Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PC)

Don't expect a huge departure from the previous game in terms of gameplay if you've played GTA3 before, but if you haven't played it then invest your money into this instead. The graphics issues have totally dissapeared, so it runs smooth as silk, the city is bigger and the detail within it is just so much more... High above planes pass over leaving trails, more hilarious antics occur within the population, trees bend in hurricane winds... too much to mention. The draw distance is just unbelievable...

Plus, there's just so much to do! You get the opportunity to drive around in bikes and fly this time around, which is excellent, although if you want to enjoy it further I'd suggest you buy a joypad. Especially to fly the helicopters - on a keyboard its just far too complicated and you will be screaming in frustration as you crash for the nth time.

If GTA:VC was a word in the dictionary, it would be "fun". Pure and simple.

The missions in this game are well and varied, from sniper rifle assasinations to bomb-laden r/c helicopters attacking buildings, to getaway driving...it's all in here.

However, the rare times when you get bored with a difficult mission and go off to cause carnage are the real fun bits - wheelying motorbikes at top speed along the runway of the airport (and weaving through a landing Jumbo's wheels) is awesome...especially while hanging off the side of your bike chewing passer-bys up with your Uzi...

The police are very stupid (so, the AI could be arguably described as realistic!), gang members will chase and return fire if you shoot at them, cute women in bikinis run away crying if you pull them off their scooters and there's nothing more satisfying than jumping on the bonnet of a Ferrari and blowing the driver's head off with a Magnum through the windscreen...

Then, when you start earning serious money, you can buy venues. Strip joints (complete with lap dancers), nightclubs (complete with bad '80s style rollerblade dancers), helipads (with FLYABLE helicopters!), boat yards (with driveable boats), all can be bought with the money earned by your dirty work. And there are so many more hidden missions to complete it's unbelievable...how they managed to get such a huge, interesting game into such a small box mystifies me...

If your PC will handle it (mine does, no probs, and mine's hardly top-of-the-range) then you really need to buy this game. The money you'll spend on it will be totally reimbursed by the money saved due to the complete death of your social life...

Best PC game ever...ever...ever...

Vice City is fundamentally very similar to GTA3, and certainly all the best elements remain. For a start, you are as free to roam as ever - simply carjack a nice ride, find a gun, and go on a rampage. Or have a drive around the city, and see some of the sights, visit a strip club, jump in a boat, helicopter or motorcycle and just look for all the opportunities for bad behaviour that the game has to offer. The graphics are similar if somewhat refined, and the game has the same look as GTA3, although there is more variety and detail in the buildings, vehicles and scenery. As before, the city is full of vunerable pedestrians, simply crying out to be robbed or run over, and they come in a greater number of shapes, sizes, and dress than ever before, and have more to say for themselves.

As far as missions go, Vice City boasts a far greater number of them, and they take in a great variety of locations, use a large number of the approximately 100 vehicles in the game, and are at times much more involved than in GTA3. There are many more people to work for, too, although the basic progression through the game remains, with areas of the map, and new employers becoming available as you make a name for yourself and complete certain missions. Overall, there are just more things to discover in Vice City, and this is where it really wins out over it's predecessor - there are more weapons, vehicles, buildings to explore, interesting characters, story missions, side missions, and things to do between missions, and they are all spread over a larger and more varied city. The most effective new feature of the game is the property aspect - there are now about 15 properties to buy around the city - some act as safehouses or places to store vehicles, and some are businesses that will generate regular income after you have completed key missions. They add to the sense that you are coming up in the world as the game unfolds.

The atmosphere of the game is better too - the soundtrack is superb, featuring many of the biggest hits of the eighties, and loads of other classics, played on 10 radio stations that can be listened to in almost every vehicle. The dialogue is much more varied, and better voiced, and the sound effects are convincing, with gunfire and collisions improved from GTA3. Different areas of Vice City have much more distinct character, and this creates the impression of a real bustling city. It is possible to become immersed in the game world much more easily than in GTA3.

In terms of innovation, Vice City has little to offer over Grand Theft Auto 3, but somehow it manages to create a more convincing experience - more to do, more to see, and crucially more fun than ever. For fans of the GTA series, prepare for the best yet. For those new to these classic games, this is a perfect place to start.