Customer Reviews
ANOTHER GTA GAME FOR GTA FANS TO LAP UP - By: stuart, 04 Jan 2008 
Believe it or not, there was a time when full free-to-roam 3D worlds were just a gamer's pipedream. Oh sure, we'd had some pretty impressive action adventuresin three dimensions - Metal Gear Solid & Soul Reaver come to mind - & even some truly memorable settings, from Hyrulein Nintendo's magnum opus Ocarina of Time to the then standard-setting streets of Sega's Shenmue... but these were all fantastical, story driven fictions, not the go-anywhere, do-anything sandbox offering many had craved.
And then it happened: GTA III. And since then gaming's never been the same; we've had a host of imitators, from your True Crimes to movie licenses like the Godfather & Scarface, & even the barmy-as-a-bright-blue-banana Just Cause, but GTA,in all its guises, remains the Daddy.
And Rockstar really have plugged that success for all it's worth, without ever really altering the winning formula - though there has been unquestionable expansion; San Andreas took the genre to its current heights, while Liberty City Stories set the benchmark for qualityin the PSP games catalogue. Vice City Stories, then, finds itself between two stalls: on one hand, it's yet another familiar-feeling release that will fit fans expectations without really furthering the series - on the other, it's still one of the most polished pieces of programming the PSP has to offer. This is GTA back on PSP - considerably bigger & even brasher, but really just more of the same.
To recap from our Preview, Vice City Stories stars Vic Vance, brother of PS2 Vice City's main man Lance, a butch military kinda chap and, actually, quite a nice, morally upstanding guy - until he gets to Vice City, that is. That's when things all start going horribly wrong.
Vic's commanding officer, you see - a semi-psycho named Jerry Martinez - has no qualms about the whole abuse-of-power issue, & soon has a disgruntled, protesting Vic off out on a number of less-than-legal errands... which involve killing people. And stealing stuff. And picking up prostitutes. Handheld or not, this is still unmistakably GTA - & as such, is as strictly adults-only as gaming experiences get.
The gameworld Vic has to explore is an impressive one - set two year's before the original Vice City, it bodes the hallmarks of its big brother, with a few minor cosmetic differences - but notably looks even nicer than the city's original PS2 depiction. It really is incredible what Rockstar have managed to get out of the PSP. In purely polygon-pushing terms, there isn't a title that's used Sony's handheld like Vice City Stories - a plaudit equally applicable to audio, which boasts a brilliantly cheesy eighties feel, with delightfully funny radio dialogue & an insane amount of licensed tracks.
But most of that was also true of Liberty City Stories. Admittedly, VCS takes PSP programming even further, but still, surely we were all expecting another technical tour de force? No, the big talking points here are not how good Vice City looks or sounds, impressive as those aspects are - but how Rockstar's prowess with the PSP has created an altogether more varied game experience.
Unlike Liberty City Stories, Vice City does waterin a big way. Indeed, half of the entire area you'll get to playin is water, with the physics engine adapted to accommodate swimming, riding jet skis & driving speedboats & the like - all with a pleasingly floaty, viscous feel.
Also newin Vice City Stories is the ability to take to the skiesin helicopters - nothing we've not seen before on a home consolein various free-roamers, of course, but its an altogether jaw-dropping spectacle when you raise the 'copter into the sky for the first time & the city's entire skyline spreads out before you - all on a handheld system. Handling a chopper can be a bit tricky, with X rotating the blades, Square lowering the craft, the triggers steering it left & right, & a push up of the analogue nub propelling it forward, but once you get used to it flight feels incredibly intuitive, as well as being the quickest way to get around the city.
Which comesin handy for the game's multitude of story-driving missions. In truth, none of these objectives stray outside of the usual GTA formula - there's fetch-and-carry, race & assassination missions prevalent throughout - but the manner with which the game's sea, air & of course, its returning land vehicles - bikes, trucks, sports cars & all, each with nicely diverse handling mechanics - tie different legs of missions together that makes them stand out from Liberty City Stories. You'll drive to your first goal, fly to your second, then nab a speedboat to bear down on your objective for the last part of the mission.
Unfortunately, this makes failing missions even more frustrating than before, forcing you to repeat the entirety of each leg of the journey when it happens. However, it's still a welcome improvement from some of the none-event missions of Liberty City, encouraging mastery of the game by the playerin the same manner Rockstar have themselves mastered the PSPs internal architecture.
As far as mastery goes, there's no greater accolade than running your own empire - & Vice City Stories' Empire system allows you to do just that. Each of the city's gangs runs a number of illegal businesses from various hotspots around town - & over the course of the game you'll challenge the various gang leaders, defeat them, & ultimately take over their turf, rakingin larger incomings over the course of the rest of the game. It's really more of a sideline than anything truly compelling, & the missions offered to actually run your empire are largely repetitive (ferrying call girls from place to place, that sort of thing) but it's an element of additional character-building element we're pleased to see returning from the older Vice City on PS2, & an option completists will no-doubt savour. Never let it be said that GTA doesn't boast value for money.
Unfortunately, it also comes with a few, inherent GTA flaws; notably the lock-on aiming is still temperamental - though admittedly improved from Liberty City, finding intended foes more often than pedestrians. There does seem to be a major issue with close-quarters combat however - it simply doesn't want to let you shoot people at point blank range, & if someone's punching you to death, you'll have to switch to a handheld weapon rather than gun them down. This is a particular painin confined areas, & especially given the rigid nature of the camera system, which uses the L trigger to centre the view behind Vic, with no real floating free-look option.
