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Only a handful of games in the history of modern video gaming have had the kind of longevity GTA Vice City has had. The game has not only been able to bring back fans of the game from 2002, but also found new audiences purely due to its undeniable quality.
Even with how dated some of the elements of the game can feel, GTA Vice City manages to be one of the most celebrated games ever. There are way too many reasons for players to dust off an old copy of GTA Vice City and spend hours in the neon paradise of a city.
So why do players often look past decades of innovation and go back to a title that has been around since the early 2000s? Here's a look at a few potential reasons.
Five great things about GTA Vice City that makes it popular in 2021
#5 - Nostalgia
The age-old adage in gaming, or all of entertainment, is that nostalgia will trump everything else. Regardless of how dated the graphics are, how hokey the voice acting can be at times, or how absurd the controls are, players will put over GTA Vice City.
If only to go back to the virtual streets they grew up playing on, gamers will have powerful and vivid memories attached to the game. Often, they will find themselves rediscovering the game, thinking of it as a time capsule back to the time they first played GTA Vice City.
Replaying old games from the past is often a good exercise to see just how far gaming has come and how much players themselves have evolved.
#4 - The age adds to the charm
Often, with older games of the same ilk as GTA Vice City, age works as not a detriment but something that adds to its value and charm. While newer, younger audiences would be baffled at just how odd some elements of the game are, others come to Vice City precisely for that reason.
Another reason why GTA Vice City's age adds a ton of value to the game is the creative decision by Rockstar Games to have the game set in the 80s. This way, the game is dated, by design.
Meaning the game literally wants to evoke a sense of a period gone by, which it does with brilliant results.
#3 - Interesting cast of characters
Once upon a while, the GTA franchise and Rockstar would regularly call upon Hollywood A-List talent to lend their performances or even likenesses to the game. Actors such as Ray Liotta (Tommy Vercetti), Luis Guzman (Ricardo Diaz), and Danny Trejo (Umberto Robina) are only some that were involved in GTA Vice City.
However, just the performance wasn't alone doesn't warrant all the attention as the writing was also fantastic. Tommy was technically the first voiced protagonist in the series, which made him an instant hit with the fans and a thoroughly interesting protagonist.
Like the fantastic William Fichtner as Ken Rosenberg, every other cast member made GTA Vice City one of the most fun Grand Theft Auto stories to experience.
#2 - Fantastic open-world and influences
The open-world as a genre became a global phenomenon with Grand Theft Auto 3, but a second pass would smooth things over in a major way. Vice City was the culmination of all sorts of influences such as Scarface, Carlito's Way, and more.
The game, primarily based on Miami, Florida, was instantly one of the best locations for a video game that any studio could pick. The city's architecture and layout are ingrained in the players' minds to the point where they probably remember the streets of Vice City better than their hometown.
At no point was Vice City uninviting, as it constantly felt inviting and felt like a place that players could spend hours in without getting bored. It is one of the most monumental achievements in open-world design and a significant reason players come back to the game.
#1 - That soundtrack
It bears no repeating that the soundtrack to GTA Vice City absolutely slaps. Every track is a certified banger that feels just as good as it did the first time players listened to it.
For many, Vice City's radio stations were the introduction to the fantastic music of the 80s. The thing that makes it so remarkable is that it isn't narrowed down to a single genre, as Rockstar curated music from across genres like Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, World, Reggae, and so many more.
Music curators and critics have often cited GTA Vice City as one of the best soundtracks and music collections from the 80s. To the point where fans have purchased millions of copies of the soundtrack by itself.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.
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