Introduction
Video games are no longer considered trends, as they have evolved into a media giant. They have caused controversy, sales records, immense popularity and a never ending fan base. This in turn, makes them a hot commodity that is not going to slow down at any time in the near future. Every once and awhile a game comes along that bends the expectations of gamers and editors alike, by providing an experience of any other game but presents it with a fresh style. Last year one game broke those barriers in a way that no one could have ever expected. The effects of this games success created a shockwave of games with a purpose to achieve only one thing. What is that you ask? Well it is what we call innovation. Innovation is a term that describes a new take on an already established system. The games that have flooded store shelves in the last year have all been about innovation, something that has been missing from the video game world since the early days of the Nintendo 64 and the Playstation. Do you wish to know what game that was? Well it could be called Rockstar Games’s brainchild or better yet, its doorway to international success as a viable developing group. No matter how you put it, this game broke all the rules in the book. This game was called Grand Theft Auto 3. It became the most innovative game that the video game world had seen in a very long time. It featured a sense of freedom and scale that had only been seen in the realm of massive multiplayer online games that in turn, burnt a hole in the pockets of those who played them. Grand Theft Auto 3 parked itself at the top of the sales charts for many months and has only recently begun to slip from its throne. It is highly doubtful that anyone knew how much of a phenomenon that this game would become, and little did they know what would come next. It did not take long for word to spread of a possible follow-up to one of the greatest games of all time. It started out as rumor and not long after became fact. Rockstar Games decided to release the sequel very close to Grand Theft Auto 3’s release date and only a year later. Many had become skeptical that the game was being rushed out and might not reach the same quality as its predecessor and would become a simple cash in. As the release of the new game neared, many people began to speculate on what the game would contain and their thoughts were far fetched at best. Rockstar decided to take this new game to an era of parachute pants and rock and roll. That could only mean one thing; this game was being set in the 80’s. Reactions were quite solid and no one seemed to have a gripe except that some people were not children of the eighties and might not have understood the style of the game. Little did they know that this game’s setting only helped it and never in any way damaged the reputation of the series or its appeal. The sequel would be set in a new land and a new time and it would feature not only everything seen in Grand Theft Auto 3 but much more to top it all off. This game would be called, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Gameplay
One thing that definitely has to be mentioned is the outstanding voice work that this game has been provided with. The cast that Rockstar Games picked up is nothing short of great. Ray Liotta who was best known for his role in GoodFellas, heads the cast and stars as Tommy Vercetti. He is the heart of this cold blooded money hungry ego trip of a person. People like Dennis Hopper who recently was back into the spotlight as the evil imprisoned antagonist on the television series 24, makes a big impression on this game. Each cast member provides a personality to their character and most of the time their voices are unrecognizable. The script is believe it or not, quite larger than an average movie script yet each character doesn’t have giant roles. Ray Liotta seems to have had a lot of voice work to do as his voice is in abundance throughout the whole game. It should also be noted that there is no holding back on the dialogue as there will be plenty of expletives and some so over the top that no child should even be in the room while listening. Now it is time to address the audio presentation of this game. I mean with a soundtrack like this, who would not want to hear about it. The music is pulled right out of the 80’s and none of the songs chosen are mediocre. From Ozzy Osbourne to Motley Crew, these tracks are the best that the 80’s had to offer and it’s surprising to see how many songs that Rockstar gained rights to. Every song fits with a scene in a different way and it makes the games overall experience much grander. There are a few songs that did not impress and they happened to be the ones that were made up. The tracks recorded by Rockstar’s Love Fist are so out of place and mundane that they should not have made it into the final game. The game has several radio stations for the player to choose from and they even have simple talk shows which provide a lot of the game’s twisted humor. The DJs are the type of people that would normally belong in a state penitentiary, never to be released but they add a sense of freedom to the game. The commercials and ads are way over the top in this game; some are simply graphic while others will make many mouths collapse in awe. In the realm of sound effects this game is also top notch but not perfect mainly because the emphasis was most likely not on how it sounds when you are brutally pounding someone to the sound, although it helps. The weapon sounds are still great and the cars do sound like real automobiles. This all adds to the mood and tone of the game and it also helps that there is more variety in the overall sound setup this time.