Thankfully, these flaws prove less damaging to the multiplayer mode than you may think, which still retains its previous gametypes, & adds a host of new ones. On the whole, it's another varied competitive offering, but again the problem is going to be finding five friends who all own PSPs & copies of the game; this is a multiplayer game that's really only at its best with the maximum quotient of players.
And that's indicative of Vice City Stories as a whole: a game that improves upon its PSP forebear, & yet fails to really elevate expectations for the franchise as a whole. That said, this is an exclusive on Sony's smaller system, & should be treated as such - especially as, with GTA IV on the horizon, the chances of this making the port to PS2 like Liberty City Stories did is looking decidedly slim. Another standard-setting handheld release from Rockstar, then - covering familiar ground perhaps, but doing so with a speed & style few other developers have yet to display.
would have gave it a million stars! - By: J. Maxwell, 24 Nov 2007 i'm a girl & if i tell another girl i play this, they laugh !! i love it though x
Another Great GTA Game! - By: Stephen Moss, 04 Sep 2007 I was over the moon when I first heard that Rockstar were going to be making 'Vice City Stories' for the PSP because Vice City was,in my view, one of the best locations/islandsin the GTA series. I loved San Andreas as well, but Vice City was more colourful & I've got so many fond memories playing the original 'Vice City' on the PS2.
Vice City Stories is a sort of prequel to the original Vice City game with the eventsin this new game taking place 2 years before the original which was setin 1986. Vice City Stories is setin 1984.
But as for the game itself, wow where do I start. Ok, no GTA could ever scale the massive map we sawin San Andreas on the PS2, but bearingin mind Vice City Stories is a PSP game, it is among one of the biggest games ever to hit the handheld console. You could complain that this port to the PS2 could have had featured more missions or perhaps an extra island, but that would only ruin the game so I'm glad Rockstar didn't do that. Overall though the port to the PS2 is very good & the graphics & the gameplay haven't changed a bit from the PSP version, not that I've noticed anyway.
But as for the game, there have been a number of improvements from the previous GTA games. Among the changes are the ability to now grab & physically attack people using hand to hand combat, swimin the water (although only for a limited time) & take over enemy territory, something which was exploredin GTA San Andreas.
The missionsin Vice City Stories are somewhat bigger than the missionsin the last PSP game 'Liberty City Stories' & some of the missions are as big as thosein the GTA games on the PS2. Some of the missions are tough, likein any GTA game I suppose & the odd few are very annoying but GTA wouldn't be GTA without them kind of missions.
Allin all, Vice City Stories is the best PSP GTA game to date & among one of the best GTA games to hit the PS2 as well.
All we need now to complete the 'Stories' series is for Rockstar to respond with a 'San Andreas Stories'.
Great game - By: Mr. Robert H. Davies, 30 Jun 2007 Iv played all ps2 gta games & this is certainly one of the best it takes vice city & makesin even better, definatly a good buy.
Great Game - By: Stuart, 27 Jun 2007 
I have just finished the story mode of Vice City Stories & still have only finished under 50 percent of the game. When I finsihed San Andreas it was 70 percent. The contentin the game is nearly that of San Andreas probably the same with severeal thingsin the game not presentin San Andreas. First off many reviewers on this site & other sites have mentioned the graphics are quite poor but I dont agree there not exactly as good but duh thats becuase it was a psp game. The graphics are lifted directly from the psp as it was a psp game orginally however the controls have been too & the use of the direction pad on the controller is totally under used. No updaating was done I dont think on the conversion to playstation 2 however some of the detail & graphicsin some cases are really incredible especilly at sunsetsin the game & rain effects , Even the wavesin the sea can be choppy on some boat trips & calm on others. I think during storms there ruffer. New thingsin the game compared to San Andreas are new types of weapons but only superfisially, various new types of sub machine guns are available which have diffrent firepower, out goes the combat knifein comes butterfly knife & machete. Stuff like bats police battons mini gun are all still avialbe inlcuding the Ak-47 & even a revolver with scope. ONE of the best new things never donein a GTA game is the new empire buildig mode - Various gangsin the city own empire sites which can be of protection rackets, prostitution or loan sharking. Laterin the game drugs, smuggling & Robbbery are avialbe to build. The way it works is you attack arival gang vehcicle outside there site & they all come miling out of the building ot take you on, if you win the battle you claim there site as your own & you can select to set up your own buisness of the options I already mentioned. Eevery day at 4pmin the game you get payed money for the daily empire earnings of what your own like your running the buisness since you own them. Also you can build reputationin each industry, the more rep you have the more the rivals will hunt you down, the amount of bikers wiped out from attacking mein the game is off the chart. Its fun going around the city trying TO take over them all & sometimes to defend your own buisness isnt easy when guys are attacking with assault rifles of their own.
The story mode can be very challenmging at times at some of the missions about 5 or so are extemely frustrating, I recomend if you havent played the orginal vice city game but have enjoyed san adreas a lot, to buy vice city stories & give it a go as its similar & challenging AND IT CAN BE GREAT FUN!
Clothing isnt as avilable as it wasin San Andreas because you only get clothing based on progressin the game, but its cool eventually to get some of the outfits & you can dress like a bank robber or "heavy" for the game if you want or dressin outrageous blue suits fitting of the comic style 80ties the game makes fun of all day longin the radio talk showsin the game. Was definetly worth getting, after the story mode is over theres plenty still to acomplish. Like 50 percent of the gamne !
Thanks for reading
