Please note that this "review" isn't necessarily about the remaster effort. I think the definitive edition is fine, the game looks quite appealing most of the time and I didn't run to any game breaking bugs. I also appreciate the quality of life improvements, like the new driveby controls. I do miss the hazy look that the OG game has.
This game holds up quite well, especially compared to GTA III that came not long before it. The missions are quite varied, and while the classic GTA chaos is still out in force, the game doesn't ruin your moment as often as it did in III, resulting in a less frustrating experience overall. The gunplay is barely functional, as is the case with the other PS2-era GTA games, but it's not detrimental enough to the game's fun factor. Also, the handling of most vehicles can be slippery and unruly as heck. All of this feeds to the aforementioned chaos, as the game's system of AIs and scripted events can really throw you off in many missions, leading into intermittent spikes of intense action, for better and worse.
Vice City is perhaps the most fun GTA city to be in. The late 80s Miami-inspired vibes is sublime. I will never forget the first time I played this game, and driving on the neon-soaked street on my way to Ocean View Hotel, as the beach across me welcomes a newcomer to its midst with a gentle, hazy stare. The city's atmosphere is still unmatched by 99% of other video game open world city. Plus, the radio stations here has some of the best music selections of any GTA.
I can't say I enjoyed the main story/plot since it kinda loses track of itself early on, but I do enjoy the more loose pace of the main story in the middle act, mostly because the game just lets you off the hook for a bit and tasks you to build your crime empire by buying out important assets, like a film studio or money counterfeiting factory. While not all of them have fun stories to get into, the ones that do are quite memorable. The film studio arc has some of my favorite missions in any GTA game. They would do this assets collecting mechanic again in San Andreas, but it never felt as impactful compared to its implementation here. Unlike VC, that game can be too big for its own good.
To close it out, I have a confession to make. I have started Vice City across 5 different gaming systems since about 16 years ago, and this is the end the road. It feels like closing a chapter of my life. I can't say that I regret taking so long to finish this, because I think this is actually the right time for me to finish it, and I just stumbled into it. Tommy Vercetti said that he lost 15 years of his life, waiting to be freed. Sorry it took me this long pal, at least nobody rules over you anymore.
This game holds up quite well, especially compared to GTA III that came not long before it. The missions are quite varied, and while the classic GTA chaos is still out in force, the game doesn't ruin your moment as often as it did in III, resulting in a less frustrating experience overall. The gunplay is barely functional, as is the case with the other PS2-era GTA games, but it's not detrimental enough to the game's fun factor. Also, the handling of most vehicles can be slippery and unruly as heck. All of this feeds to the aforementioned chaos, as the game's system of AIs and scripted events can really throw you off in many missions, leading into intermittent spikes of intense action, for better and worse.
Vice City is perhaps the most fun GTA city to be in. The late 80s Miami-inspired vibes is sublime. I will never forget the first time I played this game, and driving on the neon-soaked street on my way to Ocean View Hotel, as the beach across me welcomes a newcomer to its midst with a gentle, hazy stare. The city's atmosphere is still unmatched by 99% of other video game open world city. Plus, the radio stations here has some of the best music selections of any GTA.
I can't say I enjoyed the main story/plot since it kinda loses track of itself early on, but I do enjoy the more loose pace of the main story in the middle act, mostly because the game just lets you off the hook for a bit and tasks you to build your crime empire by buying out important assets, like a film studio or money counterfeiting factory. While not all of them have fun stories to get into, the ones that do are quite memorable. The film studio arc has some of my favorite missions in any GTA game. They would do this assets collecting mechanic again in San Andreas, but it never felt as impactful compared to its implementation here. Unlike VC, that game can be too big for its own good.
To close it out, I have a confession to make. I have started Vice City across 5 different gaming systems since about 16 years ago, and this is the end the road. It feels like closing a chapter of my life. I can't say that I regret taking so long to finish this, because I think this is actually the right time for me to finish it, and I just stumbled into it. Tommy Vercetti said that he lost 15 years of his life, waiting to be freed. Sorry it took me this long pal, at least nobody rules over you anymore.