Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came out in 2002 and has players play through a parody of Miami — Vice City. It stars Tommy Vercetti, a member of the Forelli Crime Family, as he is sent to Florida to take part in a drug deal. After an ambush, Tommy sets up his own criminal empire, angering his former friend and boss.
Vice City took place in the 1980s and had the first voiced protagonist of the series. With the many other games in the series and the time since release, there are a few features that make the game timeless and a few features that aged poorly.
10 Timeless - Soundtrack
Vice City takes place in the late 1980s, so it should be expected that a majority of the music comes from the 80s. The game also has a majority of licensed songs, with only 5 originally made songs. This is different from past games, which relied on original creations.
Famous songs from Michael Jackson and Hall and Oates make an appearance in the game. While players might have already known a few of the songs, they probably found a few new favorite songs because of Vice City.
9 Aged Poorly - Cannot Swim
Tommy is one of the protagonists in the Grand Theft Auto series who cannot swim. With some missions taking place with boats, it can be frustrating to fall into the water and die. The beach makes it seem like the player should have the option to swim.
While it is not necessary for the player to swim, every game after in the series — except Liberty City Stories — gives the player the ability to swim. With the awkward controls, players are likely to fall into the water and lose all of their weapons.
8 Timeless - Easter Eggs
Vice City has some very interesting Easter eggs, one of which includes a literal Easter egg. There are also numerous Easter eggs that can be found in the water — something swimming would make easier to see. There are references to the mafia, with a man in cements shoes being found off the shore.
A submarine can also be spotted off the coast of Vice City near the North Point Mall. Probably the most humorous -- there is a picture of Ronald Reagan shooting Mikhail Gorbachev behind the walls of an Ammu-Nation.
7 Aged Poorly - Graphics
It should be expected that a game from 2002 does not have the best graphics anymore. Vice City is no exception, it does not stand up when looking at other games. Despite this, it is still a very fun game to play. Even with the game being remastered for newer consoles, the game still does not have the best graphics.
6 Timeless - Remastered
Unlike San Andreas, Vice City was rereleased for the PlayStation 4 only. It was released in December of 2015 and offered the game on a newer console. It also offered trophies for the game, giving players an extra reason to complete the side missions. On top of that, Vice City was released as a mobile game in 2012 for the game's 10th anniversary.
5 Aged Poorly - Save Points
Newer games probably spoiled players by having automatic saving or an option to save in the menu. Not Vice City. After a few missions, players will need to go to their safehouse in order to save the game. That means if the game crashes or glitches after completing a few missions, the player can lose all of that progress.
At least players were able to purchase numerous safehouses, making it easier to find a spot to save. This meant the player no longer had to drive across the map in order to find a place to save the game.
4 Timeless - Referenced In Driv3r
It is also good when your game is referenced by others. Driv3r makes a reference to Vice City, making fun of the protagonist Tommy Vercetti. The parody is named Timmy Vermicelli, wearing arm floats and a Hawaiian shirt. There are ten Timmies in each city the player can find, killing them gives the player bonuses.
3 Aged Poorly - Gang Name Controversy
Members of the Cuban and Haitian communities in Miami had a problem with Vice City's depiction of the groups. In the third version of the game, all references to the Cuban and Haitian people were removed. The two groups threatened to sue Rockstar Games, feeling as though they were being discriminated against.
This is the reason the Cuban and Haitian gangs do not make an appearance in Vice City Stories. Instead, the Cubans are called Los Cabrones and the Haitians are the Cholos.
2 Timeless - Second Best-Selling 3D GTA Game
Vice City was the second-best selling game out of the 3D universe. It is the best selling behind San Andreas, beating out 4 other games. While it is only a small amount of games, it is still an impressive feat.
Vice City also is the fourth-best selling game of the series. It sold a total of 20 million units. With the amount of games in the series, this games it even more impressive, but well deserved.
1 Aged Poorly - Voice Actor Dispute
Tommy Vercetti was voiced by the actor Ray Liotta, but there was a falling out between the actor and Rockstar Games. Liotta was frustrated by the limitations of voice acting and felt as though he was underpaid for his performance. Rockstar Games disagreed, leading to an issue.
This explains why Tommy does not appear in San Andreas. He is referenced, but does not make an appearance despite Claude making one. While it is sad, it would have been cool to see Tommy Vercetti in another game.