5 reasons why GTA Vice City is more popular than GTA 3

While both GTA Vice City (2002) and GTA 3 (2001) are gems from Rockstar Games, the former is arguably better. The developer seemingly learned many things from the 2001 title and incorporated them in Vice City. While these classic 3D Universe games are still popular within the playerbase, the latter holds a special place among GTA fans.

This article lists five reasons why GTA Vice City is more popular than GTA 3.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinions. The listing is not in any order.

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5 things that make GTA Vice City more popular than GTA 3

1) Improvements in the main character

Tommy Vercetti has better character development than Claude from GTA 3 (Image via Rockstar Games)

The main characters play the most important role in Grand Theft Auto games, and it goes without saying that the portrayal of Thomas “Tommy” Vercetti was better than Claude. One of the primary issues with the latter was that he was silent and very submissive to those who gave him orders.

However, this was not the case with Tommy. While he was submissive towards Sonny Forelli (the main antagonist) initially, the protagonist later rebelled and killed him and his associates. This showed that the GTA Vice City protagonist had stronger character development and could make his own decisions.

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2) Increased number of vehicles

Vehicles are an integral part of the Grand Theft Auto franchise and Rockstar Games increased the total number significantly in GTA Vice City. These were the number of vehicles in both titles:

• Grand Theft Auto 3: 56
• Grand Theft Auto Vice City: 102

The number of vehicles increased by nearly two times within just a year. Additionally, Rockstar Games also improved the driving mechanism for cars, motorcycles, and other types of vehicles. Another point to note is that GTA Vice City also introduced flyable aircraft in contrast to the choppy Dodo plane from GTA 3.

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3) Better storyline

The storyline of GTA Vice City was considerably better than Grand Theft Auto 3. The 2001 title’s story revolved around Claude’s revenge on Catalina for her betrayal. While it is a good standalone story, it is overshadowed by Vice City’s plot.

The 2002 title involved the rags-to-riches story of Thomas “Tommy” Vercetti. While he arrived at Vice City as an associate of Sonny Forelli, the protagonist later became the kingpin of the entire state. He also gained control of the criminal underworld, making him the most powerful person in Vice City.

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4) Better music and radio stations

The radio stations in GTA Vice City were better than Grand Theft Auto 3, as they played some of the most popular songs from the 80s. Visiting all the iconic Vice City areas while belting out retro tunes on the radio was a nice experience.

Here are some of the popular Vice City radio songs:

• Self Control
• A Flock of Seagulls
• Out of Touch
• Billie Jean

GTA 3 also had some iconic songs, but Vice City did it considerably better.

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5) Inclusion of additional features

Vice City included many additional features compared to GTA 3 (Image via Rockstar Games)

While the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto 3 was primarily focused on the main plot, Rockstar Games introduced many additional things in GTA Vice City that made it popular. Some of the notable ones are as follows:

• Purchasable properties and businesses
• Street races
• Air races
• Stadium events
• Robbing stores

Purchasable businesses were a groundbreaking addition to the series: this later became a standard feature. It is worth noting that the gameplay in Vice City was better than the 2001 title.