Vice City vs Liberty City: Which location should Rockstar revisit in GTA 6?

Fans love to debate the next location for GTA 6: will it be located in Vice City, Liberty City, or elsewhere?

The first two locations are beloved cities within the GTA universe. What makes them so interesting is how different they are. Vice City is bright, colorful, and mostly flat (in terms of terrain), whereas Liberty City is dark, gloomy, and a little more varied in map design.

Of course, it is vital to note that neither location has been confirmed as the next destination within GTA 6. This article is entirely conjecture, so it shouldn't be considered confirmation for anything involving GTA 6. With that out of the way, players reading this article can focus on the pros and cons of the two locations and arrive at their own conclusion for what would be better in GTA 6.

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Should Vice City or Liberty City be the next location in GTA 6?

GTA 6 is perhaps the most anticipated video game today (Image via Archyde)

GTA 6 may not be arriving anytime soon, but the fascination with where it might take place is utterly fascinating for fans of the series.

Although the recent game took place in San Andreas, some fans would love to see the next one take a different approach regarding its locale (especially since GTA Online has been the main game for so many years).

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Vice City advantages

Vice City is popular for its retro 80s setting (Image via EssentiallySports)

Colorful beaches and 80s motifs are always a sight to behold. Surprisingly, Vice City hasn't been seen since GTA Vice City Stories, released in 2006. The only games to feature Vice City is GTA 1, GTA Vice City, and GTA Vice City Stories.

It's been nearly a decade and a half since fans last saw it (not to mention that they've never seen an official Vice City with recent graphical improvements).

Vice City has strong roots in drug trafficking, which has only been touched upon a little with Trevor Philips and the GTA Online protagonist. There can easily be a new game mechanic involving it, which could help differentiate GTA 6 from previous games.

Modern Vice City could be a treat for players (Image via Den of Geek)

Another good reason to see Vice City as the primary location in GTA 6 is that modern Vice City is yet to be seen. The last time players saw it canonly was in 1997 with GTA 1.

The last time most players saw Vice City was in 1986 in GTA Vice City. It's been 24-35 years since the last time it was seen (depending on which version players remember).

Vice City disadvantages

The flat terrains of Vice City may not fin into GTA 6 (Image via TweakTown)

The main disadvantage some players might have with Vice City is its flat terrain. There are seldom hills to navigate through, and there are no distinguishable natural landmarks to interest players (compared to Mt. Chiliad in San Andreas) if it was included in GTA 6.

Some players might also not want to see it, in case it abandons the old 80s aesthetic players fondly remember. If GTA 6 does include Vice City, would it feel outdated?

There's a fine line between pandering to a generation and just overdoing it, so it would be interesting to see if a game like GTA 6 could do it correctly.

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Liberty City advantages

Liberty City is the most common location across the GTA series (Image via CodFlaws, YouTube)

Liberty City has appeared in nine games (although some are brief, like in GTA San Andreas), making it the most common location in the GTA series. Despite this, Liberty City feels fresh throughout the different games. The Liberty City in GTA 3 feels different than the Liberty City in GTA 4. While some fans may feel that it has been done to death as a location, its diverse landscape can make the place feel innovative each time players visit it.

Its location and history also make it a prime location for an array of criminal activities. There's less of a focus on drug trafficking, which would allow players in GTA 6 to do more diverse activities. It's even described as "the worst place in America."

Liberty City has more dynamics if it has to be adapted to a new game (Image via LeipeArt (DeviantArt))

One colossal advantage Liberty City has over Vice City is the characters. Vice City has a fantastic cast, but there are two problems involving them in future games.

The first is that most of the cast would be too old to be active, while the second problem is that they're a part of the 3D universe. As GTA 4 and up are part of the HD universe, the most likely characters to show up would be from GTA 4.

Liberty City disadvantages

Players might consider Liberty City to be a bit boring looks-wise (Image via GTAV Reddit)

As previously mentioned, Liberty City is a bit overexposed as a location. Even if there's a lot one can do in this location, it isn't exactly "innovative" or "fresh." If players consider GTA 4 to still be a recent title, Liberty City has already been seen in the modern era.

Dry, dull colors might be suitable for some settings. However, some players would consider Liberty City to be a bit boring to look at, especially after seeing San Andreas in GTA 5. There would have to be several improvements to Liberty City to include it in GTA 6.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects only the writer's opinions.