5 things about GTA Vice City Stories you probably don't know

GTA Vice City Stories is one of Rockstar Games' hidden gems that many new gamers may not know about. The game will be 19 years old this year, in October 2025. Although Vice City Stories was released four years after GTA Vice City, the gameplay serves as a prequel to the latter. In fact, there are many other details you may miss even after multiple playthroughs.

This article lists five interesting things about GTA Vice City Stories that you may not know.

Note: Some parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

5 details from GTA Vice City Stories that are worth knowing

1) It has become a PlayStation-exclusive game

Rockstar has yet to port Vice City Stories to modern platforms (Image via Rockstar Games)

One of the main reasons GTA Vice City Stories is not too popular among modern gamers is that it remains a PlayStation-exclusive title, especially on old-gen consoles. Rockstar Games initially released it on the PlayStation Portable and later ported it to PS2 and PS3.

However, the game does not support backwards compatibility beyond those consoles. Thus, Rockstar Games should consider making a GTA Vice City Stories remaster soon.

2) It was the last title of the 3D Universe

Many believe GTA San Andreas to be the last title of the 3D Universe in the Grand Theft Auto series. However, Rockstar Games released three games thereafter that went under the radar. They are:

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
GTA Vice City Stories

The 2006-released Vice City Stories is the last video game of the 3D Universe. After this, Rockstar Games changed its gameplay presentation and introduced the HD Universe in 2008 with Grand Theft Auto 4.

3) Phil Collins appears in the game

Popular English musician Phil Collins appears as himself in GTA Vice City Stories. This was the first time Rockstar Games introduced a celebrity as themselves in a game. The character appears in the following three missions:

Kill Phil
Kill Phil: Part 2
In the Air Tonight

Readers should note that while many popular celebrities have graced various in-game characters, Rockstar primarily uses their voices and looks for character models. However, Phil Collins was the first artist to physically appear as himself in the game.

Also read: 5 reasons to play GTA Vice City Stories in 2025

4) The multiplayer mode is still working

Many fans don’t know this, but the multiplayer mode of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is still playable. If you and your friends own the PSP version of the game, you can play multiplayer with up to six other local players.

Rockstar Games offers 10 missions that you can take on with friends. Some were also brought back from GTA Liberty City Stories. Nonetheless, you should try roleplaying as various in-game characters and participating in these missions.

5) Victor is better than Tommy in combat

Victor Vance is a trained assassin (Images via Rockstar Games)

Victor Vance is the protagonist of GTA Vice City Stories and has better fighting skills than Tommy. Victor is a military personnel who is trained to fight in various styles. Along with the regular movements, he can grab his enemies and choke them to death.

The military-style melee combat in Vice City Stories is top-notch and provides a thrilling experience.

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About the author

Mridul completed his post-graduation in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies. His career as a journalist began at Sportskeeda, and he has been associated with the Esports & Gaming division for over 1.5 years. He has produced 1600+ articles on Grand Theft Auto, his favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Mridul writes detailed and well-researched articles, relying solely on official sources and reputable insiders for credible information. His immense love for the GTA series shines through in his work, which resonates with readers, with five of his articles having crossed the 100,000 reads mark each. Overall, his reads count stands at close to 8 million.

GTA: Vice City served as Mridul's introduction to Rockstar Games, and he has dedicatedly made his way through the publisher's catalog since then. If given a chance, he would love to drop into the world of Bully and relive his school days. However, he would like to recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to beginners due to the depth of its narrative and in-game mechanics.

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Edited by Dinesh Renthlei