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Kids falling in love with the Grand Theft Auto series is an age-old tradition. This GTA Vice City parents guide will help you determine whether the 2002 GTA is safe for your children to experience. It was Rockstar Games’ second venture in the 3D gaming universe after the success of Grand Theft Auto 3 in 2001. They improved many aspects pertaining to gameplay and storytelling. However, like GTA 3, Vice City was in a controversial light as well. Many parents at that time also said that the game was not safe for children.
Times have changed, and both the gaming industry and the reception of such games have followed suit. This GTA Vice City parents guide will discuss what industry experts, such as ESRB and PEGI, have said about the game.
Note: Some parts of this GTA Vice City parents guide are subjective and only reflect the writer’s opinions.
GTA Vice City parents guide: What is the official rating of the game?
Grand Theft Auto Vice City was rated M by the by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). An M rating for digital content means that only mature audiences aged 17 and above should experience it. If your kids fit into this category, then the GTA Vice City parents guide advises you to let your kids play the game without any worries.
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However, you should note that the ESRB only rates content for consumers of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. If you aren't familiar with the board, then here is the official description from their website:
“We are the non-profit, self-regulatory body for the video game industry. Established in 1994, our primary responsibility is to help consumers—especially parents—make informed choices about the games their families play.”
The mature rating was also attached with some parameters that GTA Vice City parents guide readers should know. They are as follows:
- Blood and Gore
- Strong Language
- Strong Sexual Content
- Violence
You can consider these parameters as both warnings and heads-ups before interacting with the game.
Blood and gore in the Grand Theft Auto Vice City gameplay
Blood and gore are part and parcel of the Grand Theft Auto series, and Vice City also follows suit. There are various missions and locations where you can spot blood and gore. Players can even intentionally kill other characters using guns and melee weapons. Apartment 3c is one of the most notorious places in the game where you can find a bathroom filled with blood stains on the walls.
However, GTA Vice City parents guide readers should note that it is an Easter egg in the game referring to the popular Hollywood movie Scarface.
Other than this, players can decapitate NPCs by firing headshots or with a sword. While this may sound horrendous, the implementation is rather funny. Since the game belongs to the 3D Universe, the graphics are not as detailed as the HD Universe games. Moreover, the animations used by Rockstar Games are very cartoon-like, making the crimes look humorous.
Last but not least, law enforcement is always present in the game, waiting to punish you for any crimes committed during freeroam.
Also read: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas parents guide
Strong Language in the Grand Theft Auto Vice City gameplay
While the use of strong language is there in the 2002 title, GTA Vice City parents guide readers should rest assured that it is not as bad as other games in the series. There are only a few cases where the in-game characters drop the F-bomb and say derogatory words such as wh*re and sl*t. Other than this, the game is considerably clean in terms of profanity.
Unfortunately, there is no way to censor the cuss words in the game. While you can disable the subtitles to prevent your kids from reading them, the audio plays uninterrupted without any censoring. The only best way to completely eliminate the strong language is to play the game on mute.
Strong Sexual Content in the Grand Theft Auto Vice City gameplay
Since it is an adult-centric game, GTA Vice City parents guide readers will find some levels of sexually suggestive elements. As the entire map is surrounded by the ocean and beaches, you can spot many bikini-clad women roaming the streets. The protagonist Thomas “Tommy” Vercetti can visit strip clubs, get private dances from the strippers, pick up pr*stitutes, and have a "fun time" with them.
There are two missions named Martha's Mug Shot and G-Spotlight, where the protagonist visits an adult film studio with live shooting going on. However, GTA Vice City parents guide readers should note that Rockstar Games does not directly show anything explicitly. The pr*stitute service and the live film shooting are decently covered.
Moreover, except for the bikini-clad women and the aforementioned missions, most of the sexually suggestive content can be easily ignored or overlooked in the game.
Also read: GTA Vice City speedrun guide
Violence in the Grand Theft Auto Vice City gameplay
Violence is the bread and butter of Grand Theft Auto games. The series is historically known for its in-game violence, and it is one of the main reasons fans love it so much. Vice City also has its fair share of violence in its gameplay. You can steal cars, kill people, rob banks, fight with NPCs, fire weapons, detonate buildings, and perform many other violent acts.
Rockstar Games also added Rampage Missions in some interesting locations in Vice City. These missions are very fun to play as you can fight with enemies and have to eliminate them any possible. Moreover, there are also a handful of Pay Phone missions where you have to assassinate various targets.
So yes, violence is pretty common in the game. However, GTA Vice City parents guide readers should not nitpick about this issue, as such instances are common across the gaming industry. Grand Theft Auto games are known as open-world crime simulators and lots of gamers play them primarily for this aspect only.
What does PEGI say about Grand Theft Auto Vice City
While the Entertainment Software Rating Board rated Grand Theft Auto Vice City M for the people of the American continent, the Pan-European Game Information system gave the game a solid 18 rating. This means consumers below the age of 18 should not play the popular Grand Theft Auto title.
