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When it comes to the non-numbered entries in the franchise, GTA Vice City and San Andreas clearly stand out as two of the most successful. These games have become some of the most beloved in the community. The two titles also have solid fanbases of their own, sometimes even independent of the rest of the series.
Any comparison would spark a lot of debate, as a lot of it comes down to personal choices and preferences. Each Grand Theft Auto game has a unique personality, and some do one particular thing better than others while lacking in another area.
GTA San Andreas and Vice City make for a good comparison as they came out relatively close to one another. Yet, these titles couldn't be any more different in many ways, and we compare these two beloved games from the franchise.
GTA San Andreas vs GTA Vice City: Which is the better game?
1) Graphics
The obvious comparison that jumps out when comparing these two titles are the graphics. Given that San Andreas came out only a little while after Vice City, it was undoubtedly helped by the technological advancement, and Rockstar Games could improve textures on their assets and game world.
However, what Vice City lacked in resolution or textures, was made up for in spades with its art style and color. This game looks beautiful even today, with all its pixelated faces and character models.
While GTA San Andreas demands more out of the PC hardware, Vice City somehow manages to look better with the art-style. It is definitely the more interesting-looking game.
Also, more often than not, GTA San Andreas can come off as a bit bland, with a filter of gold dominating much of the scenery most of the time.
2) Gameplay
There is honestly no debate here, as most would agree that GTA San Andreas has the more refined gameplay. It introduced more RPG mechanics and let players customize CJ's appearance down to his muscle mass and fat.
Therefore, purely from a gameplay perspective, GTA San Andreas easily takes the W here. This game also added swimming to the series, preventing players from dying like in previous titles due to entirely avoidable circumstances. If only Tommy knew how to swim!
CJ can even learn various combat styles from different gyms in this game, adding a layer of complexity never seen before in the franchise.
3) Soundtrack
This is an extremely divisive criteria for comparison, as it all boils down to personal taste when it comes to music. Some fans will enjoy the late 80s and early 90s soundtrack of San Andreas, while others will prefer the neon-lit jams of the 80s from GTA Vice City.
GTA San Andreas' soundtrack is hugely eclectic, including everything from Grunge to Country music. On the other hand, Vice City probably has the most iconic soundtrack in not just gaming, but all of entertainment.
Connoisseurs of pop music from the 80s consider the latter's soundtrack as one of the best collections of music from the 80s. Period. Therefore, just by virtue of how iconic it is, Vice City picks up the W here.
4) Story
GTA San Andreas tells the story of Carl Johnson as he makes his way back to his hometown to attend his mom's funeral and gets sucked back into a world of crime. CJ's primary motivation is to protect his remaining family while also helping the Grove Street Families rise back up to the top.
CJ isn't particularly interested in dominating the city and would much rather get by and let live. His story gets pretty ludicrous at points, including infiltrating secret government labs and stealing jetpacks. GTA San Andreas is merely fun without bothering itself with realism.
On the other hand, Tommy Vercetti is a much more active participant in the story than reactive. He makes things happen as he chases after underworld domination in Vice City and proceeds to lay waste to his competitors and opposition.
His Scarface-like rise to the top, and subsequent domination, makes for genuinely entertaining story moments. However, while neither of these stories are genius, per se, Vice City's is simply that much more fun.
5) Vehicles and map
While in most game franchises, vehicles wouldn't be a definite criterion, the GTA franchise has vehicles as an integral part. After all, it's in the title of the franchise.
Vice City has a pretty varied set of vehicles and vehicle types, but it simply doesn't stack up well against GTA San Andreas. From being able to pilot fighter jets to jetpacks, the latter pretty much has everything.
San Andreas also features a significantly larger map that isn't just restricted to a city but the entire state of San Andreas. By comparison, GTA Vice City feels much smaller and restricted when put alongside the vast expanse of San Andreas.
While the appeal of the two games is similar, they couldn't be further apart when it comes to tone and the desired effect. This is why it mostly boils down to personal taste and preference for these two industry juggernauts.
(Disclaimer: This copy reflects the writer's personal views, and the choice of game lies with the individual's preferences)
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