Once again I am blown away by the state I've found this in. This time I did encounter the rare visual bug here and there, but like GTA III: TDE before it this is fully functional and entirely playable. Meaning that either the devs have done a TON of patching or the Switch port of this compilation simply did not release with the same issues as it did on other systems. Whatever the case, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the experience as a result and with the added features like checkpoints it truly lives up to its title as the "definitive" version of Vice City.

As far as the actual game itself goes, mechanically and in terms of how it plays it isn't any different than GTA III. Pair that with how length-wise it's more of an expansion than a true sequel and it's easy to see why Rockstar didn't slap a IV on this. That isn't to say improvements haven't been made. In fact, my opinion is that it is undeniably the superior entry. The missions feature better design, balance, and variety which can make it very hard to put down. Where the biggest strides have been made though is undoubtedly in the storytelling, with the protagonist now being fully voiced. I did feel like something was a bit off with how the writing delivers (or fails to) a few crucial plot developments, but overall I can't complain too much about the tale.

Honestly, the only thing that really bugged me is how you're required to buy and complete side-quests for various businesses before you can unlock the final missions. On top of that not being communicated to the player at all naturally leading to some confusion, it just comes off as padding meant to extend the runtime by forcing you to grind for cash. Although, it does come with the bonus of taking you to corners of the map you might not have visited otherwise. Which is great because the titular city is a blast to drive around in and explore as it's chock-full of '80s style.

Admittedly, I can't really call myself much of a Grand Theft Auto fan. What little of the legendary series I've played beforehand that I didn't straight up abandon early on left me underwhelmed by the time the credits rolled, with the exception of III. This however is easily the most enjoyment I've gotten from the franchise to date, and may be one of my new personal favorite open-world adventures. In no small part due to the various improvements and modernizations brought about by this remaster that remove frustrations which would have prevented me from appreciating it as fully back in the day. Therefore this is hands down the best way to play Vice City.

9.9/10

Vice City will always be my favorite GTA game, this version however is far from the best way to play it.

Visual aside the game is lacking in both a handful of missions and a good chunk of the music; in any other game I'd say that not so bad, but for GTA games and especially Vice City its a big problem. Not only was it some of the best music to be in a GTA game, but it also added so much to the game, it literally made this brightly colored neon 80's map come alive getting you sucked into this world Rockstar created.

With the music mostly gutted and the map missing a lot of the original game's aesthetics, it feels very empty. It fittingly enough makes it feel more like an early PS2 game than the actual PS2 game.

Oh yeah they also removed mission for censorship reasons, so yeah no fuck this remaster.

Please note that this "review" isn't necessarily about the remaster effort. I think the definitive edition is fine, the game looks quite appealing most of the time and I didn't run to any game breaking bugs. I also appreciate the quality of life improvements, like the new driveby controls. I do miss the hazy look that the OG game has.

This game holds up quite well, especially compared to GTA III that came not long before it. The missions are quite varied, and while the classic GTA chaos is still out in force, the game doesn't ruin your moment as often as it did in III, resulting in a less frustrating experience overall. The gunplay is barely functional, as is the case with the other PS2-era GTA games, but it's not detrimental enough to the game's fun factor. Also, the handling of most vehicles can be slippery and unruly as heck. All of this feeds to the aforementioned chaos, as the game's system of AIs and scripted events can really throw you off in many missions, leading into intermittent spikes of intense action, for better and worse.

Vice City is perhaps the most fun GTA city to be in. The late 80s Miami-inspired vibes is sublime. I will never forget the first time I played this game, and driving on the neon-soaked street on my way to Ocean View Hotel, as the beach across me welcomes a newcomer to its midst with a gentle, hazy stare. The city's atmosphere is still unmatched by 99% of other video game open world city. Plus, the radio stations here has some of the best music selections of any GTA.

I can't say I enjoyed the main story/plot since it kinda loses track of itself early on, but I do enjoy the more loose pace of the main story in the middle act, mostly because the game just lets you off the hook for a bit and tasks you to build your crime empire by buying out important assets, like a film studio or money counterfeiting factory. While not all of them have fun stories to get into, the ones that do are quite memorable. The film studio arc has some of my favorite missions in any GTA game. They would do this assets collecting mechanic again in San Andreas, but it never felt as impactful compared to its implementation here. Unlike VC, that game can be too big for its own good.

To close it out, I have a confession to make. I have started Vice City across 5 different gaming systems since about 16 years ago, and this is the end the road. It feels like closing a chapter of my life. I can't say that I regret taking so long to finish this, because I think this is actually the right time for me to finish it, and I just stumbled into it. Tommy Vercetti said that he lost 15 years of his life, waiting to be freed. Sorry it took me this long pal, at least nobody rules over you anymore.

Retracted half star due to the poor quality of the 'definitive edition'.

I was honestly surprised by this GTA title. I really struggled to get into GTA 3, so I moved onto this one straight after. What I didn't expect was how fast paced and management orientated it would be. Granted, the management of your various businesses is as deep as the pools of water that WON'T kill your character. I liked the story of this one but honestly far too much of the story happened off screen and was left to your imagination.

I loved the world of this though. The open world isn't very big but it's crammed with detail. The missions are quite varied too, with a few frustrating missions thrown in to make me suffer.

I'm honestly going to rank this as one of my favorite GTA games for now. I'm going to check out the rest of the series soon so maybe that'll change?

I love Vice City. This version is... pretty, I guess? It brings proper controller functionality (on Steam anyways, I've heard the Epic version doesn't work but I can't confirm) but just like III, these remasters feel pointless. Apart from real controller support, it doesn't do much that mods couldn't achieve.