PEGI also pointed out that the game has acts of violence and bad language. Therefore, if you are from the European region, you should consider this rating system. However, the GTA Vice City parents guide advises you not to follow the rating system strictly and consider the elaborations mentioned above.
If you are not from the ESRB or PEGI-operated regions, the following list includes a list of other global boards that certified Grand Theft Auto Vice City for its consumers:
- Australia: MA
- Brazil: 18
- Finland: K-18
- France: 16
- Germany: 18
- Ireland: 18
- Japan: Z CERO
- Malaysia: Banned
- New Zealand: R18
- Singapore: M18
- South Korea: 19
- Sweden: 18
- United Kingdom: 15
Should you let your kids play Grand Theft Auto Vice City?
The conclusive answer from our standpoint would be yes. Grand Theft Auto Vice City is a great game filled with various existing missions, the best music from the 80s, a great storyline, and many other remarkable things.
GTA Vice City parents guide readers should note that Rockstar Games collaborated with some of the most prominent artists as well. Here are a few artists and their roles in the game:
- Ray Liotta - Thomas “Tommy” Vercetti (the protagonist)
- Tom Sizemore - Sonny Forelli (main antagonist)
- Danny Trejo - Umberto Robina
- William Fichtner - Ken Rosenburg
- Burt Reynolds - Avery Carrington
- Luis Guzman - Ricardo Diaz
- Jenna Jameson - Candy Suxxx
Having such a talented cast for a video game is an honor in itself. They played their roles so perfectly that they created various iconic moments in Grand Theft Auto Vice City. Even if your kids are below the certified age(s) or are close to it, the GTA Vice City parents guide advises you to let them play the game under your supervision.
What Grand Theft Auto Vice City has to offer for its players
Rockstar Games included a decent-sized map in Grand Theft Auto Vice City featuring 59 story missions. You can also find various side activities such as stunt jumps, car races, RC car races, collectibles, stadium events, aircraft races, and many more.
GTA Vice City parents guide readers are guaranteed to enjoy these missions and activities. The main story missions are as follows:
- In The Beginning…
- An Old Friend
- The Party
- Back Alley Brawl
- Jury Fury
- Riot
- Treacherous Swine
- Mall Shootout
- Guardian Angels
- Four Iron
- Demolition Man
- The Chase
- Phnom Penh '86
- Sir, Yes Sir!
- Two Bit Hit
- The Fastest Boat
- Supply & Demand
- Death Row
- All Hands On Deck!
- Rub Out
- Shakedown
- Bar Brawl
- Cop Land
- Love Juice
- Psycho Killer
- Alloy Wheels of Steel
- Messing with the Man
- Hog Tied
- Publicity Tour
- Stunt Boat Challenge
- Cannon Fodder
- Naval Engagement
- Juju Scramble
- Bombs Away!
- Dirty Lickin's
- Trojan Voodoo
- Road Kill
- Waste the Wife
- Autocide
- Check Out at the Check In
- Loose Ends
- No Escape
- The Shootist
- The Driver
- The Job
- Gun Runner
- Boomshine Saigon
- V.I.P.
- Friendly Rivalry
- Cabmageddon
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Distribution
- Recruitment Drive
- Dildo Dodo
- Matha’s Mug Shop
- G-Spotlight
- Spilling the Beans
- Hit the Courier
- Cap the Collector
- Keep Your Friends Close… (Finale)
Once you complete these, you still have plenty of gameplay content left to explore. They are as follows:
Vehicle Sub-missions:
- Firefighter
- Paramedic
- Pizza Boy
- Taxi Driver
- Vigilante
Off-Road Challenges:
- Cone Crazy
- PCJ Playground
- Test Track
- Trial by Dirt
Side Missions and Activities:
- Ammu-Nation Shooting Range
- Chopper Checkpoints
- Hyman Memorial Stadium Events
- Rampages
- RC Top Fun Missions
- Store Robberies
- Sunshine Autos Import Garage
- Unique Stunt Jumps
- Unique Stunt Jumps
Are GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Definitive Edition the same?
Yes, both Grand Theft Auto Vice City (2002) and Grand Theft Auto Vice City - Definitive Edition (2021) are the same game. While the former is the original 3D Universe version, the latter serves as its remaster. The only noticeable difference between both games is their visuals.
GTA Vice City parents guide readers should note that the Definitive Edition is also rated M and 18 by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) respectively.
While the latest version of the game has the same 3D Universe graphics, its textures were retouched to give a feel of modern HD graphics. Rockstar Games also included a few quality-of-life changes to make the game suitable for new-age players. Some of the new changes are as follows:
- Modern controller support
- Missions checkpoints
- Weapon wheel
- GPS navigation
- Interactive map layout
The checkpoint system for missions and the GPS navigation are undoubtedly the best changes to the game. Earlier, if you fail a mission, you have to restart it from the very beginning. This also includes traveling back to the mission marker. However, now if you fail a mission, it will ask you whether to reload from the latest checkpoint.
Similarly, GPS navigation is a timesaver for those who don’t know the map well. Although Vice City is very small compared to modern game maps, navigating without proper directions is very tedious.
