5 GTA Vice City missions that have aged well

Modified Mar 21, 2025 22:24 GMT

There are many things that have helped GTA Vice City establish itself as one of the best Grand Theft Auto games. Despite the technological limitations of the time (Rockstar Games released it in 2002), it manages to deliver a fun experience from various perspectives even today, whether it is the 1980s nostalgia with the fashion, cars, and soundtrack, or just pure gameplay.

Most of the title's missions have stood the test of time when it comes to structure, challenge, and enjoyability. In this article, we will take a look at five GTA Vice City missions that have aged well.

The Job and 4 other GTA Vice City missions that have aged well

1) Rub Out

Rub Out is the mission where Tommy Vercetti, the game's protagonist, and his associate, Lance Vance, kill Vice City's notorious drug lord, Ricardo Diaz. The mission takes place at Diaz's sprawling mansion, which, interestingly, seems to be based on Tony Montana's mansion from Scarface.

It is a classic action-based quest where two guys make their way through a bunch of resistance, eventually eliminating the drug lord and establishing themselves as the top two faces of the city's criminal empire. It was fun back when the game was launched and is just as good today.

2) Publicity Tour

The Love Fist limousine (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)

Publicity Tour is one of the most fun missions in GTA Vice City, but it also poses a decent challenge. Rock band Love Fist's limousine has been rigged with a bomb that will blow unless it keeps moving fast. Players must dodge traffic and sometimes make sharp turns, all while maintaining a high speed. The driving sequence is the challenging bit, and the panicking characters' hilarious dialogues contribute to the fun aspect of the mission.

The bomb ultimately gets defused, after which Tommy drops the band at the concert venue. Such a mission can easily be inserted in a modern video game, even with a different context, and wouldn't feel outdated in any way.

Check out: 7 rare cars in Grand Theft Auto Vice City that you may not know about

3) Keep Your Friends Close...

The final story mission in GTA Vice City, Keep Your Friends Close..., is pretty much like Rub Out in terms of classic action, but this time, players have to defend the mansion from the Forelli Mafia.

Additionally, there is the added challenge of their money gradually being stolen from the safe if left unchecked, along with the emotional context of Lance betraying Tommy and then having to kill him. It is simple, fun, action-packed, and makes for a fitting finale to this chapter in the Grand Theft Auto series.

4) The Job

Tommy and his crew during the heist (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)

GTA games have featured some really notable bank heist missions, be it Grand Theft Auto 4's Three Leaf Clover, Grand Theft Auto 5's The Big Score, or Grand Theft Auto Vice City's The Job.

The latter sees Tommy Vercetti rob Vice City's El Banco Corrupto Grande. Needless to say, things eventually go wrong as the cops show up, upping the challenge, but the quest is structured quite cinematically, which makes it memorable and fun to play even today.

5) Death Row

Death Row tasks players with rescuing Lance from Ricardo Diaz's goons. It is divided into three phases, including various types of challenges. The first is driving to the location where Lance is being held; however, players must be quick and reach him before his health bar depletes.

Then there's a gunfight at the location, which involves a fair bit of action. This is followed by some high-speed car action as players drive Lance to a hospital while being chased by Diaz's men. There's a little bit of everything in Death Row, none of which feels dated. This makes it one of the very best missions in GTA Vice City.

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Edited by Niladri Roy