The revival of the Grand Theft Auto series has finally arrived sooner than expected on consoles and instead of choosing the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, the developers at Rockstar Games have finally opted for Sony's handheld. After having modeled in 3D Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas, the publisher is gradually revisiting the cities that made the success of the series. But beyond being content with a simple update, the development team has refined their game down to the smallest detail. And in the case of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Rockstar Games had pulled out all the stops for us. with a new scenario and therefore new characters but also and above all real multiplayer modes that fell by the wayside following its PlayStation 2 adaptation. Now, we change suburbs and go back a few years with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. It was unquestionably the episode that launched a new wave of console gaming. The simulation of gangsterism was therefore born with the creation of Tommy Vercetti, a small junk mafioso who went to mess with the big drug pundits to set up his business. The primary inspiration for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is unequivocally Brian De Palma's film: Scarface. Tony Montana… Tommy Vercetti… Two different nationalities but one and only goal: glory and recognition even if it means having blood on your hands and a little powder under your nose. But the mimicry between Rockstar's game and the feature film did not stop there. The developers even went so far as to recreate the atmosphere of the 1980s, from his clothes to his music, passing by his cars or the architecture of the buildings.
Boys don’t cry
And therefore, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories takes up this delectable universe for the simple reason that this part takes place a few years before the adventures of Tommy. Three years before, very precisely. This means that our flower-shirted hero has not yet spent his memorable short stay in prison and it is therefore quite natural that he gives way to a new protagonist: Victor Vance. This name is not unknown to you if you have played GTA: Vice City, is it? Vance is the last name of Lance, to whom you lent a hand in 2002. And Victor - Vic for friends - is his brother. He does not have the same motivations as his brother but unfortunately the vagaries of life and the filth of his hierarch will push him to fend for himself, doing odd jobs after odd jobs before falling into the trap of gangsterism . He who dreamed of a military career in Vice City, here he is now scheming from right to left with the kind of rather unsavory types.
The scoundrels he meets will lead him to discover the joys of drug trafficking, extortion, illegal arms sales, mole beatings, blackmail and corruption. In short, the daily routine of a resident of Vice City who has long teeth. But despite his occupations, Vic does not have a bad background which contrasts quite well with Tommy Vercetti, Carl Johnson or Tony Cipriani. It's because of this that he's going to be fooled like a cheat by his senior officer who loves porn movies featuring a jumble of Candy Suxx, who needs no introduction, two three pigs and a well-hung bull . When he's not glued to the small screen, he smokes his brain with substances banned in Vice City. And strong in his hierarchical position, he asks you to round up his favorite prostitute and his usual cam. This little game works for a while before the other soldiers at Fort Baxter Air Force Base discover the pot of roses and see you as a mess.
I ran so far away
If you remember the layout of GTA: Vice City, Fort Baxter is located on the second island of the game released on PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the one that had to be unlocked after a few hours of play or involuntarily because of a bug in the game. And so it is in the area of Downtown, Little Haiti, Little Havana and Escobar International Airport that you will rediscover the city. Again, the developers at Rockstar Games have made some aesthetic changes to have the impression of evolving in a new city. But due to the fact that the events take place only a few years with GTA: Vice City, the modifications are not as obvious as in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. A few buildings here or there. One or two constructions announcing the future buildings that Tommy Vercetti will visit. Suffice to say that if at the bend of a bend, we can be surprised, as a general rule we find our bearings very quickly and as soon as the first car is stolen we leave immediately on the small island of Starfish Island to see the future residence of Tommy Vercetti in hoping to find a good hideout. Alas, it is not yours and you will have to settle for the small apartment in Vice Port. Of course, the more you progress in the game, the more hiding places you will unlock. In the meantime, you will walk around to notice the few additions made by Rockstar Games. Let's start with the vehicles. Already impressive in 2002, the title recovers some devices that have proven themselves, especially in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This is how we find the BMX, the Jet-ski or the Quad alongside motorcycles, boats and helicopters. Regardless of your mode of transport, you will notice that some designs have changed and new brands have appeared.
At the bend of an alley, you will come face to face with a Rodeo icon that forces you to slaughter as many gangsters or cars as possible in the allotted time and with a given weapon. And then, oddly, you notice the presence of balloons without paying attention to them before taking a detour in the statistics menu. And there, you realize that this is a new thread for GTA: Vice City Stories. The hidden packages have disappeared to make way for these floating balloons that you will have to explode using a firearm to unlock guns in your hideout. As usual, every tenth your arsenal fills up. Suffice to say that spotting the 99 balloons will not be easy because if it was already difficult to get your hands on the 100 dope packets stashed in GTA: Vice City, here you have to walk around with your nose in the air to discover them. and what is more, it is necessary to be armed. And that's often what you're missing when you get picked up by law enforcement or killed by Cubans. But Rockstar Games has the solution to overcome this problem, for a fee. Leaving the police station or the hospital you can recover your weapons against a bribe of $2000. Very handy especially if you have spent hours of play to recover a maximum of ammunition in order to type a muscular cosette with the rival gangs caulked in their strongholds.
