5 reasons why fans like GTA Vice City’s story

GTA Vice City's story is better than what most people give it credit for.

The story starts with Tommy Vercetti getting out of a maximum-security prison after serving a 15-year sentence for butchering 11 people sent to kill him. He then heads off to Vice City to do a drug deal with the Vance family, but it goes horribly wrong, and he's stuck in Vice City trying to fix all of these problems.

It's an older GTA game, so its story isn't too complicated. In a way, it's pretty nice that it's so easy to follow. Some fans will point out the obvious references to Scarface, but GTA Vice City's story can be summarized as more than just a Scarface clone.

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Some of the reasons why GTA Vice City's story was good

5) The first voiced protagonist with a personality in the GTA series

Tommy being voiced did wonder for the story (Image via GTA Wiki)

The difference between a silent protagonist and a voiced one is staggering. In GTA 3, Claude took whatever orders were given to him and did it accordingly. The players couldn't figure out much about Claude's character. He cannot speak what's on his mind due to being mute.

Fortunately, GTA Vice City fans were able to understand Tommy's motivations. Not only that, but being a voiced protagonist with a personality allows him to showcase his character, which makes it easier for players to get into the overall storyline of GTA Vice City.

4) It's a simple story

There's still twists and turns, of course (Image via GTA Wiki)

A complicated story isn't always a good one. Likewise, a simple story isn't always bad. GTA Vice City indicates the latter statement, as although the storyline is simple and easy to follow, it's still well-written.

A well-written storyline can make players remember the events of the game long after they beat it. For example, many GTA Vice City players still remember Lance Vance's shocking betrayal.

3) It showcases Tommy's rise to power

Diaz's POV before getting killed (Image via GTA Wiki)

Previous GTA titles either had incredibly simplistic mission structures and storylines, or they had nothing of that sort. GTA Vice City, in many ways, helped modernize the more modern GTA style when it came to its storytelling.

Here, Tommy Vercetti is a nobody who isn't immediately aware that his old childhood friend would betray him (according to an old IGN interview with Dan Houser). He's left to do some bidding in Vice City, but everything goes wrong.

Instead, Tommy is forced to figure out everything on his own. The allies he acquires come across rather naturally by GTA standards, and it helps that he's a voiced protagonist whose motivations are made clear to the audience.

2) All of the major characters work fluidly with the storyline

Sonny Forelli is a memorable antagonist (Image via Rockstar Games)

Some GTA games have a problem where some important characters come and go, often leaving them to wonder what is happening to them. In GTA Vice City, players know that Sonny is in Liberty City, and they see what happens to the other characters in the game.

Lance Vance has great chemistry with Tommy Vercetti, which makes their dynamic and eventual conflict all the more interesting to see. Villains like Ricardo Diaz fulfill their part in the story, as do other allies like Ken Rosenberg.

Ultimately, GTA Vice City's story is coherent, and players don't have to guess what every character's motivations and fates are.

1) A satisfying ending

A simple but satisfying ending (Image via GTA Wiki)

Any good story should have a satisfying ending that leaves the player feeling in an intended manner. In GTA Vice City, Tommy is betrayed by Lance Vance, and he eventually kills him and Sonny to remove any threats to his power in Vice City.

Tommy is at the top of the world by this point, and the player can tell. There are no more obstacles to his journey, and it isn't necessarily a happy ending where everything went according to plan.

Instead, it's a logical ending befitting of the new drug kingpin in Vice City.

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Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.