System: PSP
Dev: Rockstar North
Pub: Rockstar
Release: Oct 2006
Players: 1 - 8
Review by Mike

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

You can take over various businesses in town which are just fronts for racketeering activities such as protection, enforcement, prostitution and repossession. This is how Vic builds his empire. The more time and money invested in these ventures, the more lucrative they become. These Empire missions don’t vary much as you end up repossessing the same two kinds of vehicles and taking prospective johns to your working girls. It may be redundant but hey, it’s a living.

As always you can count on any GTA game to have some great voiceacting, humor and excellent tunes. There is no exception here. The tunes from the 80s are a mix of rock and new wave. This game is like a damn jukebox with a variety of radio stations just spitting them out. Graphically the game has been improved. It’s got a lot more detail, a smoother framerate, more vibrant colors and less pop-up. The map is huge and there are tons of places to explore and way too many missions to complete your first time through. For more replay value there are a handful of multi-player modes including a variation of Capture the Flag called Taken for a Ride and a game that involves flying helicopters above the city called Might the Hunter.

If you’re not expecting a total overhaul to the GTA franchise with Vice City Stories, you won’t be disappointed. The story may be different but not so the gameplay. It’s familiar territory for all of us, but one that definitely begging to be revisited.

Features:

Vice City has a million stories. This is one of them. by Vaughn Smith

When Rockstar’s Liberty City Stories arrived on the PSP last year, it was one of the first games to exhibit what could be accomplished on Sony’s handheld powerhouse when in the proper hands. LCS wasn’t a watered down port of an already existing product; it was a stand alone game that was as deep as any of the previously released games in the GTA universe. It came as no surprise when Rockstar announced not only would they port LCS up to the PS2, but that a new game in the series was currently in development. The new game would be called GTA: Vice City Stories.

Vice City Stories is set for release at the end of October having been delayed from its original September launch date and it’s safe to say GTA fans are gearing up for an even more action packed, indepth adventure. Focusing on the brother of Lance Vance, the drug-dealing cohort who appeared alongside Vice City’s (PS2) Tommy Vercetti, Victor Vance is one tough customer. A former marine who returns to Vice City in peak form, Victor discovers his bro is a drug-addicted mess. From their trailer park at the outerlimits of Vice City (a new area created for the game) the two brothers will begin their climb from the bottom to the top, with everything falling inbetween.

The gameplay will remain true to previous games in the series, but Rockstar has promised some tweaks to enhance the GTA experience. The targetting system which has remained one of the series glaring weakspots, has been rumored to have been refined, so that innocent bystanders/pedestrians won’t be accidentally targetted during violent street encounters. As many a GTA fan knows, the collateral damage during a shootout too often raised the Wanted level quickly and made it nearly impossible to accomplish some missions due to the immediate police presence. Melee combat, another weak area of the GTA engine, has also been overhauled to include throws, grappling and the ability to get on top of a downed opponent and pummel him into submission, or perhaps the great beyond if the mood strikes you. We're told motorcycle handling has also been improved.

Speaking of vehicles, Rockstar is pulling out all of the stops in terms of how you'll get around. Victor will be able to utilize the usual assortment of cars, trucks and boats but VCS also promises some even more cool toys to play with such as ATV's, yachts and a jetski. Also returning is the ability to fly helicopters, jets and maybe even some other interesting modes of transportation that we have yet to see. We have it on good authority that The Hunter will make its return. That's good news for anyone out there who enjoyed the awesome raw firepower of a killer copter.

If Victor ever gets tired of using the jet-ski, he can just jump into the waters and simply go for a swim. The water in VCS will feature more realistic wave physics with tide, currents etc. A touted mini-game involves lifeguarding, in which ex-Marine Victor will jump into the waters and save swimmers in peril from drowning.

