The definitive version of a classic of the early 2000s, which leaves a lot to talk about.
Image credit: Promotional art for GTA: Vice City - The Definitive Edition © Rockstar Games.
Source: Epic Games
Summary
- Name of the game: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition
- Launch date: November 11, 2021
- Developer: Grove Street Games
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series.
- Genre: Action-adventure, open world
- Context: Remaster of a 2002 classic set in a fictional version of Miami in the 80s, part of the GTA Definitive Edition trilogy.
History and narrative
Our story follows Tommy Vercetti, a former member of the Forelli family who, after spending 15 years in prison, is sent to Vice City to set up a drug trafficking operation. A failed business deal leads him to climb the criminal world, facing betrayals and alliances in a vibrant and dangerous city. Truly, a very GTA-style story.
The characters are memorable, the world is well built, with an eighties setting that feels alive, and the dialogue has that touch of black humor characteristic of the saga. Beyond what the original created, this version brings nothing new or narrative improvement. For that reason, all the applause goes to the original game, which deserves a deep analysis. In this section, what they did was a simple copy and paste.
Gameplay
The gameplay remains pretty much the same. The first-person camera was updated for driving and some weapons, but there is nothing really innovative or necessary for the game. The main mechanics are still driving, gun combat, infiltration missions and open world exploration.
The controls feel stiff and slow. I didn't notice any significant difference from the original. They tried to modernize, but they did it so badly that it would have been better not to touch anything. Missions that were problematic before are still problematic, both in design, objectives and technical aspects. There is nothing that stands out or has any real impact. Many missions that were a headache before were left the same, but now they are worse, because one expects that in a definitive edition errors are corrected, not repeated or new ones are added. It's a disaster at a playable level.
The game is still fun, but not because of this edition or any improvements, but because of what the original proposed, which is still a good game. The replayability depends on the player. Personally, I wouldn't play this version again because of how poorly made it is. Still, there is plenty of content to explore and entertain for a while. The learning curve is accessible for new players, but we're back to the same point: the missions can be frustrating due to their outdated design.
Graphics and visual design
The graphic quality improves the least to justify that it is a “new” game. The characters look horrible, the city looks almost the same, the cars look like toys, the NPCs are pixelated. Without exaggeration, this game looks like a PS2 game. I even dare to say that the originals look better than what is sold here.
Graphically it doesn't even come close to reaching the standards of a game of its release year. And without lying to you graphically it's complete garbage.
Sound and music
The soundtrack is exceptional, with 80“s hits that reinforce the atmosphere, and some 90”s classics as well. In my opinion, it is the best soundtrack of all GTA to date, with pieces like: “Self Control”, “Automatic”, “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, “Waiting for a Girl Like You”, "Billie Jean" all resounding hits of the era.
The Vice City sound effects are iconic from gunshots, to collecting money from fallen civilians, to saving gameplay, each one has a great level of detail. This version slightly improves the sound quality, but nothing that surpasses the original.
The voice acting maintains its quality, with Tommy Vercetti being the highlight, played by Ray Liotta. Despite this, the remastering brings nothing new in soundtrack, sound effects or voice acting. Perhaps adding a couple of iconic songs from the era would have been a plus.
Difficulty and accessibility
The difficulty of the game is very variable. Sometimes there are very easy missions and others that turn into a nightmare. For example, the “Cop Land” mission is torture and is considered by many players to be one of the worst missions in a GTA game, with good reason. It has so many problems that, being almost one of the final missions, many players abandon it or take many attempts to overcome it.
Another negative point is that the game does not offer much context on what to do. In a definitive version one would expect improvements, but we already know that was not the case. To unlock the last mission, you have to buy several businesses on the map and accomplish certain objectives with them. Some are intuitive, others are not, which increases the difficulty because it is not clear what to do.
Cops with low quests (1 or 2 stars) are easy, but with 5 or 6 prepare not only to be arrested, but to have your corpse arrested. They appear out of nowhere, you're driving along and magically an armored truck or a patrol car appears. They do everything they can to stop you, even if it means dying.
Overall, the game has a standard difficulty, but the lack of context, hints, glitches, sudden difficulty spikes, buggy missions and other issues make the experience more challenging, though not in the right way.
Accessibility is virtually non-existent. It does not include advanced options such as enlarged text or modes for visual or motor disabilities, which,
for a definitive game in 2021, it's a shame.
Additional content
The main campaign can take about 15 hours if you don't know what to do. But if you know the game perfectly well, you can complete it in about 7 hours without speedrun.
It has a lot of secondary content such as races, cab missions, vigilante, paramedic and some collectibles. It has no DLC, but it is part of a remastered trilogy. It also does not include continuous service or expansions. This definitive edition does not offer anything more than what already existed in the original.
Technical Aspects
The game is broken, there's no other way to put it. It's one of the worst technical games I've ever played in my life. Yes, sometimes the bugs and glitches can be laughable because of how ridiculous they are, but in the long run they become a serious problem that affects the experience as a player. It is impossible to play Vice City Definitive Edition without encountering some bug or glitch.
The performance is so bad that I dare say that the original version from 20 years ago runs better than this one. To give you an idea. With some updates it may improve a bit, but it's still a lazy, lazy job by Grove Street Games. It's a shame that Rockstar allowed this studio to work on a project that had so much potential for what their originals stand for.
The experience is so bad that you're going to repeat missions, and these are made easier or harder by the ineptitude or overkill of NPCs, characters and so on.
Value for money
This game comes in a bundle with the GTA III trilogy, Vice City and San Andreas. The launch price was $70, which is insane considering what they offer is a mediocre graphical upgrade and a few other details.
The game is practically the same as the original, sold as if it were a remastering. In reality, it looks more like a port. This feels like a rip-off to fans of the saga, especially after all the hype that was generated.
In addition, it still has the same gameplay problems, the same sound effects, minimal graphical improvement and disastrous technical performance. If you're a fan of the saga, I wouldn't pay more than $10 for the complete trilogy. I recommend playing the originals, which are better made than this remastering.
It really is brazen and disgraceful that they have put this project at full price.
Trophies / Achievements
- Platinum obtained: No.
- Percentage of trophies obtained: 13%
- Estimated time: 25 hours or more.
- Platinum difficulty: I give it a 5 out of 10 for difficulty to platinum. Its gameplay, technical bugs and so on can make it more difficult, if the game was better optimized I would give it a 4.
Conclusion
Vice City - Definitive Edition is a disaster, there is nothing more to say and it is a shame that Rockstar allowed and approved this to be released in the market because if they had been transparent they would have said that this would only be an adaptation to the new consoles, but staying as the original, but the marketing sold that it was a considerable improvement which we know it was not. The game is a fiasco, a disaster and the company Groove Street should disappear after this. I for my part, I recommend that if it is for nostalgia play it, but do not expect anything different or better than the original, I advise that if you can play the originals that are much better.
My final rating for GTA Vice City Definitive Edition is:
2.0 / 5
