Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Even if you forgot that this is simply a better version of award-winning Grand Theft Auto 3, GTA: Vice City for the PC would wow you just on its merits as a motorcycle racing game. But you also get boats, helicopters, property to own, and a unified 1980s aesthetic (right down to the soundtrack). We

81%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

stability, grinding

74% User Score Based on 9,992 reviews

Critic Score 94%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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About

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a single player open world shooter game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Rockstar Games and was released on January 4, 2008. It received very positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" is an open-world sandbox game set in 1986 Vice City, a fictional city based on Miami. After a failed drug deal, criminal Tommy Vercetti seeks to pay off his debt and take over the city, using a wide variety of vehicles and weapons. The game features '80s radio stations and satirizes the era's culture, creating an intense and entertaining atmosphere.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,992 reviews

story171 positive mentions

stability149 negative mentions

story
812 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The story of the game is generally praised for its nostalgic value and engaging narrative, reminiscent of classic crime dramas. However, many players report significant issues with mission completion due to technical glitches, particularly with vehicle controls and mission-specific mechanics, which hinder progress and enjoyment. While the storyline remains compelling, the frequent crashes and bugs detract from the overall experience, leaving some players frustrated and unable to fully engage with the game's content.
- “The story is really well done and gameplay and graphics are excellent overall rating: 10/10 this is a must-play game for everyone and I totally recommend it.”
- “The graphics are enhanced, the controls are a bit finicky for beginners and the overall experience is extremely satisfying, with the classic storyline and tunes in the radio.”
- “This game truly brings back my memory.. it's a great port, has a great story, characters, a bunch of missions, and beautiful scenery.”
- “The game is plagued with bugs; cars' maneuverability is awful, and I'm currently stuck on the mission 'Spilling the Beans' since the right-hand buttons are gone, preventing me from getting into a car or running or shooting.”
- “The mission 'Dildo Dodo' is impossible to complete because the plane won't take off from the water, making it frustrating to progress.”
- “I can't complete the first mission because the game keeps crashing, which is incredibly disappointing after spending money on it.”
graphics
533 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
35%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting improvements over the original versions but still finding them lacking compared to modern standards. While some appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and smooth performance on mobile devices, others criticize issues like pixelation, glitches, and a general lack of detail. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics are decent for a mobile port, they could benefit from further enhancements and optimization.
- “The graphics are impressive, but if you try to complete the missions it will crash.”
- “The graphics are very good for being played on a phone with no noticeable lag or glitching.”
- “The game was amazingly great just like the PC version and I like it because I really didn't expect the game to be pretty much the same as the PC graphics and all other experiences of the game.”
- “Just minor problems with the controls and there's a graphical downgrade for the textures in my game for some reason.”
- “The graphics are not too great, but they aren't terrible, and you get used to them.”
- “The graphics are bad, the controls are bad; you can get better games for free like Gangstar Vegas. I wasted my bucks.”
stability
163 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
2%
91%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and various glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players express frustration over mission failures and control issues, leading to a poor overall experience. While some users note that the game runs well on certain devices, the overwhelming sentiment is that it requires urgent fixes to address the multitude of bugs affecting its performance.
- “The game even works with missions quite well, no glitches, proper gaming, and nothing much in terms of bugs that I have recently come across.”
- “For such an old game, it runs great on a good mobile device.”
- “The best mobile GTA, runs great and looks and feels amazing.”
- “But now whenever I play, it doesn't get past the opening menu or when I play there's a serious lag on the screen, so the camera just freezes and for some reason I cannot walk into the mission markers or shoot any weapons.”
- “This game is now having problems whenever I do a stunt in slow mode; it's now stuck and won't clear. I had to close the game and reopen it, and it still freezes every time I do a slow mode stunt. Please fix it or I will uninstall it and give this a lower star review.”
- “It's a good game but filled with graphical glitches.”
gameplay
142 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
41%
11%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic value and smooth mechanics, while others criticize the controls, particularly for shooting and driving, as well as frequent crashes and bugs. Players have noted issues with auto-aim, vehicle handling, and mission glitches, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, some users still find the gameplay enjoyable and recommend it for its engaging story and graphics.
- “The gameplay is really smooth.”
- “Amazing gameplay, the controls are nice, the game is even better than I remember.”
- “Fantastic gameplay, great service, and an all out good fun of casual reckless lawbreaking.”
- “I was not expecting this garbage gameplay from one of my favorite games.”
- “Gameplay is a disaster for missions that are not basic.”
- “Game crashes often, after about 10 minutes of gameplay, while watching the cut scenes.”
music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