Perhaps the biggest addition to the franchise, and one we hope to see reflected within the next console version (coming Oct 2007), is Empire Building. Sounding extremely similar to the empire building of the recent Scarface: The World Is Yours Game (this is an issue of synchronicity as both games were in development at the same time and a natural evolution for this style of game anyway). we're excited about the prospect of not only owning businesses in Vice City, but getting our hands dirty with the details of their daily operations, all of which are on the opposite side of the law. Players will be able to set up businesses that provide the following services: protection, extortion, prostitution, drugs, loan sharking and robbery. These businesses will act as save points in the game as well as revenue streams for the player. Of course, competition and rivalry will be fierce, so you'll have to keep a watchful eye on your investments in the case of outright attacks courtesy of rival gangs. You will be able to bankroll henchmen to protect your property from such occurances since once you "takeover" a site for a particular business, the previous owners will automatically become your enemy. That's free enterprise for you! Hey, don't tell me you haven't seen K-Mart and Wal-mart employees beating the crap out of each other in their parking lots. It's just part of building the American Dream.

Businesses will come in three different varieties: Small, Medium and High Roller. It won't cost a lot of game money to invest in one as they can be started for the palrty sums of $2000, $3900 and $58000 respectively (that seems awfully cheap, but that might obviously not be the cost of the property). Do you know the three things that makes a successful business? Location, location, location. If you're running a smuggling business it will do much better located down at the Vice City wharf than say, beside the local cop shop downtown. These are some of the concepts you'll have to grasp while attempting to own the world and everything in it. Oops. Sorry Tony, I forgot that was your line.

Initiating the takeover of a rival business requires sending them a big message, such as blowing up their cars in the parking lot. From there you'll have to eradicate the entire roster of gang members inside and outside the business before the business goes up for sale. Once you've purchased the property and decided what kind of business it will be, construction will take place (said to be two game days) and the building will tend to resemble the kind of business you're in.

Visually the game is also getting an overhaul and we're told that the load times and pop in will decrease, while the overall animations, character model polygons and population of NPC (non-player characters) and traffic will significantly increase, lending the game a far more realistic city environment. NPC's will also be time-contextual, meaning that you will see drunken party-goers wandering around at night, while secretaries and businessmen will be the norm during the day. New weather effects will also play a part in the game, but to what extent we don't know. We have heard rumors of possible hurricanes being programmed in, but that remains to be confirmed.

Of course, expect tons of great music, hilarious talk shows and commercial parodies that have become a staple of the GTA series. Players will also be able to use their own custom soundtracks like they did in Liberty City Stories.

Last but not least, the multiplayer aspect of Vice City Stories will feature water-based and possibly air-based racing (perhaps combat?) this time out, along with the on foot multiplayer aspects. That should keep fans going long after all of the missions have been completed.

Suffice it to say, Vice City Stories could be a completely "no-brainer" purchase decision when it shows up at the end of October, especially for diehard fans who not only love the series and the entertainment value they provide, but also for the cameos and other extras that only purists would truly appreciate. We definitely have it on our "most watched' and "most wanted" list. Could a PS2 port be already in the works? We'd say "bet on it", just don't expect it for quite awhile.

By Vaughn Smith
CCC Site Director

Move over Liberty City, Vice City has some stories of its own. by Cole Smith

May 12, 2006 - Rockstar announced that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be released for the PSP this Fall. This news was meant to bolster the spirits of disappointed fans when it was announced that the new console version of Grand Theft Auto won't be available until the Fall of 07.

Rockstar says that the PSP version will be completely overhauled to perfectly compliment the PSP system. A new storyline is in the works as well as new missions and a new central character. Rockstar is being tight-lipped as to who the new character is going to be or what time period events will take place in. One of the few confirmations is that the location will remain the same. Anyone who played Liberty City Stories should know exactly what to expect.

The Grand Theft Auto series is one of the most famous and infamous videogame series of all time. No doubt Rockstar will continue that trend with Vice City Stories for the PSP. We also suspect that this PSP version just might receive the PS2 treatment, much in the same way as the upcoming Liberty City Stories for PS2.

More details and official screens to follow.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer