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GTA Vice City Stories is a sequel to Vice City, taking place two years before the latter game's events in 1984. As such, Rockstar Games made several changes to the map to explain this difference, such as buildings being under construction, having a different layout, or not existing at all. This was also done due to the PSP's hardware limitations, the handheld console on which the game was first released.
Some changes could also have been made to simply make the map worth exploring and to keep the experience fresh. So, here's a small list of some of the biggest map differences between GTA Vice City stories and Vice City.
5 ways the GTA Vice City Stories map is different compared to GTA Vice City
1) Ocean View Hotel
As the very first safehouse you acquire in GTA Vice City, the Ocean View Hotel holds a special place in many players' hearts. The building's iconic neon lighting blends in perfectly with the several other neon-lit hotels on Ocean Drive. Now, GTA Vice City Stories has improved neon lighting throughout the game, with the colors being more vibrant and the light being more pronounced.
However, this particular building wasn't lit up by any lights in 1984. In fact, the Ocean View Hotel sign doesn't exist, and you can't enter it either. While the architecture remains mostly similar, the color scheme is a bit different. The Ocean View Hotel is based on The Clevelander Hotel in Miami.
2) Lance Vance's Apartment
The Vance brothers are the main focus of GTA Vice City Stories, with Victor Vance being the playable protagonist. Lance has a house of his own in 1984's Vice City, which, strangely, is called an apartment in-game. This is a massive house with a two-car garage and a separate helipad; its interior is featured in cutscenes.
The house is naturally much more detailed in Vice City Stories, as it's included in the storyline. However, it doesn't make sense how parts of the building were removed two years later (in Vice City). The helipad spawns a Hunter in GTA Vice City if you collect all 100 Hidden Packages.
3) Pole Position Club
The Pole Position Club is the only strip club in Vice City that you can enter and interact with. It also plays a brief role during the storyline as it's implied that Mercedes Cortez works here. In GTA Vice City Stories, the building gets a similar treatment to that of Ocean View Hotel.
While the building itself exists, it looks bland and nondescript. The iconic neon lighting is missing, and you can't enter it anymore. It somewhat makes sense from a story perspective, as Victor Vance isn't the kind of guy who visits strip clubs, but the change was probably made due to hardware limitations.
4) Washington Beach Fairground
This is one of the very few places in GTA Vice City Stories that is completely new. The fairgrounds are home to various snack and game booths, and there's a Mr. Whoopee van near one of these booths. The main attraction, however, is the Chunder Wheel, a big Ferris wheel located in the center of the grounds.
You can visit the fairgrounds and ride the Chunder Wheel, which is the first working fairground attraction in the series and the only rotating Ferris wheel in the 3D Universe. San Andreas was the first game in the franchise to introduce a Ferris wheel, but it didn't rotate and was inaccessible. This entire place is empty in Vice City and contains nothing of interest.
5) Malibu Club
Malibu Club is probably the most recognizable location in Vice City after Ocean View Hotel. Sadly, much like with the hotel and the Pole Position Club, the Malibu Club merely exists and is not explorable in GTA Vice City Stories. It doesn't have the characteristic lighting or the logos either.
However, the building retains its overall design, and one of the biggest features—the large Greco-Roman style sculpture—exists in both games.
Check out our other Grand Theft Auto articles here:
Vice City runs on internet router || Vice City gangs in GTA 6 || Mistakes in Vice City || Lore-friendly Vice City mods || Strange Vice City facts || GTA 6 trailer 2 release date
