Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Since Rockstar Games released the first Grand Theft Auto (GTA) game in 1998, there\'s been no stopping this giant of a franchise from reaching enormous heights of popularity, even attracting celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson and James Woods to lend their voices to the games. Making its appearance last year on PlayStation Portable (PSP), the series enjoyed much success with GTA: Liberty City Stories. Now with GTA: Vice City Stories, Rockstar has created yet another winner, with the infusion of new features.
Vice City Stories is set in the same place as 2002\'s GTA Vice City game, but that\'s as far as the similarities go. The protagonist here is Victor Vance, who runs into some trouble in the army and returns to Vice City, determined to make his mark in the city even if that means starting from the bottom up. You\'ll be pleasantly surprised that this handheld game is almost a direct translation from its console counterpart, which is no small feat as the PSP is much smaller than the PS2. There are the occasional jerks and lags, but that\'s normal, considering the amount of data packed in the universal media disc - the storage device. The loading time for the city is relatively short, and, like previous GTA games, the voice acting is top notch; with the characters sporting genuine-sounding Italian accented English.
The best part of all GTA games is the soundtrack, and Vice City Stories is no different, pumping out the best of the \'80s music that you can groove to while cruising down the streets hunting for your next victim to \"kill\". That\'s right, mean though it sounds, killing - not driving - is the name of the game. Essentially, you get around fighting with gangs to gain turf control, with a plethora of weapons at your disposal, and any car you fancy on the street.
The earlier missions are very easy, but don\'t be fooled into thinking the game has gone simple. The later missions will require some daredevil driving and quick reflexes. The crowning glory of the game is its multiplayer mode, in which you can connect with up to five other friends via Wi-Fi and partake in 10 game scenarios that are pretty wild and challenging. Yes, the game\'s formula is pretty much like its predecessors\', but if it ain\'t broke, why fit it?
The most important thing is that GTA: Vice City Stories still brings oodles of fun and excitement. So although we found thte controls a tad hard, I persevered and derived endless joy from knocking people down, running past traffic lights and watching my money pot grow.
