Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PSP) > Reviews (28)

I was quite lucky, in the fact that as soon as I realized that this game was out... I was given it as a gift! - Perfect!

I got straight into it and was comatosed within seconds with all the GTA goodness that was inside!

::Story::

Your character, Vic Vance, has joined the Army to help his Mum and disabled brother back home! The game starts from here!

I don't want to let anything go here as to what happens, but the initial story is quite good. Good enough for you to carry on paying attention to it anyways! The usually happens, as with all GTA titles, you get powerful, kill people, steal stuff, kill more people... Perfect =D

My only grumble, is that towards the end, the story gets a tad.. well.. rubbish! People appear all of a sudden, who just so happen to be major characters in the story line, then the story just stops because you have lost all interest in it, stopped following and completed it!

Don't let my grumble put you off though, the story will last you absolutely ages!

::Controls::

The Analogue stick is used to move and steer Vic and all vehicles in the game!

The D-Pad is used to change weapons and radio stations. Also to cycle through the targets. Up is used to toggle the 'special' missions that are available, such as the fire missions, police.. etc. Down is used for a free aim, uses the Analogue stick to aim from here!

X = Run faster (tip. Glitch in the game, if you tap X opposed to hold it to run, you will have almost infinite dash!)

Square = Jump

Triangle = