GTA Vice City is still a blast to play through nearly two decades after its release

Although certain aspects of GTA Vice City haven't aged well, it's still a fun classic that gamers can still sink dozens of hours into.

One of the greatest aspects of the Grand Theft Auto series is how great many of its games feel to play. Most of the games from the 3D Universe onward still feel great to play for fans of the series. GTA Vice City is among that category, as its positives include:

• Memorable characters
• Top tier music and audio
• A classic GTA experience
• Makes excellent use of a fan-favorite location

Some downsides that modern gamers might have with this title:

• Archaic controls that take some time to get used to
• Some missions might be too difficult for casual gamers
• A lack of some quality-of-life features
• Dated graphics

---

GTA Vice City in 2022: The Good and the bad

Even the Definitive Edition can look odd at times (Image via Rockstar Games)

It's worth looking at GTA Vice City's flaws and how some gamers won't be bothered by them. No video game is perfect, and there are several issues with GTA Vice City to note. It's a 2002 game, so it's naturally going to look terrible to modern gamers who love AAA hyperrealistic graphics.

The game has a few mods on PC to mitigate this problem somewhat, but it's by no means a perfect solution. Still, the game's colorful art direction can make some places look good, especially in the GTA Trilogy.

The Radio Wheel in the Definitive Edition is an example of a good quality-of-life feature (Image via Rockstar Games)

Speaking of the GTA Trilogy, it's vital to note that it fixes some problems while introducing new ones. If quality-of-life features are a huge issue, then some gamers may prefer the Definitive Edition.

Either way, the controls can feel clunky compared to a game like GTA 5. It's a shortcoming that gamers can get used to if they put their mind to it. Also, some issues with controls will depend on if the player is using a console or PC (where the latter feels much better to play).

---

What GTA Vice City does right

Impeccable soundtrack and background music

One of the most popular examples of what GTA Vice City does right is its audio department. Although the music primarily comes from the 80s, much of the recent 80s craze makes it as relevant now as it was back then.

The sound quality is phenomenal, and the voice acting makes every character feel alive. Keep in mind that many video games at this time still had wonky voice acting, so it's great that GTA Vice City doesn't suffer from this problem.

---

Tremendous characters with superb voicework

Some members of this game's iconic cast (Image via LibertyCity.Ru)

The classic GTA experience is something that many still love to this day. GTA Vice City still has memorable characters and missions that make it easy for players to love the game. It's especially good to have both traits since some of the later games in the series tend to lack one of those traits.

Tommy Vercetti is an excellent protagonist, while also being another character who is strongly bolstered by having an iconic voice actor (Ray Liotta). His interactions with the other characters make most scenes exciting to watch, making the game's cutscenes seldom a dull affair.

---

Iconic locations

An iconic location in Vice City (Image via Rockstar Games)

The location of Vice City is also topical due to recent rumors of GTA 6 taking place there. It's a fun area inspired by Miami, Florida, but it's never appeared in the HD Universe thus far. Hence, any player wishing to see it once again in 2022 would either have to play this game or Vice City Stories.

Aside from GTA 6, it's worth mentioning that this location can be fun to navigate in a normal playthrough. It's a small map, but every place feels well-utilized. Ergo, players won't feel as though it's a slog to get through whilst playing this game.

This legendary title can still be fun to play through in 2022, and it's no surprise that so many gamers still talk about it today.

---

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.