They've also upped the vehicle density, but they didn't fix the AI at all, so you're gonna see a lot of cars just slamming into each other, flipping and exploding, driving like maniacs and a lot of other stuff. It can make for some funny times, but it also looks weird.

Achei bem interessante o jogo, foi o primeiro GTA a receber as motos, helicópteros, aviões etc... Gostei bastante das missões e dos personagens, tiveram várias cenas e falas engraçadas ao longo da campanha!

Uma pena que meu jogo bugou na última missão, acabei não recebendo a ligação no telefone para desbloquea-la então tive que ver o final pelo YouTube mesmo.

Tirando isso, é um baita game, gostei de ter terminado ele pela primeira vez depois de tantos anos sendo fã da franquia!

Quando falam por aí que GTA SA é o melhor GTA, eles não estão errados, de fato em termos técnicos ele é o melhor da geração do PS2, porém não podemos esquecer de quem engatinhou, para que ele pudesse andar, e eu tô falando de Vice City.

Vice city traz ao jogador uma cidade muito mais aberta e explorável do que a do seu antecessor, ele faz um trabalho excelente na imersão dos anos 80 com uma cidade parecidissima (quase igual) a Miami. Estilo vintage, ternos brancos e lanchas, é o que define Vice City e suas riquezas questionáveis.

Em questões de gráficos e jogabilidade, Vice Citye pode pecar e já dá pra considerar algo que envelheceu um pouco mal, porém ainda é jogável com algumas ressalvas.

1 - O jogo é extremamente punitivo nas missões e pode ser muito injusto, quando você falha uma missão você volta desde o início, e mesmo com Checkpoint dessa versão, isso ainda incomoda.

2 - O controle de carro já ficou antigo e eles deslizam facilmente, é melhor do que o do III porém ainda é chato de se acostumar, muitas vezes falha e tu vai ficar irritado com isso

3 - A mira dele é chatinha e faz você errar muitos tiros, o movimento do protagonista é um saco de se adaptar, se você não joga tanto jogos antigos com certeza vai sofrer com esse

Mas enfim, dado esses pontos, vale ressaltar que Vice City apenas envelheceu mal, mas a sua trama, personagens e características da cidade envelheceram muito bem. Seu humor segue o estilo GTA clássico que não perde a essência nunca, e depois de superar esses probleminhas você vai conseguir se divertir facilmente com esse título da Rockstar

"What is romance? What is passion? Maybe a sexy t-shirt that says 'Cunnilingus Instructor'. Maybe it is the mudflaps on your truck, with the silhouette of the naked lady. People ask me 'Is it better to be a DJ or a saviour?' I have been both, and trust me, both have their benefits. Now, we remember the great music of the 1980s. You may not believe this, but we did not have the internet then. When you found a magazine with the pictures of the naked ladies, it was heaven! The promised land! You hide it. Your mother comes into the room without knocking, and you are working yourself into a froth. This - this is the American childhood I longed to have, and it is how I have raised my sons." Fernando Martinez

Now yes the game has lost some of the music licenses (Micheal Jackson) but the game still has some of the best songs of all the GTA's. During my play through I did come across a few bugs that were not too extreme like characters running in place or bad pop ins. Playing this game hit me with a huge wave of nostalgia and since I am older I understand the jokes and games story a lot better. I def love Vice City as a location and the Scare face like story (Starting as a errand boy to becoming the King Pin).

PROS:
-Great Story & Great Characters
-Fun Activities and gameplay.
-Great Music.
-Achievements.
-Vice City.

CONS:
-Remove some of the best songs.
-Graphics do look weird at times.
-Bugs & pop ins.
-The original game was removed from the store.

Def worth playing and if this version is not for you hopefully you have the original version.

Released as part of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, this is a remaster of the 2002 Rockstar hit, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Despite the high praise for the trilogy of III, Vice City, and San Andreas, the remasters were clearly made without the proper respect for those games, and very plainly shows it off through poorly modernized textures and an embarrassing presentation of ugly character models. There are some genuine quality-of-life changes brought, like bringing weapon aiming a few years forward, and selection wheels for choosing your weapon or radio station, ala Grand Theft Auto V.

An unfortunate result of remastering a nearly 20 year old game is that you end up losing out on licensing for certain songs, thanks to the hellhole that is the music industry, and Vice City suffers the most for it. The removal of the Michael Jackson songs, and "Video Killed the Radio Star" are some of the most painful losses to one of the best soundtracks in Grand Theft Auto, but it still boasts a great selection of 1980's hits across multiple genres.

Like The Definitive Edition remasters of III and San Andreas, the remaster of Vice City is still held up by the gameplay it brought us 20 years ago, and can be worth playing if you don't have the original versions on PC or PlayStation 2. Don't expect it to be an accessible, modern remaster: the game still plays like a PlayStation 2 game with some modern changes, and looks like it was modded with graphics that make it look like an early PlayStation 3 game.

Wife’s Reaction:
“What a bunch of jabronis.”

Your Not-So-Paradise City:
Vice City is now at a decent place after these Definitive Editions dropped in a piss-poor state. The game is an improvement upon GTA3 in every way, and Vice City’s vibes with neon, palm trees, solid voice acting and soundtrack—even with iconic songs missing—elevated the game and made it memorable. But its rigid mission design tainted an otherwise good time.

Taking one point off of this game just because of various quality problems (character models look like shit, their expressions too, some bugs but nothing too crazy like on launch)

would still not recommend playing this version. the og is way better. not many qol features other than the weapon circle, which i don't even like, and the weapon mouse cycling is weird as fuck

still vice city tho. goated.