GTA San Andreas vs GTA Vice City: Top 5 things that separated the two successful games

GTA San Andreas and GTA Vice City were two of the most popular GTA games of their time. These games had major differences between them, which gave them a distinct individual flavor.

GTA Vice City came out in 2002 as a significant improvement over GTA 3. GTA San Andreas came out two years later with even greater changes. These three games helped establish the GTA franchise as one of the best in the open-world genre.

This often brings up questions on the differences between the 3D Universe GTA games. This article will look at some of the key factors that set these games apart from each other.

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5 major differences between GTA San Andreas vs GTA Vice City

1) The Maps

The most obvious difference between both the games is their maps. Vice City is a recreation of Miami in the 1980s, whereas San Andreas is an entire state comprised of three different cities.

The size difference between these maps is massive. San Andreas is a large map that includes Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas. Together with its surrounding regions, San Andreas has become the second-largest GTA map of all time.

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2) Player abilities

Up until GTA Vice City, the protagonists were only able to walk, run and jump. They couldn't climb, perform advanced combat moves, or even swim.

CJ, the protagonist in GTA San Andreas, could do all of the above. He could also learn fighting moves and train himself in gyms.

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3) Customization

Clothing in GTA Vice City was limited to a few outfits that the player could equip. GTA San Andreas revamped this feature considerably with countless purchasable apparel and accessories.

In the latter game, vehicles could also be freely modified at various mod shops throughout the game world. Another aspect was body fat and muscle maintenance. Eating too much would turn CJ fat while working out would develop muscles.

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4) RPG-like features

A feature unique to GTA San Andreas was its RPG-like stats progression. Player skills and statistics such as driving or swimming could be upgraded through repeated use.

Each weapon and vehicle category had its own skill statistics that could be similarly advanced. GTA Vice City had no such feature, and Tommy's skills were always the same.

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5) Setting

Another major and obvious difference between the two games is their setting. GTA Vice City is set in a 1980s depiction of Miami, whereas GTA San Andreas portrays the 1990s gang culture in California.

This was a major reason which set GTA Vice City apart from the rest of the games. For a long time, fans have been hoping to return to Vice City in the next GTA game. Their hopes have been rekindled by rumors that GTA 6 will be set in Vice City.

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This article reflects the opinions of the writer.