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| modes = [[Single player]]</br>[[Multiplayer game|Multiplayer]] |
| modes = [[Single player]]</br>[[Multiplayer game|Multiplayer]] |
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| ratings = [[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]]: 18<br />[[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: M<br />[[Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia)|OFLC (Australia)]]: MA15+<br />[[Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)|OFLC (New Zealand)]]: R18<br />[[Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 18+<br />[[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle|USK]]: 16 |
| ratings = [[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]]: 18<br />[[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: M<br />[[Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia)|OFLC (Australia)]]: MA15+<br />[[Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)|OFLC (New Zealand)]]: R18<br />[[Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 18+<br />[[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle|USK]]: 16 |
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| platforms = [[PlayStation Portable]] |
| platforms = [[PlayStation Portable]]<br>[[PlayStation 2]] |
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| media = [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] |
| media = [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] |
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| requirements = [[Memory Stick|Memory Stick Duo]] |
| requirements = [[Memory Stick|Memory Stick Duo]] |
Revision as of 12:52, 28 January 2007
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | |
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Official Vice City Stories cover art | |
Developer(s) | Rockstar Leeds Rockstar North |
Publisher(s) | Rockstar Games |
Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable PlayStation 2 |
Release | PSP
PS2 |
Genre(s) | Action |
Mode(s) | Single player Multiplayer |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is the latest installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North, published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It is a prequel to the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and successor to the previous PSP release, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
Release history
Take-Two Interactive originally announced the title was to be released in North America on October 17, 2006 and in Europe on October 20, 2006, but early in September, there was an announcement stating the game had been delayed for release until October 31 in North America. [1] It was also announced that the game would be released on 10 November 2006 in Australia. Moreover, in Europe (Excluding the UK) the game suffered another delay, from November 3, 2006, to November 10, 2006, just like in Australia. The suggested retail price in the United States is $49.99, €49.99 in Europe and £34.99 in the UK.
PlayStation 2 release
Rockstar has in the past announced that they have "no plans" to release a PlayStation 2 port of Vice City Stories, which has lead many to believe this game to be an exclusive solely for the PSP. However, a rating for a PS2 version was added to the ESRB website over the weekend of January 20. On January 22 the rating was removed from the ESRB listings. Shortly afterwards, the game appeared in the official PlayStation website's PS2 game listings and was given a SLUS number, which Sony only give to games that they certify. The release date listed was simply TBA[2] Rockstar Games has yet to make an official statement regarding this matter.
Characters
Like previous GTA games, Vice City Stories features notable voice actors. Gary Busey, Luis Guzman, Philip Michael Thomas, and Danny Trejo reprise their roles as Phil, Ricardo Diaz, Lance Vance, and Umberto Robina, respectively, which they previously played in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Phil Collins also makes a cameo as himself, making him the first famed musician to ever appear in a Grand Theft Auto as him/herself. Also, several cast and crew members of The Opie and Anthony Show were recorded and used as voices of several minor characters.
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 Sharks, the Mendez Brothers and the homosexual white supremacist biker gang (not the original VC bikers), the Stallionz.
Story
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 was featured in the beginning of Vice City, and was immediately "gunned down".
In Vice City Stories, the brothers find themselves falling on hard times. Victor is a 28 year old U.S Army soldier who has been kicked out of the service, while Lance is a drug addicted wreck. They decide to take action and try to make names for themselves. The game profiles the siblings' attempts to take over Vice City.
Gameplay
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 in which to move around. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming 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. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam and create havoc (e.g. drive-by shootings, 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 military 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, but have been moderately upgraded and enhanced compared to previous titles. A new addition to the game is "Beach Patrol", in which Victor must deal with bikers on the beach by jeep (by ramming or shooting to knock them off their bikes) or throwing life preservers to drowning swimmers by boat or by taking a paramedic around to injured people on the beach.
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.
Players are able to bribe policemen or hospital staff when "Wasted"(killed) or "Busted"(arrested) in order to keep weapons that ordinarily would have been lost.
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".
Improvements to the graphics since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories include new animations, faster load times, a longer draw distance, reductions in clumping of pedestrians and vehicles, more complex explosions, and increases in the density of objects, vehicles, and NPCs.
Empire building
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.
To initiate an attack on another gang's territory, the player must destroy the gang car parked outside. Attacks on buildings require combat both indoor and outdoor. If the player is able to successfully eradicate the rival business and gang members and damage the building, it will then go up for sale. The player can then purchase the property and set up one of six businesses at the site. These include protection racket, loan shark, prostitution, drugs, smuggling and robbery. The location of a territory in the city will determine the business' success. For example, a smuggling business will perform better when located near the docks or airport than it would if in a residential district. Construction on a business will require two in-game days before completion. Once a business has opened, it will be able to earn the player money, and will additionally, act as a save point.
