Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the fourth game in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was developed and released by Rockstar in 2002 for PlayStation 2. In 2003, it was ported to PC.
The game serves as a prequel to the previous installment in the series - GTA 3. The storyline unfolds in 1986 in Vice City, a city reminiscent of Miami. The main character, Tommy Vercetti, is a recently released member of the Forelli mafia family. Sonny Forelli sends him to Vice City to expand the family business and engage in drug trafficking. However, Tommy's first deal goes awry; the goods and money vanish, and now he must retrieve the stolen items and find out who set him up. In addition to many new characters, the game also includes old acquaintances from the previous game, such as Phil Cassidy and Donald Love.
The overall concept of the game has not changed since the previous installment - the player can still travel through a meticulously modeled city, undertaking both story and side missions as they see fit, performing stunts, and searching for drug statues. A wide variety of weapons and vehicles modeled after real cars of that era are available. In addition to cars and boats, helicopters and seaplanes, as well as motorcycles, have been added to the game. Additionally, the protagonist can now purchase real estate. The player can save in any of the bought houses, and after purchasing certain objects, new story missions become available.
There are so many new types of weapons in the game that it's no longer possible to carry them all at the same time. Weapons are now divided into several categories: melee weapons, pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and heavy weapons.
Missions in the game still vary greatly: no two missions are the same. Tasks range from assassinations and protecting certain individuals to bombarding gang boats with remote-controlled planes.
The game features a plethora of Easter eggs and references to famous crime films, personalities, and the culture of the 1980s in general. The film "Scarface" by Brian De Palma and the series "Miami Vice" are among those that received the most references.
The game received a multitude of enthusiastic reviews from critics and regular players alike. Many prestigious publications named it the best game of the year. The game's rating on Metacritic stands at 95 out of 100 - it ranks sixth among the best games for PlayStation 2 of all time and fourth among the best-selling titles (as of March 2008, the number of copies sold amounted to 17.5 million). To this day, it is often regarded by GTA fans as the best game in the series.
In 2006, a prequel for PlayStation Portable titled Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was released. The game's storyline tells the tale of Victor Vance, the brother of one of the characters from the original game.
In 2008, GTA: Vice City was given Steam support. In Russia, the game was officially released only in 2009 by 1C Soft Club.