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| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Platform < PS2/Xbox > Developer < Rockstar North > Publisher < Rockstar Games > |
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Second Opinion(s) What do you think of the game? Write your own review or discuss in forums. |
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Gene is right—Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is all about Thanatos. It's all about death, and the destruction and violence that surround it. But this is nothing new to games, and this is nothing new for game reviewers. As Chi brought up in his Dynasty Warriors 3 review, at some point you have to stand back and ask yourself why you receive such enjoyment from this gruesome spectacle. But is this a unique situation for videogames? Is it a unique situation for art in general? It is not in either case. Carnage and destruction has been used for comedic effect and the amusement of the audience in many different areas, to differing levels of success. The crucial thing is how the violence is presented. One reason that the violence can remain appealing in Vice City is because of the level of abstraction. Since you are killing stereotypes in an over-the-top (i.e., unrealistic) manner, there is not the level of human connection and thus, not the compassion that one might expect in the situation of a brutal murder. Since it's all presented as a cartoon and the simplistic bodies just disappear over time, it is easy for the player to revel in a carnival of excess. This is heightened by the satirical nature of the game. As much as Grand Theft Auto borrows from gangster movies, it borrows from social satires, treating everything in the game as a parody, as something to be lampooned. It can be argued whether it does this successfully or not, but it brings up the question of how to analyze the violence. Do we negatively criticize 'A Modest Proposal' for its insensitivity regarding the serious taboo of cannibalism? To do so would be to miss the point entirely. Surely, Grand Theft Auto is not in the realm of Swift in terms of sophistication, but it deserves to be considered within the context of its genre, that being satire. As a sequel, Vice City is barely a progression from Grand Theft Auto III. It's probably better to view it as a refinement, and one that is seriously flawed at that. As Gene notes, there are numerous graphical flaws and aspects that can only be viewed as bugs in the game's programming. But there have been some beneficial changes, and some that have a very real impact on the gameplay. The main area of positive change is in mission design. Missions are now more complex and much harder. Another area of progress is the persona of the main character. Having a personality and a voice to attach to the main character gives the game great focus and narrative flow than the anonymous story of Grand Theft Auto III. The negative changes have been well chronicled by Gene, and it's clear that this game was released well before it was finished. Even though Vice City has its problems, it still is a case of two steps forward, one step back. Taking all the glitches and the essentially still-born nature of the game into account, it's hard to say that this game deserves all the accolades that it has received. At the same time, it is still a fantastically fun game to play, and that is because it retains the formula that worked so well just a year ago. A great driving engine plus a tongue-in-cheek satirical bent mixed with a healthy dose of black humor equals one of the more mindlessly entertaining modern experiences in videogames. RATING: 8.0Published: December 18, 2002 Disclaimer: This review is based on the PS2 version of the game.