The businesses themselves will be split into three categories - small-time, medium venture and high-roller, each of which will require an increased amount of investment to provide staff and resources. for the protection racket the prices are $1500 for small-time, $2900 for medium venture and $4400 for high-roller, for loan shark the prices are $2000 for small-time, $3900 for medium venture and $5800 for high-roller, for prostitution the prices are $3000 for small-time, $5900 for medium venture and $8800 for high roller, for drugs the prices are 4500 for small-time, $8900 for medium venture and $13300 for high-roller, for smuggling the prices are $5000 for small-time, $9900 for medium venture and $14800 for high-roller, for robbery the prices are $6000 for small-time, $11900 for medium venture and $17800 for high roller. It is possible for a business to be attacked by rivals, sometimes the past occupants. Accordingly, the player is given the option to hire and arm bodyguards to protect the territory. Employees can be recruited in a similar way that gang members are recruited in San Andreas. Each business has its own strand of missions which can be completed in order to improve the business in terms of how much money it makes and cause your respect in the type of business you are improving to increase.
Side missions
There are various level based side missions in the game. New for Vice City Stories is the checkpoint level where after a certain level progress is saved and next time the mission is attempted it will restart from that level
- Vigilante: Kill criminals. Activated in a police vehicle. Earns extended Armor.
- Air Rescue: Rescue people from land and sea, and bring them to hospital. Activated in a rescue helicopter. Earns Extended Health.
- Paramedic: Rescue people, and bring them to hospital. Activated in an ambulance. Earns unlimited sprint capability.
- Beach Patrol: Knock gang members on the bikes, OR Rescue people from danger, drowning, etc. Earns unlimited stamina for swimming.
- Firefighter: Put out burning cars and occupants. Activated in a fire truck. Makes the player fireproof.
- Fire Heli: Activated in an Armadillo (fire helicopter.) Gives player a few small dollars, an addition to their completion percentage number, and unfortunately, it DOES NOT make you fireproof, like its land-going counterpart.
- Taxi Driver: Bring customers to destination. Activated in a taxi. Makes Taxis jump when down on the d-pad is pressed.
- Vice Sights: Bring tourists to sights and hold them steady to take photos. Activated in Maverick at Airport.
- Crims On Wings: Beat lap time around first island. Activated in Biplane at Airport.
- Skywolf: Go through checkpoints and destroy targets in Hunter. Activated in Hunter at airport after "Last Stand" Mission.
- Playground On the Town: Pass through checkpoints in allotted time. Activated on PCJ-600 behind the Police Station Downtown.
- Playground On the Point: Pass through checkpoints in allotted time. Activated on PCJ-600 just south-west of the mall, behind the bridge.
- Crash: Cause $2000 worth of damage to the city before the clock runs out. Activated in the bus, in between the top-left studio and the plane prop. (you may have to keep returning to this site, as sometimes the bus is not there. Try going around the back where the armour is, and then walk to the plane prop. It may be there)
Weapons
The weapons (and gunplay) in Vice City Stories are essentially identical to those in Liberty City Stories, with the exception of a few changed weapon models and names (such as the Tec-9 being replaced with a weapon model of the Scorpion, but it is still the same weapon) which were changed to fit the period (such as the M4 replaced with the M16 because the M4 didn't exist in 1984). Another noticeable change is the pistol (originally the Colt 45), which now has a different model and is called a Beretta. The AK-47 also replace the "Ruger" from the original Vice City since most players thought the Ruger was a bad replacement since all the GTA games had AK-47s[citation needed]. However, the weapons remain the same as their Liberty City Stories counterparts. Also the new version of the rocket launcher allowed the player to take out heavily armored vehicles (like tanks, since the previous anti-tank weaponry in previous GTA games proved to be useless against tanks.)
- Slot 1: Hand: fists, brass knuckles
- Slot 2: Melee Weapons: baseball bat, nightstick, butterfly knife, knife, axe, gaff hook, golf club, machete, katana, chainsaw
- Slot 3: Explosives and Incendiaries: Molotov cocktail, hand grenade, remote grenade, landmine (available only with Cheat Device), tear gas grenade (available only with Cheat Device)
- Slot 4: Handguns: pistol/Beretta M92F (9mm), Equalizer (Colt Python with scope)
- Slot 5: Sub-Machine Guns: Scorpion (Vz 61), Mac (Mac-10 with suppressor), micro-SMG (Uzi), SMG (MP5)
- Slot 6: Shotguns: chrome shotgun (pump-action), stubby shotgun (sawn-off shotgun), combat shotgun (SPAS 12)
- Slot 7: Assault Rifles: AK47, M16 assault rifle
- Slot 8: Heavy Weapons: flame-thrower, rocket launcher (M72 LAW with pistol grip), minigun, M249
- Slot 9: Sniper Rifles: sniper rifle (M21 rifle), laser-scoped rifle (Dragunov SVD rifle)
- Slot 10: Other: camera, binoculars, detonator (used with remote grenades and landmines)
Multiplayer
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. The multiplayer modes are as follows: [3]
- Vice City Survivor - a regular deathmatch mode which you can play as a free for all or in teams.
