod "directly competes" with The Definitive Edition, though he acknowledged the takedown "would be easier to swallow if [Rockstar] produced competent re-masters".<ref name="NGE GamesRadar 3"/>

References

Sources

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External links

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