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Grand Theft Auto
Vice City Stories
Once again the GTA
Stories series makes it’s way from the PSP to the PS2, and once again we
are faced with hours and hours and hours of playing fun. I am a total
nut for the GTA series and the release of the game onto the PS2 brought
a big smile to my face.
This time around, the game covers a story taking
place before Tommy Vercetti thought of taking over and it tells the tale
of Vic Vance, a young man drawn into a world he didn’t want to be a part
of, however once you are controlling him, will be into it with a
vengeance. It’s possibly the one part of the game that doesn’t ring
true. But if you are a fan of the series you will not give a damn. I
sure didn’t!
There are a good deal of improvements made on this
port of the game than Liberty City Stories before it. A lot of the
graphical bits and pieces have been improved though the game is still
plagued a bit by pop ups. I guess I am used to this in the other games
and personally it was not a problem.
Graphically the title is impressive enough and the
driving physics are fantastic. One of the things about all these games
is that I get so immersed in the cities that I simply get caught up
causing destruction for hours on end. This is the sort of game that you
just don’t get sick of in a hurry.
One of the really cool things in this game is that
unlike many of the games in the series, when you are busted by the cops
you can actually bribe them to give you back all your weapons! Whilst
costly, if you have a stack of good weapons, this is an awesome addition
to the gameplay and one that I really appreciated. It’s a great way to
get out and immediately have the firepower to just kick butt!
In this game you can add to what the game has to
offer by building empires that will make you more money that will enable
you to achieve more of your goals etc. There are a variety of businesses
that can earn you money as you take them over and go a long way toward
making your life easier.
Getting your empires started is a matter of
completing a number of missions that you are assigned, they are pretty
straightforward and some might think repetitive but I enjoyed them. Once
they are completed you can move forward on the rest of the mission
whilst they earn a tidy sum of money for you.
Back once again also is the wonderful soundtracks
that we’ve come to associate with the series and this game is no
exception. The radio stations that were in the first game are back
however the really cool thing is that they have a mix of the same and
different people in them, accounting for the fact that they are two
years apart in terms of storyline. So you will get to hear voices from
the games that you are used to albeit in a different role from last
time. And once again a brilliant music landscape awaits you with some
hilarious moments with advertising and the whole nine yards thrown in
for good effect.
All things said and done, I really enjoyed this game.
It’s not really a step forward in the franchise but it is another GTA
game that is stellar, well thought out and a heck of a lot of fun to
play for months on end. Go get it! |
