Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
	Official Vice City Stories cover art
Developer(s)	Rockstar Leeds; Rockstar North
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Platform(s)	PlayStation Portable
Release	NA: October 31, 2006; ; UK: November 03, 2006; ; EU: November 10, 2006; ; AU: November 10, 2006;
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player; Multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is the latest installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North, published by Rockstar Games exclusively for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It is a prequel to the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and successor to the previous PSP release, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Take-Two Interactive originally announced the title was to be released in North America on October 17, 2006 and in Europe on October 20, 2006, but early in September, there was an announcement stating the game had been delayed for release until October 31 in North America. It has also announced that the game will be released on 10 November 2006 in Australia. Moreover, in Europe the game has suffered another delay, from November 3, 2006, to November 10, 2006, just like in Australia (However the UK still recieved copies on the 3rd). The suggested retail price in the United States is $49.99, £34.99 in the UK, and 49.99€ in Europe (€ Zone). Rockstar announced that they currently have "no plans" to release a port of the game for the PS2.

Characters

Like previous GTA games, Vice City Stories features notable voice actors. Gary Busey, Luis Guzman, Philip Michael Thomas, and Danny Trejo reprise their roles as Phil, Ricardo Diaz, Lance Vance, and Umberto Robina, respectively, which they previously played in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Phil Collins also makes a cameo as himself, making him the first famed musician to ever appear in a Grand Theft Auto game. Also, several cast and crew members of The Opie and Anthony Show were recorded and used as voices of several minor characters.

In addition to the gangs previously featured in Vice City, new gangs make a debut in this game: the Trailer Park Mafia, the Cholos, the Sharks, the Mendez Brothers and the Stallionz.

Story

Vice City Stories marks the series' return to Vice City, with the game taking place in 1984, roughly two years before the events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game focuses around Victor Vance, the brother of Lance Vance, who was featured in the beginning of Vice City.

In Vice City Stories, the brothers find themselves falling on hard times. Victor is a 28 year old U.S Army soldier who has been kicked out of the service, while Lance is a drug addicted wreck. They decide to take action and try to make names for themselves. The game profiles the siblings' attempts to take over Vice City.

Gameplay

Vice City Stories is structured similarly to other releases from the Grand Theft Auto series. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, affording the player a large, open environment to move around in. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming and jumping, as well as utilizing weapons and basic hand to hand combat. Players can steal and drive a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, airplanes, helicopters, and motorcycles.

The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain areas and content, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam and create havoc (e.g. drive-by shootings, robberies, etc). However, doing so can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities. The more chaos caused, the stronger the response: police will handle minor infractions, whereas SWAT teams, the FBI, and the military respond to higher wanted levels.

The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions. The traditional side missions of the past games are included, such as dropping off taxi cab passengers, putting out fires, driving injured people to the hospital, and fighting crime as a vigilante. A new addition to the game is "Beach Patrol", in which Victor must deal with bikers on the beach by jeep(by ramming or shooting to knock them off their bikes) or throwing life preservers to drowning swimmers by boat

For Vice City Stories, the combat system was overhauled to feature more depth than ever before. The targeting mechanic has been tweaked to "intelligently target"; enemies posing a threat or attacking the player will be targeted over pedestrians. The biggest changes concern the hand-to-hand combat system, as players can now perform grappling moves and throws, and stand on top of enemies laying on the ground.

For the first time in a Grand Theft Auto game, players are able to bribe policemen or hospital staff when "Wasted" or "Busted" in order to keep weapons that ordinarily would have been lost.

The standard hidden package system returns in the form of 99 red balloons scattered around the city. This is a reference to Nena's 1980s hit, "99 Luftballons". Trip skips also return.

Improvements to the graphics since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories include new animations, faster load times, a further draw distance, reductions in clumping of pedestrians and vehicles, more complex explosions, and increases in the density of objects, vehicles, and NPCs.

Empire building

One of the key gameplay elements in Vice City Stories is "empire building." New to the GTA series, it borrows a few ideas from Vice City's "properties" and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' "gang wars" systems. In order to make money, the player must open and operate various businesses on property taken over from enemy gangs.

To initiate an attack on another gang's territory, the player must destroy the gang car parked outside. Attacks on buildings require combat both indoor and outdoor. If the player is able to successfully eradicate the rival business and gang members and damage the building, it will then go up for sale. The player can then purchase the property and set up one of six businesses at the site. These include protection racket, loan sharks, prostitution, drugs, smuggling, and robbery . The location of a territory in the city will determine the business' success. For example, a smuggling business will perform better when located near the docks or airport than it would if in a residential district. It is stated in the game that construction on a business will require two in-game days before completion, but in practice this is not the case. Once a business has opened, it will be able to earn the player money and act as a save point.

