Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for Windows

Open world video game

Set in the 1980s, players control mobster Tommy Vercetti as he rises to power in the titular city. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (GTA: V) features over 80 missions spread across a sprawling neon-soaked metropolis and remains a benchmark for open-world games.

Open world legacy

Grand Theft Auto (GTA): Vice City was published by Rockstar Games in 1997. Although it followed the footsteps of other GTA titles (most notably GTA 3), it managed to spawn an equally successful sequel. Additionally, it opened the door for imitators that ranged from the serviceable Sleeping Dogs to the ridiculous Saints Row.

During GTA: Vice City, the framework for many open-world games was put in place. Taking control of a rising mobster, players have the freedom to roam the Miami-inspired Vice City, taking on whatever missions they want. Side quests often feed into the main story or provide interesting diversions that take the player to hidden corners of the map. 

A city full of content

If you’re the kind of player who loves exploring every icon marked on their in-game map, GTA: Vice City will scratch that itch for you. Over the course of roughly 28 hours, you can tackle 87 missions, including 38 story missions, six racing missions, five phone missions, four off-road missions, and three remote-controlled missions.

GTA controversy

The GTA games, including Vice City, are known for allowing players to live out their dark fantasies by pretending to be cops, mowing down pedestrians, and murdering innocent civilians. As a result, GTA: Vice City features a ‘Wanted’ level that builds up with more overtly criminal behavior until armed forces are chasing you down in helicopters and SWAT vans.

Our take

Rockstar went on to refine the Vice City gameplay in their subsequent GTA titles and their own Red Dead Redemption cowboy games. However, Vice City remains an excellent example of an open-world game with plenty to offer modern gamers.

Should you download it?

Yes. The graphics may look dated, and the controls aren’t as fluid as modern GTA titles, but Vice City is still a worthwhile open-world game.