Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 action-adventure game published by Rockstar Games. It is the fourth main game to enter in the Grand Theft Auto series , following 2001's Grand Theft Auto III. It was set in 1986 within the fictional Vice City (based on Miami), the story follows mobster Tommy Vercetti’s rise to power after being released from prison and becoming caught up in an ambushed drug deal. While seeking out those responsible, he slowly builds an empire by seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city.
The game is played from a third-person perspective and the player is controlled on foot or by vehicle. The open world lets the player to roam freely in Vice City, consisting of two main islands. The game is based on several real-world people and events in Miami such as Cubans, Haitians, and Biker Gangs, The game was also influenced by the film and television of the era, Scarface and Miami Vice. The developers worked creating the game world to fit the inspiration and time period; the development team conducted field research in Miami while creating the game world.
The game was released in October 2002 for the Play Station 2, Microsoft Windows in May 2003 and for the Xbox in October 2003.
Grand Theft Auto Vice City became the best-selling video game of 2002 and has sold over 17.5 million copies. Considered one of the greatest video game ever made, it won numerous year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications. An enhanced version was released for mobile platforms in 2012 for the game's tenth anniversary, and a further enhanced version was released in 2021. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was released in October 2004, and a prequel Vice City Story was released in October 2006.