41%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic 80s soundtrack and excellent use of licensed tracks, particularly from radio stations, making it one of the best soundtracks in the GTA series. Many players appreciate the vibrant atmosphere created by the music, although some express disappointment over missing songs, particularly from artists like Michael Jackson. Overall, the soundtrack significantly enhances the gameplay experience, evoking fond memories and adding to the game's charm.
- “Awesome 80s soundtrack as well!”
- “Excellent use of licensed music, they've captured the vibe they were after.”
- “The soundtrack invokes nostalgia.”
- “The game is incomplete for me when there's no MJ songs in it when there used to be.”
- “I like the story and music in the game but the controls are awful and make the missions seem impossible to do.”
- “Great classic, as good as when I played it on PS2... shame a couple of songs are missing.”
optimization
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
22%
10%
Overall, user reviews on optimization for the game are mixed. While some players report smooth performance and effective optimization on various devices, others experience issues such as crashes, stuttering, and graphical glitches, particularly on newer chipsets. Many users suggest that further optimization is needed to enhance the gaming experience, especially for mobile platforms.
- “It was an amazing experience; the app is perfectly built and optimized for every device.”
- “Super smooth and no such thing as heating... no battery drain... amazing optimization... even with several graphics options... really great job Rockstar.”
- “My forever favorite game of all time and the game's perfectly optimized for a mobile device.”
- “There are some areas that need optimization like slight jitteriness and dropped frames with the animations rendering weirdly here and there when there's a lot of action, but it's great otherwise.”
- “Worst game experience; worst control need to be optimized. This was not expected from Rockstar.”
- “Just need more optimization of graphical issues on newer chipsets.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its nostalgic charm, hilarious NPC interactions, and amusing scenarios, such as escaping police while hiding. Many reviews appreciate the blend of funny and serious elements, as well as the game's quirky glitches that add to its comedic value. Overall, the humor is a significant factor in the game's enjoyment, making it a standout feature for players.
- “Would give it 5 stars because it's all there, the entire game with its wonky graphics and hilarious NPCs in all its glory just like it used to be back in the days.”
- “Those talk radio station guys, they are hilarious.”
- “This game is extremely cool, runs extremely smoothly. Fun fact: nobody can swim in Vice City and you're safe from the cops inside buildings; they just shoot the wall and nobody can even climb, which is really funny.”
monetization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
9%
27%
The game is praised for its lack of ads and in-game purchases, providing a straightforward purchase model that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the absence of monetization tactics, which allows for uninterrupted gameplay reminiscent of classic titles. However, some users have reported issues with ads appearing after gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about the monetization approach.
- “No ads or in-game purchases (this game originally came out in 2002) and just a brilliant game in every way.”
- “Alot to do and no ads, no pay to play, worth the purchase, lots.”
- “The game is fun to play, and most importantly, there are no in-app purchases!!!!”
- “I keep getting so many ads, which is very annoying!”
- “There is an advertisement after every 5 minutes.”
- “What a cash grab! I got like 2 minutes of gameplay and can't get a refund.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with players, particularly those who have nostalgic ties to it from childhood, evoking heartwarming memories and deep connections. However, some users have reported technical issues that detract from the overall experience, impacting their ability to fully engage with the game's emotional narrative.
- “I would give it a 10 star but it takes me back to when I was 7, and it's just heartwarming.”
- “What an emotional game.”
- “Buy only if you have an emotional connection from your childhood.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its nostalgic 80s vibe reminiscent of Vice City, contributing to an engaging experience. However, some players find it undermined by poor controls, erratic NPC behavior, and questionable game mechanics, leading to a mixed reception overall.
- “The story, the atmosphere, the gunplay, the cars, and assets are great!”
- “Good old Vice City with its 80s atmosphere.”
- “Do not buy this game...the atmosphere is refreshing, along with shite controls, suicidal NPCs, morally compromising rhetoric, and illogical physics.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to cumbersome touchscreen controls and slow texture loading, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, missions in older GTA titles are often described as boring and repetitive, further contributing to the sense of grind.
- “The controls on any handheld touchscreen device are particularly tedious, so it takes getting used to.”
- “Great port, but even on a brand new flagship, the textures load way too slowly, making driving around super tedious.”
- “GTA: San Andreas and later have this issue, and with these older GTA games, the missions are usually boring and tedious.”

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94%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews

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Buy Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

10h Median play time

17h Average play time

18h Main story

40h Completionist

4-38h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a open world shooter game with comedy theme.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 18 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 40 hours to finish. On average players spend around 17 hours playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released on January 4, 2008.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was developed by Rockstar Games.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a single player game.

Similar games include Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition, Saints Row 2 and others.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

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