Hyperactive !
This is certainly the biggest novelty of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Called Bastions in Saints Rows, these are in the case of the Rockstar Leeds game sites owned by the clans that dominate the city. It abounds in the four corners of the city and it is up to you to recover them in order to enlarge your "Empire" and earn as much money as possible daily. By attacking the vehicle parked in front of each of these buildings, you will trigger a mini guerrilla which, in the event of victory, ensures the removal of the former tenants. All you have to do is pay rubies on the nail to take possession of it and develop a new profitable activity. You have the possibility of setting up 5 different businesses which are each worth their weight in peanuts. Racketeering, Usurer, Prostitution, Drugs, Smuggling and Burglary, for each activity you will have to succeed in a certain number of missions in order to unlock a larger participation bonus which will be added daily to your financial funds. And for even more mesh, you can change your bouiboui in size. Only, the task will be more difficult than it seems because you will have to regularly sinter with the local police and the rival gangs on mission.
Better to be well armed and equipped with a bulletproof vest to face the situation. What's more, you can have your back by recruiting a few guys from your cartel. But things get seriously complicated when the police get involved in your business. Forget the disconcerting ease of a Saints Row, the return to reality GTA is much more difficult because the cops have gained in aggressiveness. It will take a lot of courage and a lot of luck to reach the maximum number of research stars. At the first level of alert, it's finger in the nose. The cops follow you timidly in cars and the few zealous police bikers will fall off their mounts at the slightest shock. At the second level, things get complicated quickly with cops who have gained in shooting accuracy and who knock your tires as quickly as possible when you flee by car. Infuriating! So with 3 stars, Miami Vice-style agents are having a blast and the harrows are popping up all the time. Imagine the topo – without cheating bunch of smart guys! – when the swats, the FBI or the army get involved, we have a good laugh thinking back to Saints Row, especially since even the escape in a car has become an ordeal. Usually, the police didn't resist much when you went off in a hurry. Now, even during your maneuvers, they manage to stop you. The situation is worse with motorcycles as soon as you get on them. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is not a fitness trail or on a mission.
Missing you
Could it be the gameplay fault? No, it's basically the hallmark of Rockstar Games, now it's true that the handling would have deserved some modifications because since Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and more generally since Grand Theft Auto 3, it doesn't has not changed. You will say to me: "So much the better like that the regulars of the series will quickly find their bearings." It's not false. But over time and years, we notice that the aiming pedals a little in the semolina because of its known rigidity since Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories therefore uses the same lock system. The only problem is that when a dozen enemies land, you don't really know where to turn. In addition to targeting an opponent, you have to think about moving Vic to put him in cover, which leads to a succession of buttons to press. ? L1 (draw), Circle (shoot), L2 or R2 (change target) plus the analog stick, that's a bit much you don't think, even for a Dual Shock. Afterwards, it's true that for the rest of the actions everything is back to normal even for the swimming phases. Hallelujah! Our new avatar can't swim like that bumbling Tony Cipriani from Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. This does not mean that Vic Vance appropriated all the evolutions of GTA: San Andreas. So the developers have again overlooked the skills to develop, too bad, and the management of your hero (feeding him, combing his hair, dressing him…), phew! Still from a gameplay point of view, a little thing still bothers us without being a real flaw. The driving of vehicles has gained in precision, a little too much moreover, which means that the slightest maneuver can quickly go off the rails and that it is difficult to keep a straight trajectory on the main boulevards. In addition, cars, motorcycles, boats and trucks are not as resistant as before, thus forcing us to change mounts too regularly.
Keep on loving you ?
Now, when it comes to the jump from PSP to PlayStation 2, Rockstar Leeds made the same mistakes as Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. First, note the cruel absence of multiplayer modes which are undoubtedly the advantage of the portable version. GTA remains and will remain a game for loners on Sony's black monolith despite the presence of a pseudo 2-player mode on GTA: San Andreas. And so Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be no exception to the rule, ouch! The other conversion was missing is at the level of the game's graphics engine. Less fine than on PSP and its screen with enticing colors, GTA: Vice City Stories reveals new bugs which are added to the long list on which we spent the sponge. We will do the same here although it is starting to make us sweat in the same way as the few frame-rate quirks that can play tricks on us in missions. Otherwise for the rest, everything goes smoothly. We rediscover with emotion the music of the 1980s through a wide range of radio stations that are still just as eclectic, full of humor and provided by outstanding hosts. But the soundtrack of GTA: Vice City Stories would be nothing without the furry dubbing orchestrated by Rockstar Games and which suit each personality perfectly. Finally, we note to finish that the configuration of the controller has changed somewhat, especially for the multidirectional cross which becomes a left analog stick bis.