Story
Vice City is an astonishing accomplishment in almost every way. It achieves what many games cannot and that is, to create a sequel that surpasses its predecessor in every possible way imaginable. This game shines in every area that and creates a mystery to how a game so good, could be made in such a short development period. The game follows the same basic setup that was used in Grand Theft Auto 3 and the control scheme is also practically the same, which makes the game very easy for GTA3 veterans to get used to. The game is grand in scope and is larger than Liberty City from GTA3. It seems that every area of the game has been polished so that it makes GTA3 bend to its knees. The games story follows a mobster named Tommy Vercetti, who has recently been released from jail. He moves to a warm city reminiscent of a place like Miami. This of course is Vice City. A land of opportunity and crime, lots of crime. The games plot is much more complex this time around and it features a main character that for once seems to have a reason to be breathing, mainly because Tommy talks and expresses his opinions and views. He is the main star of a large ensemble cast that is far better and more involved in the plot than in Grand Theft Auto 3. Each character has his or her own personality that will either make them a strong help or a person marked for death, mob style. The plot lines never feel out of place or bland and each mini plot has its own purpose that will contribute in its own way towards the climax of the game. You could call Tommy Vercetti many things possibly even a mole, since he seems to like playing both sides of the mafia field. There are plenty of plot twists and the script is significantly larger than the one in Grand Theft Auto 3. Many will notice Tommy to be quite ruthless and a person that could care less for everyone around him. He is also a person who never seems to have a care in the world, the kind of person that unwillingly leads death into his doorway. You can see from the beginning that he is a dead man walking. The plot is so intertwined you would swear that the game reaches in some way, the caliber of GoodFellas or The Godfather saga, but those are movies and of course, this is a game.

Graphics
The obvious next step in this review is the graphics and while at first sight the game might not seem too different from Grand Theft Auto 3, but the final presentation is much sharper. One big alteration is the setting of the game. The game takes place in a beach city that is strangled by many different forms of weather and heat. This is reflected by the type of clothing that the pedestrians are wearing. Expect to see quite a few bikini girls riding around with a walkman and roller skates. Variety is a factor in this installment that has been greatly improved. There are many different varieties of people walking the streets that range from businessmen to punk rock females. Some of these people are downright odd but all of them seem to fit the time period very well. The scope of the game is something that needs to be taken to heart. The games draw distance has been pushed farther back so that more of the environment is visible. This creates the perfect atmosphere for a city of this size. There are still some things that will simply appear out of nowhere but that has been kept to a minimum. The city is littered with mind blowing skyscrapers and impressive ocean views that will make the gamer feel as if this was a real location. The car models have been spiced up as well; they now have an excellent shine effect and even more damage spots. The indoor environments sometimes rival the outdoor locales mainly because there are so many details inside these buildings, they are pretty good representations of their real life counterparts. The biggest issue that loomed around the other game was that it had a stuttering framerate that was not always fast. Unfortunately it has not been fixed as well as it could have been but it has been cleaned up enough to make the game a more enjoyable experience. The one thing that could have been done better was the games textures. Some of the textures are so blurry when looked at up close that it simply looks like a mesh of color from a paint program. It does not affect the game in any negative way but it could have been much better. The graphics of Vice City will make even the toughest of critics to their knees.

Sound
The moment that you have all been waiting for is here, the time to glorify the pure excellence of the gameplay. Well its not enough to start a religion over, but it is good enough for some people to lose all their friends and stay up seven night straight drinking nothing but soda and possibly not even stopping for bathroom breaks. Yes, the gameplay in Vice City can have that effect on certain gamers who take gaming very seriously. Unfortunately for them, seven days is nowhere near enough time to finish this game. It is only enough time to taste the beginning. The gameplay in this game is so diverse and so innovative that the dictionary will add another meaning to the word just for this game. From the moment you pick up the controller to the minute you put it down, you will be in complete and utter contentment. The games emphasis on car jacking is what drew the main core fan base in the first game and Vice City doesn’t need that reputation to sell discs. Word of mouth will take this game far and there is no reason why it shouldn’t end up as the best selling game of all time.

Conclusion
In the end, Vice City is everything a fan could want and it is also a parent’s worse nightmare. Please be cautioned that this game is intended for mature gamers simply because this game allows you to assume the role of a cold blooded killer and even though you may not believe it, there are some people who take these things a little too seriously and may foolishly attempt these actions. I would never sell this game to anyone under eighteen without parental consent and presence at the time of the purchase. This game is overall one of the best games of 2002 and it is definitely going to win a spot in the minds of all hardcore gamers. If you buy this game, your purchase will not be in vain and you will feel you made the right decision.