Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition
22/34 achievements, 20 hours
I have beaten almost all of the GTA games, but for some reason I missed Vice City and San Andreas. Even though I'm almost 25 years late to the party, I was very excited to finally play this one after hearing so many of my friends rave about it. After completing the game, I can definitely see why it's so beloved.
It is truly remarkable how much of a leap Rockstar made going from GTA III to Vice City. I immediately noticed huge improvements in the voice acting, story, mission variety, gameplay variety, side missions, and overall fun factor. This game was simply a joy to play, and I kept coming back to it even over more modern games that had just released.
Like my experience with GTA III: Definitive Edition, I had almost nothing but positive experiences after all the updates Rockstar made following the disastrous launch. Playing at 5120x1440 super ultrawide, 240Hz, and in HDR, the game looked fantastic. I only experienced one crash during my entire playthrough, and otherwise it ran incredibly well while benefiting from all of the quality-of-life improvements.
I'm so glad I finally played Vice City. I'm not sure it's my favorite GTA (I'm currently replaying the entire series in preparation for GTA VI), but I completely understand why so many people consider it a classic. The atmosphere, story, characters, soundtrack, and humor all hold up surprisingly well. I really enjoyed my time with Tommy Vercetti in 1980s Vice City. If I had more time, I honestly would have gone for 100% completion, that's how much I enjoyed this game.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a must-play if you've never experienced it, and it's absolutely worth revisiting if you want to relive one of Rockstar's best classics.
8/10
