Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
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Finally, I can do all the things my mind tells me to do without fear of the law.
Developer
Rockstar North
Publisher
Rockstar Games
ERSB Rating
M
Rel. Date
13/05/2003
Genre
Third-Person Action Adventure
Players
1
Date: 12 May 2003
Author: Jermaine 'Tito Fabulous' Wright

By the time you see this, the PC version of Vice City will be a day away. Yes, I know it has been on PS2 for quite some time now but this is different. Being a child of the 80s, I felt that there was a lot more music that should have been in that game. Everything from George Clinton to the Dazz Band. If you don't know who they are don't feel so bad. Music today loves to sample tracks from groups in that era and call it their own. So more than likely you've heard some of their stuff recently. But my prayers have been answered, it's time to make release my own creativity on an already hardcore title.

From the decade of big hair, excess and pastel suits comes a story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile as Grand Theft Auto returns to your PC. Vice City is a huge urban sprawl ranging from the beach to the swamps and the glitz to the ghetto, and is the most varied, complete and alive digital city ever created. Combining non-linear gameplay with a character driven narrative, you arrive in a town brimming with delights and degradation and are given the opportunity to take it over as you choose.

By now everyone has heard of this game and has had their chance to voice their support or disgust. Hell, even your parents probably know about this one. But as some would say, the Grand Theft Auto series can only receive true justice on the PC. That's where it started and that's where it belongs. After what seems like eternity, Rockstar will finally be bringing this installment to your home PC. Boasting a few new features as well as the ability to put it your own tracks, this promises to be one hell of a show. Not to mention, the power of a PC can add much more clarity and higher resolution to an already excellent game.

Here are some of the PC exclusive features we'll see with this one:

  • Expanded Controls: Play in mouse-look 3rd person view of classic Grand Theft Auto console. Plus integrated support for all major gamepads, joysticks, and steering wheels.
  • Optimized Graphics: Pushed to the limit to take advantage of the latest PC Hardware. With massive viewable distances, texture resolutions bumped up from 32-colors to 32-bit colors with billions of shades and game resolution to scale as high as your monitor can support.
  • Player Skins: Muster your artistic prowess to create your own player skin. Add to Tommy's 80's culture wardrobe or create a whole new original spin on the character itself.
  • Enhanced Audio: EAX 3.0 audio immerses you in the sounds of the city and a new MP3 radio station lets you broadcast your own music over Vice City's airwaves.
  • Replay: At any given time, watch a replay of the last 30 seconds of the game and mail your unbelievable gameplay sequences to friends to watch.

With all the car mods and player skins that were put out on the net when GTA3 hit the PC, expect to see some pretty outstanding customs in the next few weeks. Among some of the best sites to keep an eye on is GTA World. This site helped me trick out my GTA 3 with some seriously crazy skins and car mods. I expect to see some great things out of them so I would keep an eye on them if you feel like taking Vice City to the next level.

Just like some of the other guys here in the office, I probably won't be getting much sleep over the course of the next few days. With E3 only a couple days away, this promises to be a hell of a week. Be sure to check back, we'll probably have one hell of a review for you sometime soon. In the meantime, enjoy some of the various screens already out on the web.

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