Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Main Theme

 

“

Not only is this the greatest game on PSP, it also leaves a large percentage of the PS2 back catalogue looking ordinary. Buy it right now.

”

— Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK.

Type	GAME
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Developer(s)	Rockstar Leeds
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Producer(s)	Leslie Benzies
Writer(s)	Dan Houser David Bland
Composer(s)	Stuart Hart Steven Stern Thomas Hirschmann
Platform(s)	PlayStation Portable PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3
Rating(s)	ESRB: M BBFC: 18 PEGI: 18+ OFLC (AU): MA 15+ OFLC (NZ): R18 USK: 16+ CERO: Z
Release Information
PlayStation Portable	31st October 2006 3rd November 2006 10th November 2006 10th November 2006 6th December 2007
PlayStation 2	6th March 2007 9th March 2007 9th March 2007 6th December 2007
PlayStation 3	April 2, 2013
Technical Information
Engine	Rockstar Leeds 3D Engine (derived from RenderWare)
Supported Languages(Subtitles)	English French Italian German Spanish Japanese [LOC]
Setting
Protagonist(s)	Victor Vance
Location(s)	Vice City, Florida
Timeline	1984
Universe	3D Universe
Release timeline
Preceded by	Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (October 24, 2005)
Succeeded by	Grand Theft Auto IV (April 29, 2008)

Grand Theft Auto series chronology of events

2D Universe

1961 – London 1961

1969 – London 1969

3D Universe

1984 – Vice City Stories

1986 – Vice City

1992 – San Andreas

2D Universe

1997 – Grand Theft Auto

3D Universe

1998 – Liberty City Stories

2D Universe

1999 – Grand Theft Auto 2 (possibly)

3D Universe

2000 – Advance

2001 – Grand Theft Auto III

HD Universe

2008 – Grand Theft Auto IV

2008 – The Lost and Damned

2008 – The Ballad of Gay Tony

2009 – Chinatown Wars

2D Universe

2013 – Grand Theft Auto 2 (possibly)

HD Universe

2013–present – Grand Theft Auto Online

2013 – Grand Theft Auto V

? – Grand Theft Auto VI

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was an exclusive game for the PlayStation Portable. Because of its success, it was later released on the PlayStation 2 console. It is the second Grand Theft Auto game to appear on the handheld console as well as the sixth and final game (but first chronologically) of the 3D Universe. The game was developed by Rockstar Leeds, and published and released by Rockstar Games.

Take-Two Interactive originally announced the title was to be released in North America on October 17, 2006 and in Europe on October 20, but early in September, there was an announcement stating the game had been delayed for release until October 31 in North America and November 3 in Europe. It had also announced that the game will be released on November 10, 2006 in Australia. The suggested retail price in the United States is $49.99, and £34.99 in the UK.

On February 7, 2007 Rockstar Games announced plans for a PlayStation 2 release. The release dates were March 6, 2007 for North America and March 9, 2007 for Europe. The game retails for £19.99 in the UK and $19.99 in the US.

It was released on PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network on April 2, 2013.

Story

• Missions

GTA VCS' protagonist, Vic Vance

"Vice City, 1984. Opportunity abounds in a city emerging from the swamps, its growth fueled by a violent power struggle in a lucrative drug trade. Construction is everywhere as a shining metropolis rises from foundations of crime and betrayal.

As a soldier, Vic Vance has always protected his dysfunctional family, his country, himself.

One bad decision later and that job is about to get much harder. Kicked out onto the streets between glamour and gluttony, Vic is faced with a stark choice...build an empire or be crushed." - Game's Description

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 goes on to betray Tommy Vercetti in 1986. Victor briefly appears in GTA Vice City in the opening cut scene , in which he is killed during a drug deal gone wrong.

