Well, it's the best classic sandbox game in a true retrowave style. It takes you to a nostalgic and loaded 80s full of prosperity, neon, clubs of the time, palm trees & very good musical atmosphere, festive, full of sensations and with a great soundtrack and good life <3.

I guess I don't need to comment more about this endearing game, since everyone knows it...marked a before and after in the aesthetic culture...

Tommy Vercetti never misses.

Out of the original 3D trilogy Vice City was the title I didn't beat until recently (yesterday actually) and it honestly might be my favorite of the 3, yes San Andreas has vastly superior gameplay especially when it comes to age and a better world overall, there is just something about the vibe of running around 80s Florida fighting off mobsters listening to Billie Jean that just gives me feels, might be blinding nostalgia and Scarface, but still.

Now let's talk story and since Vice City came out in 2002 I'm gonna throw in spoilers because I really don't care at this point haha. To give a little backstory Sonny Forelli sets up Tommy Vercetti in 1971 Liberty City, Tommy being told to take out a guy in which he is setup in an ambush instead, but somehow survives, is caught, and is the notorious "Harwood Butcher." Tommy is sentenced to 15 years (good lawyers, like really good) and is eventually released in 1986 and he arrives in Vice City (OOOOOH HE SAID IT) and Sonny isn't happy with this and sets him up in another ambush, wow he really doesn't learn because HE SURVIVES AGAIN. Now in order to "retrieve" the money and cocaine that is "lost" in the deal Tommy ends up working for multiple people including Colonel Juan Cortez, Ricardo Diaz, Avery Carrington, etc. Tommy does know that Sonny set him up so he instead is making waves for himself an "enterprise" as you will so he'll end up buying properties and rack up way more money to pay back Sonny, but let's be real he was never going to.

Gameplay is much improved than the previous title 3, driving is a lot smoother, the combat at least on PC is fairly similar but new weapons are added, you can buy properties for steady income, you can change your outfits in-game, map size is almost doubled, etc etc definitely missing some others. Everything just feels smoother and bigger than ever here. Only real thing I dislike about Vice City's gameplay is mission structure, not the main structure in the beginning as everything works well, but towards the middle/end half of the game you need to have 6 building assets done before you can unlock the last mission and there is no prompt so if you don't already know this like I didn't you are in for a time, thankfully there is youtube.

The OST here is absolutely amazing, Rockstar doesn't miss when it comes to this department like ever. You'll be listening to songs like; I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock of Seagulls, Kids in America - Kim Wilde, Atomic - Blondie, Africa - Toto, Out of Touch - Hall & Oates, Bllie Jean - Michael Jackson, The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Magic's Wand - Whodini, Bassline - Matronix, Ghetto Life - Rick James, Behind the Groove - Teena Marie, ♥♥♥ On Feel The Noize - Quiet Riot, Bark at the Moon - Ozzy Osbourne, Madhouse - Anthrax, I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister, Peace Sells - Megadeth, Super Strut - Deodato, and obviously a lot more I haven't named off. This is a good mix from every station in-game, again amazing.

The cast are amazing; Ray Liotta voicing Tommy Vercetti, Burt Reynolds voicing Avery Carrington, William Fichtner voicing Ken Rosenburg, Tom Sizemore voicing Sonny Forelli, Luis Guzmán voicing Ricardo Diaz, Dennis Hopper voicing Steve Scott, Danny Trejo voicing Umberto Robina, Gary Busey voicing Phil Cassidy, Philip Michael Thomas voicing Lance Vance, Robert Davi voicing Colonel Juan Cortez, Lee Majors voicing Mitch Baker, Fairuza Balk voicing Mercedes Cortez, plus many more I didn't mention. Star studded cast where everyone is pulling their own weight.

So yes, obviously I would recommend Vice City. Yes it has aged in a lot of areas, but I would recommend getting some sort of mod pack regardless, Steam Guides have a lot of them listed so you'll be good, for me I used ReVC my playthrough so everything felt pretty good. Rockstar did an incredible job here with Vice City and I really don't think I need to say anymore.