5 things that cement GTA Vice City as one of the best video games of all time

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the sixth installment in the GTA series and the second title of the franchise's 3D Universe. Despite being released in 2002, it is still regarded as one of the best video games in the open-world genre. While veteran players got to enjoy the original Vice City, new ones only have the Definitive Edition to check out. Nonetheless, Rockstar Games offers almost similar experiences in both versions.

This article lists five things that prove Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a remarkable game.

Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer's opinions.

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5 notable things that make GTA: Vice City one of the best video games in history

1) Strong protagonist

Thomas "Tommy" Vercetti is one of the best protagonists in the GTA series, with an interesting character arc. Rockstar Games portrayed him as a strong protagonist who could change others' decisions and decide his own path.

While most protagonists in the Grand Theft Auto series simply follow the orders they’re given, Tommy has the guts to challenge his own boss’ (Sonny Forelli) commands. He even makes Sonny go after him, and the chase ultimately leads to the antagonist’s death. This makes Tommy one of the best main characters in video game history.

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2) Has intriguing missions

Vice City has some of the most intriguing missions in the entire Grand Theft Auto franchise. Rockstar Games learned from its mistakes in GTA 3 and improved the gameplay in the 2002 title. The studio included a bunch of missions in the game, and their classifications are as follows:

• Story missions: 38
• Asset missions: 19
• Side missions: 7
• Racing missions: 6
• Phone missions: 5
• Off-road missions: 4
• Stadium missions: 3
• Remote-controlled missions: 3
• Sparrow mission: 1

These add up to a total of 86 missions that can keep players busy for hours. The mission designs are also interesting, and almost all events are tied to a storyline. Such levels of detailed game composition were very rare in the industry when GTA Vice City was released.

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3) It is playable even after completing the plot

Vice City has some of the most notable missions in the GTA series. During the early 2000s, there were only a few game developers that allowed individuals to play a title after they completed the main story. Rockstar Games is one of them, and the studio has added a plethora of content to GTA Vice City that you can explore later.

Even though you don’t get solid missions like before, you can explore the map to find random NPC events. Hardcore gamers can also try to unlock all the achievements after completing the story.

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4) Has collectibles

Rockstar Games has added a wide range of collectibles to the map of Vice City. You can collect them during the gameplay or after completing the storyline. These collectibles include weapons, hidden packages, health packs, armor, and many others.

Some of the collectibles also unlock rare achievements that only a fraction of GTA Vice City players have achieved. You can also earn money by collecting the hidden packages. If you prefer completing a video game 100%, you must find and collect all hidden treasures in Vice City.

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5) Filled with Easter eggs

Rockstar Games has included a bunch of Easter eggs and hidden references in Vice City that are difficult to find. These Easter eggs are very subtle and are hilarious to those who understand them. However, the studio changed some details in the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition Netflix version.

Nonetheless, most of the references are still the same and can be found in the same locations as before. The ‘Cement Shoes’ Easter egg is one of the most horrific ones as it shows the wrath of Mafias in Vice City. These little things make the game one of the best of all time.