$20 Game of the Week: Vice City Stories (PS2)

Unless you want to shell out an extra $10 for the PSP version, this is a good deal. It’s the same thing as the PSP game which was released a few months ago after all. Like Liberty City Stories before it, this game is a spin off which doesn’t add a whole lot that we haven’t seen in any of the past entries. Graphical and control problems almost make this a step below them. The larger screen size makes the graphical problems more apparent than they were on the PSP, while the targeting system is one of the most problematic seen in the series so far.

However, the real draw of this game is the story, atmosphere, and of course the violence. Taking place 3 years before Vice City, the game follows the ill-fated Vic Vance as he is forced to leave the army after being betrayed by his commanding officer. From then, he gets caught up in a world of drug dealers, kingpins, and other seedy figures. The story takes a darker tone than other entries with it’s casts of racists, woman-abusers, drug addicts, and people who are just jerks in general. However GTA’s trademark humor is still in place, largely in part due to the radio stations that play a selection of classic tunes from the 1980s. The empire building makes a return, as you can take over gang-owned businesses and complete assets for them to increase the money they make.

Even though it’s badly in need of a shot in the arm, GTA:VCS is still an excellent game. It might not be revolutionary of groundbreaking as it’s predecessors, but it’s a fun way to pass the time until GTA IV hits this fall.