Is GTA Vice City Stories fun to play in 2021?

GTA Vice City Stories is an underrated game that's still worth playing in 2021.

It should be noted that everybody has different opinions on what "fun to play" means. If somebody detests the classic GTA formula and only likes GTA 5 onward, then they won't find GTA Vice City Stories to be fun.

However, this game does have some advantages that make it stand out compared to other games of its generation.

As far as old-school GTA games go, GTA Vice City Stories has many of the essential ingredients for a good game. It's not GTA San Andreas by any means (then again, most games aren't), but it's a memorable experience from start to finish.

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Playing GTA Vice City Stories in 2021

The Vance Brothers are great characters (Image via Rockstar Games)

Interestingly enough, GTA Vice City Stories was the final game set in Vice City. This amazing location is yet to show up in the HD universe, so it is only fitting that its final appearance would be in an amazing yet underrated game.

Multiplayer

While GTA Vice City Stories does have a multiplayer in the PSP version, it is worth noting that it was nothing too robust. There were 10 minigames players could play with one another, with some of them resembling activities players could do in GTA Online.

However, that was the extent of the multiplayer. It is nowhere near the full package as GTA Online is. It should also go without saying that the multiplayer scene for GTA Vice City Stories isn't active in 2021.

Hence, social players seeking a thrilling multiplayer experience should search elsewhere.

The single-player experience

GTA Vice City Stories' storyline adds a good amount of lore to Vice City (Image via Web Archive)

This is where GTA Vice City Stories shines. The game's story is simple, yet well-written. Victor Vance wishes to earn money for his sick brother, Pete Vance, but is forced to do deplorable actions that eventually lead him to run a criminal empire in Vice City.

As for the gameplay itself, it's great for an old-school GTA game. It has everything that makes GTA Vice City great, and adds some extra features to entertain its audience.

Minor features in combat and swimming are some of the more notable examples.

GTA Vice City Stories' missions are also quite memorable and diverse. Whether it's Victor taking down a horde of zombies for a horror film or him controlling a robotic maid to destroy some bonds, there's always a fun moment to be had.

Vice City Stories takes advantage of what Vice City has to offer (Image via PSP Info)

Of course, like GTA Vice City, Vice City Stories has an 80s aesthetic. The colors are vibrant, the music is awesome, and the general character designs are solid.

If somebody loves GTA Vice City, chances are, they'll like GTA Vice City Stories.

As GTA Vice City Stories is the last game in the 3D universe, it's noticeably better than many of the other 3D universe games sans GTA San Andreas. The biggest hurdle to playing GTA Vice City Stories, however, is the limited number of platforms it's been released on.

It was only officially released on PS2 and PSP, hence it's understandable why many gamers haven't played it. That said, the game is solid enough on its own merits to make it worth playing today.