- Street Rage- A standard street racing mode, with a sub-mode known as the "Quadathon", much like a triathlon but with 4 forms of transport; bike, car, sand buggy and helicopter.
- Taken for a Ride - This mode is most similar to Capture the Flag in other multiplayer games. You have to steal the opposing team's car and return it to your base. The team with the most cars captured when the time runs out is the winner
- Protection Racket - A team based, conquest style game. When you start out you'll either be attacking or defending. If you're defending you'll have to prevent four vehicles inside your base from being destroyed and if you're attacking you'll have to take out the opposition's cars. The quickest assault on the base wins.
- Tanks for the Memories - There's one tank somewhere on the map. The team that spends the most time inside the tank is the winner but it's not all that simple - the opposition will carry heavy weaponry in order to take the tank out, like the game's new Rocket Launcher.
- Grand Theft Auto - A simple steal cars, sell cars mode. You'll have to grab specific vehicles off the street and return them to a location. The better condition the car is in when you deliver it, the more cash you'll receive. The winner is the player with the most money at the end of a given time
- Hit List - One player in the game is designated as "The Mark" and they must stay alive for as long as possible with every other player in the game chasing after them. However, the Mark cannot see other players on the radar (unless they are in a certain range) nor can they stay in any vehicle for a length of time (it will explode after a period). Killing the mark results in someone else taking on that role. The winner is the player who stays alive as The Mark for the longest.
- Empire Takedown - Two teams, each with their own building or site. There's one set of explosives located somewhere on the level and the aim is to be the first team to grab them and deploy them at the opposing team's site. Once you're successful in rigging their building up to blow you'll have to prevent the other team from defusing the bombs while a timer counts down. When the timer reaches zero the building will explode and the winner will be declared.
- Might of the Hunter - Very similar to Tanks for the Memories but the aim is to score the most kills and there's a Hunter (aka the "Army" helicopter) rather than a tank. Once again players will be equipped with heavy weaponry.
- V.I.P. R.I.P. - Two teams - attackers and defenders and one player on the defenders' team is the VIP. The VIP must collect five briefcases, one at a time (when one is picked up another will spawn somewhere else) and then make their way to the escape point. While this is happening the attackers must try to kill the VIP. If the VIP escapes, the defending team wins but if the VIP is killed the attackers will win.
Soundtrack
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 105 licensed songs from the 1980s.
Reception
The game has received an 85% on both Metacritic [4] and GameRankings [5].
- Awards
- Received IGN's award for the best licensed soundtrack on PlayStation Portable in 2006. [6]
Trivia
- The game features a theatre showing "Ray the Otter". The movie title sounds very similar to Ray Liotta, who provided the voice of Tommy Vercetti in the original Vice City.
- In the mission Domo Arigato Domestoboto, Domestobot looks almost exactly identical to Nintendo's R.O.B. for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The mission name also derives from the popular catchphrase "domo arigato, Mr. Roboto."
- In addition, when "driving" Domestobot, DOS-like messages appear at the top of the screen saying humorous things such as "ANNOYING VOICE CHIP CHECK". An interesting one is "FLUX CAPACITOR AT 110%". This is an obvious nod at the Back to the Future DeLorean which used the flux capacitor to travel through time.
- There is an unusually high number of bugs in the game, in which one of the most occurrent is when coming upon an empire site, most of the times at a high speed, the buildings model and high resolution textures do not load right away, allowing the player and any subsequent vehicles to go 'inside' the empire building, but eventually getting stuck after the meshes load. This glitch also leads to many happenings of cars spawned inside of empire sites , thus sticking out of the buildings.
- Although Ken Rosenberg does not appear in the game, in the breaking news report that is heard on the radio after Umberto Robina's first mission "Nice Package" it is announced that the station is working with "legal company Rosenberg and Son". This could be a hint that Ken is indeed in the city at the time.
- In Viceport there is a billboard for a movie called Full Moon, which consists of a picture of a full moon that is marked to resemble someone's buttocks. However, there is also a unique jump that will take you directly in front of the billboard. If hit right, the camera will focus on you and your vehicle as you fly above the street, with the moon graphic behind you, in an homage to the famous scene in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
- The zombie character model in multiplayer is named 'Bub', this is a reference to George A. Romero's Day of the Dead.
External links
- Official sites
- Rockstar Games' official Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories website (Flash)
- Rockstar Games' official Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories website (Non Flash)
- Fansites
- Game resources