Victor "Vic" Vance, the protagonist, is a U.S. Army soldier whose sergeant, Jerry Martinez, gets him involved in drug trafficking, which is strictly against Vic's morals. Soon Vic is dishonorably discharged for the drugs found in his room and bringing a prostitute to the barracks, both of which were intended for Martinez. Vic works for Phil Cassidy, who is also featured in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Phil's brother-in-law, Marty Williams, abuses his wife Louise and their baby Mary-Beth. After Marty kidnaps Louise, Vic kills him and begins a relationship with her, then shortly after, Victor takes over Marty's Empire.

Soon after, Vic's brother, Lance Vance comes into town to join him on his quest to take over Vice City to get the money for their brother's asthma medications. Together they steal Martinez's cocaine, but tensions arise between the brothers after Vic finds out that Lance and Louise used it for themselves. They find out that Martinez was only transporting the drugs for the Mendez Brothers. Lance and Vic are forced to work with the Mendez Brothers, only to be betrayed, soon after doing a few jobs for them. The Mendez Brothers then kidnap Louise sometime after Vic protects and saves Phil Collins' concert from the Forelli Family, and he and Lance rush to the rescue, Lance gets captured by Armando Mendez and Vic fights his way to the underground room of the Mendez Mansion, and Vic kills Armando while he is trying to kill Vic with a Flamethrower. Vic is too late to save Louise, although Lance lives. With help from Phil Cassidy and Ricardo Diaz, Vic manages to steal an army helicopter (The Hunter), and he then guns down some of Diego Mendez's Goons with it, and lands to continue his killing spree on top of the Mendez Building. Finally there is a confrontation on the top of a building, which ends when Vic kills Diego and Martinez, who had arrived in a helicopter when Vic was halfway from reaching Diego. Lance arrives to help Vic, but turns up late, and together they agree never to touch drugs again. The Vance Brothers then get in Lance's Helicopter and leave Vice City to send Pete the money for his asthma medications.

Characters

See Characters in GTA Vice City Stories

Vice City Stories contains many of the characters (and voice actors) from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, including Phil (Gary Busey), Ricardo Diaz (Luis Guzman), Lance Vance (Philip Michael Thomas) and Umberto Robina (Danny Trejo) 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 Mendez Brothers Gang, and the Stallionz

Vice City in 1984

Similar to Liberty City in 1998 compared to 2001, Vice City has many differences including a ferris wheel in the location where Avery Carrington's construction site is. There is also a warehouse that doesn't exist in GTA VC though the fate is explained in the game. The Mendez Building and Empire Buildings don't exist. Diaz's Mansion (later the Vercetti Estate) is only partially finished. The Mendez Mansion is newer and still resided in, although the fate of the mansion is explained in the game. Phil Cassidy runs business in Viceport instead of Downtown Vice City. InterGlobal Studios is owned by future Flashback FM DJ Reni Wassulmaier instead of Steve Scott, but the reason why this is explained later in the game. A Trailer Park that is absent in GTA VC and is replaced by a bigger Sunshine Autos near Escobar International Airport.

Gameplay

GTA 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 (an ability last available in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), 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. (However, completion of a certain number of missions is required in order to access approximately half of the play area, although it's possible to circumvent this with cheat codes). When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam and create havoc (e.g. Drive-By Shooting, 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 Vice City national guard 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 plays lifeguard on Vice City's beach, saving citizen's lives or dispatching local gangs. One improvement to the PS2 controls with regards to many of these side missions is that exiting a vehicle (accidentally or intentionally) usually does not fail a sub-mission anymore, allowing easier replacement of damaged vehicles, or re-entering a vehicle if the exit was due to hitting the wrong button.

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.

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. Also new to the series are icons scattered around the city that allow Vic to purchase vehicles. For example, a bulletproof Sanchez is available at the first safehouse(only in the PS2 version).

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". Also, extras that have been discovered (Red Balloons, Rampages and the Unique Stunt Jumps) appear on the in-game map. Trip skips also return. However, functions such as eating and exercise and skill-level increases, last seen in GTA: San Andreas, remain absent. The game also reintroduces strip club interiors (absent in Liberty City Stories), albeit in a non-interactive form and depending on what Empire Building options the player chooses.

Improvements to the graphics since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories include new animations, faster load times (although a load screen is still displayed when travelling between the two major islands), a further draw distance, reductions in clumping of pedestrians and vehicles, more complex and realistic explosions, and increases in the density of objects, vehicles, and NPCs.

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

Soundtrack

See: Radio Stations in GTA Vice City Stories

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. Most of the station remain the same as in the settings of Vice City (1986). But the radio stations Fever 105 and Wildstyle are replaced with Fresh 105 and Paradise FM. Also the talk show, K-CHAT doesn't exist in 1984.

Vehicles

Sports and Muscle Cars	Two-Door and Hatchbacks	Four-Door Sedans and Saloons	SUVs, Pickups, and Vans	Commercial/Industrial	Gang
Banshee Cheetah Cholo Sabre Comet Deluxo Infernus Phoenix Polaris V8 Sabre Sabre Turbo Stinger	Blista Compact Cuban Hermes Hermes Idaho Manana Stallion Virgo Voodoo	Admiral Esperanto Glendale Greenwood Oceanic Perennial Regina Sentinel Sentinel XS Stretch Washington	Bobcat Burrito Gang Rancher Landstalker Mesa Grande Moonbeam Patriot Sandking Walton	Benson Boxville Bulldozer Flatbed Forklift Linerunner Mr. Whoopee Mule Pony Rumpo Yankee	Biker Angel Cholo Sabre Cuban Hermes Gang Rancher
Government/Emergency	Public Service	Bikes	Boats	Aircraft	Misc./Fun
Ambulance Barracks OL Enforcer FBI Rancher FBI Washington Fire Truck Hunter Rhino VCPD Cruiser VCPD Cheetah	Cabbie Coach Securicar Taxi Trashmaster	Biker Angel BMX Faggio Freeway PCJ-600 Quad Sanchez Streetfighter VCPD Wintergreen Ventoso Wintergreen	Bovver '64 Coast Guard Dinghy Jet Ski Jetmax Marquis Predator Reefer Rio Speeder Squalo Tropic Violator Yola	Air Ambulance Armadillo Biplane Hunter Little Willie Maverick Sea Sparrow Skimmer Sparrow VCPD Maverick	Baggage Handler BF Injection Bovver '64 Caddy Domestobot Splitz-6 ATV

Gangs

• Cholos (wiped out)
• Trailer Park Mafia (wiped out)
• Cubans
• Forelli Family
• Bikers
• Sharks
• Mendez Cartel (wiped out)
• Diaz's gang
• White Stallionz (wiped out)
• Vance Crime Family
• Gonzales Syndicate
• Leaf Link Golfers

Weapons

See Weapons in GTA Vice City Stories

The weapons in Vice City Stories are set to fit the time the game is set on. For instance, the Tec-9 is replaced with a Scorpion and the rocket launcher has the look of an M72 LAW. The M4 is switched to the look of a M16 as there were no M4's during 1984. The main pistol in the game was changed to the Beretta 92. Most of the other weapons are the same as the one's from Vice City, San Andreas and Liberty City Stories, while the Python now has a scope, though it's not functional. It is unusual that GTA Vice City Stories has the AK-47 whereas GTA Vice City has the Ruger. Note that the AK-47 was designed and manufactured in 1946. The machine gun in the game was a M249, where as in Vice City the M-60 was used. The Sniper Rifle now has the look of a Springfield M12 while the Laser Sniper is based on a Dragunov.

Safehouses

• see Safehouses in GTA Vice City Stories

Location

Full article: Vice City (3D Universe)

The game is set in Vice City, similar to GTA: Vice City but with some minor alterations due to it being set two years before.

Tips & Tricks

• The Helicopter Sniping Trick
• Never Stop Running
• Go to the second island without mission From Zero To Hero

Sound effect differences

There are some sound effect differences between the PSP and PS2 version. The PSP version still reuse the sound effect schemes of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, but in PS2 version, there are some differences compared to the PSP version.