bissugulu says... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has flaws and due to the limitation of the system, media and time to develop (1 year) it is the biggest achievement in the industry to date. Remember that games are entertainment, immediate and disposable comsuption mass product, not art or social values classes for mindless WASPS, like some people refuse to understand. Please analyse a game for what it is: A GAME! RATING: 10
Benco says... RATING: 9.0 Pepe says... The Grand Theft Auto series is so good, in such a bad way. Their latest installment, Vice City, doesn't offer enough of the sweet, leaving time to ponder the sour. The new features and expansions that developers Rockstar Games pumped up the months prior to the release don't provide the shock of the new, and will leave you nostalgic for those bygone times of Grand Theft Auto innocence last year. Basically, Vice City is not the sucker punch we all got from Grand Theft Auto III. It doesn't have the shock, the surprise, the sheer delight of doing something in a video game that is highly immoral, extremely dangerous, and utterly violent. Grand Theft Auto III was something special because we had never seen anything like it before. The video game industry doesn't use this term, but Vice City is basically an upgrade. The most popular and best-selling titles are EA's sports franchises which provide a yearly source of revenue for the gaming behemoth. Sports gamers are a steady consumer base that are willing to shell out the money each year for added features and updated rosters. Vice City was not able to use the momentum from its earlier release to create a playable title start to finish, it can't keep you in town long enough to vindicate Tommy Vercetti. If you're thinking taking a trip to Vice City, swap your ticket for another destination instead. RATING: 5.0 Jim Robertson says... Whether you are a 45 year old or a 14 year old, this game is great for all ages. The thing that makes this game so good is the freedom it gives you. You could either go with the crime aspect, or if you enjoy the racing section, you can evolve this into something like The Fast And The Furious or Midnight Club Racing. That's the beauty of it! You can always feel free to cruise the streets and take on any of the racing competitions you wish. The graphics are awesome, the audio is fantastic, and the fun factor is amazing! To sum it all up: Very fun, very playable. I give it a perfect ten. RATING: 10 DC69 says... Many game critics gave the default answer and said that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is an entertaining game that builds upon its predecessor, but in reality, the game is nothing more than an expansion pack. I applaud Gene and Thom for giving their opinions instead of just following the crowd. I agree with everything that was stated in the original review and the Second Opinion. What I cannot understand is the reaction of the pubic opinion's posted before me. Jim Robinson writes of the games freedom, but I just don't see that aspect as being a true plus because this "freedom" is confined within the parameters of the missions. If you are looking for a game that will let you do what you want, buy Deus Ex, it's much more rewarding. Bissugulu writes of the game's one year of development before release. I'm sorry, but no one put a gun to Rockstar's head telling them to release an unfinished game. I believe that the problems that are present in Vice City are inexcusable, and are proof that Rockstar was more interested in turning a quick buck instead of making a quality title. (Also I suggest that bissugulu take a look at the sites mission statement and relate it to Gene's review.) For what it is, Vice City is a good game but not nearly as great as it should have been. But that's just my two cents. RATING: 8.5 Sean Riley says... I'll chip in on the game quickly: I think that Thom more or less has it, except that I'd emphasise the good parts of the game above the bad. While it's occasionally horrific to realise exactly how much fun you're having with such horrible subject matter, the game is fun. I disagree entirely with DC69 about the game's freedom -- There's lots of it. You don't have to do missions all the time, and it's just fun to set car chases up for yourself and blast through VC. What I will also disagree with, however, are Bissugulu's comments. These reviews, though I disagreed with them, were excellent. Both attempted to answer why they had problems with the game, and if those problems stem from a wider social perspective, then so be it! If I wanted cookie-cutter, bog-standard reviews, I'd be at Gamespot, Gamespy, or IGN. Great reviews guys, and keep up the thoughtful videogame discussion. RATING: 9.0 drjohnnyfever says... I'm a little annoyed at the shallow-mindedness of some responses - especially those of the "Review The Game As A GAME!" variety. There was a time when moviesand television and even theater, were considered just plain old entertainment - where you couldn't have any social subtext or deeper meaning because, dammit, we just want to be entertained! Unfortunately, games, like TV and movies, are constantly evolving. Like any other form of media, games have the potential to reach into different subjects, to make us think about them and in some instances, CHANGE the way we think about them. While Grand Theft Auto: VIce City doesn't, by any means, reward the player for doing something good anymore than doing something evil (putting out fires in a stolen fire truck brings a reward as does attacking someone on the street and taking their money), by learning the subtle nuances of Tommy Vercetti's character (the bit when he talks to the man at the printing press about his father is a prime example), it can't help but make you wonder "what kind of person am I playing here?" Indeed, something that is "just a game" can, in some ways, become a form of interactive theater. And GTA: Vice City, any graphical or gameplay flaws aside, is afirst big step in that direction. Seriously, if you want to play a game that's "just a game", pick up a copy of Namco Museum and play PacMan until your fingers bleed. RATING: 8.5 Purchases made through these links help support this web site.
Reader Second Opinions |
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