Like last year's port of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories follows the same events as the PSP release. Players control Vic Vance, brother of troublesome Vice City figurehead Lance Vance. In an effort to take care of his sick sibling and earn some cash, Vic joins the Army in the middle of 1980's Miami. However, upon recruitment, he finds himself waist deep in corruption. His commanding officer manages drug trades and prostitute rings, and a few associates help Vic become a master criminal.

Players will find enough activities to bide their time. Along with following the general missions that provide backbone to the flimsy story, they also complete smaller tasks. Stealing a taxi and picking up fares earns Vic a good deal of cash. He can even steal a cop car and chase down criminals in Vigilante mode -- if the star rating doesn't get too out of hand. The potential to build an empire should keep people busy, as Vic can obtain businesses from thugs and gain control over portions of Miami. Just don't expect a quiet takeover.

The mere joy of a GTA game comes from letting the player do whatever they want. Cars can be stolen and driven around, and innocent passer-by hassled and beaten to the ground... or run over. However, this port has issues. The graphics look dated and rushed. The engine shows a few good moments, particularly with some hilariously bad 80's character designs and a few questionable wardrobe choices, but the fuzzy visuals don't look that good on the PS2, utilizing a filtering effect that leaves a bothersome blur on-screen. Objects also pop in and out from time to time, most notably trees. Rockstar clearly ran into a development skirmish porting Stories from the PSP.

On the other hand, the audio holds up well during the game's transition between platforms. Rockstar Leeds selected a fine soundtrack, with several 80's tunes from the likes of Phil Collins (look for him in the game), Foreigner and Quiet Riot. Kudos to the DJ talent and commercial actors who fill in the blanks between songs -- they do great work. The voice acting remains top notch, with Gary Busey, Luis Guzman and even Miami Vice's Philip Michael Thomas filling their roles with little to no problem.

Rockstar wisely priced Vice City Stories at $20, making it an easy purchase for GTA fanatics and those eager to start up another criminal lifestyle. The single-player aspect of the game justifies the price tag, with hours of things to do throughout the city. However, the game takes a serious hit with the lack of multiplayer content. The PSP edition features a number of things for two players to take part in, and none of them made it to this version.

It seems that Rockstar Games wanted to give the PS2 one last hurrah, as the GTA franchise moves to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year. With that being said, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories sounds like a small "yay" instead of a big, bellowing cheer.. Fans, however, should dig it.

Final Score: 7 (out of 10)

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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Game Guide

Rockstar Games

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