The list below are some of the sound effect differences in the PS2 version:

• Some of the vehicles has their engine sounds are higher in pitch, especially for low-grade cars, motorcycles and SUVs.
• Grenades and rocket launcher has a same explosion sound as the vehicle explosion.
• The Stubby Shotgun emits a same sound as the SPAS-12 shotgun.

Trivia

• GTA Vice City Stories is the only GTA game after Rockstar's purchase of DMA Design not to be developed by Rockstar North.
• In GTA Vice City Stories, Victor Vance's voice is one of an average American, but in GTA Vice City, Victor speaks with a thick Colombian accent.
• Like its sequel, the look and feel of Vice City in the game is influenced by the atmosphere of the 1980s series Miami Vice. Philip Michael Thomas, who provides the voice of Lance, co-starred in that iconic series.
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, along with Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, and Grand Theft Auto 2 are the only GTA games to feature or show Liberty City (although a pedestrian in the game mentions something about Liberty City in Spanish).
• GTA VCS is the only 3D Universe game to feature swimming, police bikes, motor officers, planes, and the ability to recruit a gang (along with GTA San Andreas).
• GTA VCS is the last game in the GTA III era. Grand Theft Auto IV and every game after features a new era.
• This is the farthest set-back game in the GTA III era, taking place in 1984.
• This is the third 3D Universe game not to feature a former or would-be playable character. Others include GTA Liberty City Stories and GTA Advance.
• This is the only GTA game that lets one play as a character (Victor Vance), even though he has been killed in a previous game (Victor Vance was killed in a drug deal in the opening of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City). However, VCS is chronologically right before VC, and Victor was unnamed in the latter game.
• This is the last GTA game to be released on a sixth generation console (e.g., the PlayStation 2).
• This game and The Lost and Damned are the only games after Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that do not use the word 'cunt'.
• The "disappearing vehicle" glitch - in which a car driven to a mission trigger point disappears after the cutscene - is at its worst in VCS. Not only do vehicles almost always vanish after the mission cutscenes (often because Victor is required to use vehicles provided for a mission), but they also vanish if the player saves his game in a safehouse with a vehicle parked outside, even if Victor immediately goes back outside (in previous games the last vehicle driven by the player remains parked outside the safehouse after a save as long as the console isn't reset or a game reloaded).
• One new feature of VCS is that the player can receive a small cash bonus for being a good Samaritan and rescuing pedestrians being attacked by enemy gang members. (However protecting a pedestrian against attack by a police officer results in a Wanted Level.)
• Singer Phil Collins appears as himself in the game, becoming the first celebrity (other than radio host Lazlow) to play himself in a GTA game.
• The PS2 port version of the game has a number of improvements over the original PSP version of the game including enhanced graphics, new activities and a new Easter Egg. 
• The PS2 version was made one year later in 2007, however in the screen title it says 2006, it is unknown if this was intentional or just an error/developer oversight, possibly because the PS2 version was copied right from the PSP version.
• This is the only 3D Universe game to feature checkpoints. Episodes from Liberty City and Grand Theft Auto V would continue this idea, the Grand Theft Auto IV missions Out of Commission and A Revenger's Tragedy are the only missions that feature a single checkpoint in all of the HD Universe.
• All prostitutes in the game have the same model, but different clothing.
• Compared to its chronological sequel, Vice City seems to be much more chaotic and crime-riddled.
• The HUD is similar to the HUD from GTA LCS. Interestingly, both these games have the name of the city featured and "Stories" at the end, as they tell past stories of the first two games of the 3D Universe.
• This is the last game of the entire GTA series to be set in the 20th century.

Trailers

File:GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer 1

File:GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer 2

File:GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer 3

File:GTA Vice City Stories Official Trailer (PS2)

External Links

Wikipedia has an article on: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

• Official Website
• GTAPSP
• GTAViceCityStories.com
• GTAVCS.net
• GTAVice.com
• Gta Vice City indir
• GTA San Andreas indir