Grand Theft Auto Vice City

Rockstar Games hit it big when they released Grand Theft Auto. Back then the game was 2D, which is to say two dimensional, and popular on the PC and Playstation platforms. The first incarnation was buggy but they made vast improvements when they released Grand Theft Auto 2, another top down 2D game and my second favorite in the series. Along came Grand Theft Auto 3 and the whole world tuned in with an opinion on the game, its violence, its sex, and its ability to let gamers do whatever they wanted.

Vice City is my favorite because it is the first GTA with period music, and music I really enjoy, plus it offers some sweet features like a wider array of weaponry and the ability to fly helicopters and drive motorcycles.

I’ve played Vice City ever since it came out, many moons ago as far as video games are concerned, and yet I’ve never beaten it. The plot, from its Wikipedia entry, is as such:

The player takes the role of Tommy Vercetti, who has recently been released from prison in Liberty City. While attempting to re-establish himself within the Forelli Mafia family, local boss Sonny Forelli sends Tommy to Vice City to supervise an important drug deal. At the exchange, masked gunmen kill several of the people involved in the trade, stealing both the drugs and the money Tommy was charged with protecting. Vercetti narrowly escapes and informs Sonny, who demands that Tommy get back both the “product” and the money. Both Sonny and Tommy wish to kill those responsible for the theft.

Much of the action in Vice City concerns Vercetti’s burgeoning criminal empire, spanning drug trafficking, murder for hire, counterfeiting, and protection. The player progresses through the game narrative by performing a series of missions, most of which involve criminal activities. This takes Vercetti from being a small-time hood staying in a beachfront hotel to being the city’s crime kingpin, but Sonny is looming over Tommy until he finally comes down to get his stuff personally.

As to my being stuck in the game I am beseeching everyone for some assistance. I need to rescue Lance in the junkyard. Every time I race there in a car, drive through the the waiting guards, and shoot anyone in the hangar I end up getting gunned down by some mysterious shooter.
Great game though. Lots of different choices. I know from previous experience that once Lance is rescued and you kill Diaz a lot looks up. You get a cool mansion with a helipad and room for lots of cars in the garage. You start earning 50 grand from the mansion. You can then start buying more properties including businesses that’ll earn you lots of cash, once you complete their missions.

What has your experience with Vice City been? What’s your favorite GTA game? Why?

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