By Sandra Tragesser
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" is the newest and most realistic "first-person-shooter" video game ever made. Improved graphics, 1980s cityscape, vehicles, guns and varied missions assure gamers hours, days and months of entertainment.

Tommy Vercetti steals a cycle to help complete a GTA: Vice City mission.
photo courtesy of Rockstar Games

"Vice City," developed by Rockstar North, is the controversial and much-hyped sequel to "Grand Theft Auto III," the best-selling video game of 2001.

"Four million copies were pre-sold by retailers at $50 each," said Dan Houser, vice president of creative design at Rockstar Games. " 'GTA: Vice City' could sell 10 million copies in the United States over the next year. That's a $400 million profit."

"Vice City" takes place in a south Florida urban setting, known for its organized crime, where players assume the role of thug Tommy Vercetti.

The year is 1986, and his old boss, Sonny Forelli, sends Vercetti, who has just been released from prison, to Vice City. Things go bad when local law enforcement shows up, but Vercetti manages to get away, only without the money or the merchandise. When Forelli demands his money, Vercetti sets out on a crime spree to get back Forelli's money.

Players will be happy that they are able to move the character around freely through busy streets, punch and kick anyone they please, carjack with ease and drive around at 100 m.p.h. However, in order to advance in the game, players will have to accept missions from various shady characters.

"Vice City" missions change depending on the reaction of the gamer. Sometimes missions branch into several parts. For example, in one mission Vercetti provides protection for a local mob boss as a deal is going down. In the middle of the deal, a gang starts shooting. Vercetti must keep the boss alive while taking out the gang members.

When a gang member snatches the money and races away on a motorcycle, Vercetti's mission changes. He has to catch the guy, kill him and bring the money back.

"There are hundreds of missions in 'GTA: Vice City.' The game is so diverse, from having to intimidate a juror by beating up his car to taking a mob boss's daughter to the Malibu Club to having a shootout in a mall. " 'Vice City' is the best," said Ismael Reyes, a hardcore gamer. "What I really like is that you can save your completed missions on a memory card; then, when you restart it you don't have to start from the beginning again."

There are a variety of vehicles available to accomplish missions in "Vice City." For the speed enthusiast, there are high-performance cars and motorbikes. For the sportsman, a powerboat or a golf buggy lets players enjoy the great outdoors. Gamers can even pilot helicopters and Cessna-type planes while having a look at "Vice City" from the air.

The graphics in "Vice City" have been enhanced. Gamers will like the level of detail found in this huge metropolis, from access to interiors of clubs, hardware stores, and skyscrapers to bikini-clad sunbathers and rollerbladers at the beach.

"There are hundreds of pedestrians who stop to converse or sit at cafes or even lay on the beach," Reyes said. "It's much more interactive than any other game I've played."

To effectively capture the mood of the time, players have access to 10 radio stations playing tunes from the 80s including 2 Live Crew, Michael Jackson, Hall & Oates, Kool & the Gang, Twisted Sister and Lionel Richie. There is a rock station, a pop station, an underground rap station, a sultry love song station and more.

"The talk radio station is the best and the commercials are hilarious," Reyes said.

The life of crime sure does pay, but the local law is always around in "Vice City." The police are smart and do a good job of putting up roadblocks, spiking strips or chasing gamers with their squad cars.

"You get warrants whenever you do something wrong," Reyes said. "If you are seen by the police, they will chase you. After you get two warrants, the FBI will try to stop you."

"Vice City" is addictively enjoyable to the point where gamers are willingly sucked into a world of crime and violence. This video game is rated "Mature" and should not be played by children.

" 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' is geared toward mature audiences, and Rockstar makes every effort to market its games responsibly," said Jeff Castaneda, spokesman for Rockstar North. "We target our advertising to adult consumers over the age of 17."

Overall, "Vice City" is a diverse and interactive form of entertainment that features heavy anti-social behavior.

"The violence is not as bad as in many other video games, such as Men of Honor or Hitman 2," Reyes said. "ŒVice City' is not for kids, but if you are old enough to buy it-get it. I don't think you will find a better video game out there."

For anyone hoping to receive "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" for Christmas, demand for the video game is high. Area stores sold out in less than two days when it was released Oct. 29.

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