The businesses themselves will be split into three categories - low, middle and high, each of which will require an increased amount of investment to provide staff and resources. Different businesses cost different amounts, and the more expensive the business the more it returns. It is possible for a business to be attacked by rivals, sometimes the past occupants, the more businesses that you take over, the more they will dislike you, and the more they will attack. If you fail to defend your business, it will suffer damage(which can occur by not reaching it in time.) Saving, or starting another mission will cause the attack to end. On the other hand if you are wasted while defending your business no damage will occur. Once you have taken over all the rival gangs businesses they will stop attacking. The player can hire gang members to help protect the business. Employees can be recruited in a similar way that gang members are recruited in San Andreas.

Business	Small Time (cost, return)	Medium Venture (cost, return)	High-Roller (cost, return)
Protection Racket	$1500	$2900	$4400, $300
Loan Shark	$2000	$3900	$5800, $600
Prostitution	$3000	$5900	$8800, $800
Drugs	$4500	$8900	$13300, $1000
Smuggling	$5000	$9900	$14800, $1200
Robbery	$6000	$11900	$17800, $1400

All returns are based on no missions being completed for that type of business.

Multiplayer

Like the game's predecessor, Vice City Stories features a multiplayer mode that can be played via WiFi. Ten different modes of play are offered, and these multiplayer games will incorporate use of automobiles, aircraft, and water-based vehicles. The multiplayer modes are as follows: [1]

Vice City Survivor - a regular deathmatch mode which you can play as a free for all or in teams.
Street Rage- A standard street racing mode, with a sub-mode known as the "Quadathon", much like a triathalon but with 4 forms of transport; bike, car, sand buggy and helicopter.
Taken for a Ride - This mode is most similar to Capture the Flag in other multiplayer games. You have to steal the opposing team's car and return it to your base. The team with the most cars captured when the time runs out is the winner
Protection Racket - A team based, conquest style game. When you start out you'll either be attacking or defending. If you're defending you'll have to prevent four vehicles inside your base from being destroyed and if you're attacking you'll have to take out the opposition's cars. The quickest assault on the base wins.
Tanks for the Memories - There's one tank somewhere on the map. The team that spends the most time inside the tank is the winner but it's not all that simple - the opposition will carry heavy weaponry in order to take the tank out, like the game's new Rocket Launcher.
Grand Theft Auto - A simple steal cars, sell cars mode. You'll have to grab specific vehicles off the street and return them to a location. The better condition the car is in when you deliver it, the more cash you'll receive. The winner is the player with the most money at the end of a given time
Hit List - One player in the game is designated as "The Mark" and they must stay alive for as long as possible with every other player in the game chasing after them. However, the Mark cannot see other players on the radar (unless they are in a certain range) nor can they stay in any vehicle for a length of time (it will explode after a period). Killing the mark results in someone else taking on that role. The winner is the player who stays alive as The Mark for the longest.
Empire Takedown - Two teams, each with their own building or site. There's one set of explosives located somewhere on the level and the aim is to be the first team to grab them and deploy them at the opposing team's site. Once you're successful in rigging their building up to blow you'll have to prevent the other team from defusing the bombs while a timer counts down. When the timer reaches zero the building will explode and the winner will be declared.
Might of the Hunter - Very similar to Tanks for the Memories but the aim is to score the most kills and there's a Hunter (aka the "Army" helicopter) rather than a tank. Once again players will be equipped with heavy weaponry.
V.I.P. R.I.P. - Two teams - attackers and defenders and one player on the defenders' team is the VIP. The VIP must collect five briefcases, one at a time (when one is picked up another will spawn somewhere else) and then make their way to the escape point. While this is happening the attackers must try to kill the VIP. If the VIP escapes, the defending team wins but if the VIP is killed the attackers will win.

Bugs

There are a number of bugs in the game.

Can't exit plane - When flying an airplane the player can land it upside down, which doesn't destroy it, but stops them from exiting the plane. It does move very slowly, but it can take a considerable amount of time to move to an area such as water which will destory the plane thus releasing the player. ^{[citation needed]}
Black hole garages - Vehicles stored in garages can disappear without a trace rather than being retained for reuse. ^{[citation needed]}
Quick Completetion On Building Business - When a business is being built or repaired it should complete after two days, yet this will happen much more quickly, sometimes moving a few blocks away will complete this. ^{[citation needed]}

There have been serious complaints of how Rockstar has rushed Vice City Stories onto shelves, as the texturing, even while going slowly, seems to disappear. Also, the radio will sometimes change the station after a cutscene or just blank out for a random amount of time. In addition, FBI cars seem to change color from white to black (or vice versa) during pursuits, most often when changing camera angles. The game, to some, is too glitchy, while some think that the other features make up the difference.

Soundtrack

Like all other releases from the Grand Theft Auto series, Vice City Stories' soundtrack plays an integral role in setting the game's atmosphere. It features 9 different radio stations that play over 100 licensed songs from the 1980s.

Another way to listen to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories with your favourite music is downloading the "EAC" (Rockstar Custom Tracks), and copy some tracks from an Audio CD. For more information visit a forum: GameSpot

External links

Official sites

Fansites

Game resources

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories at IMDb
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories at StrategyWiki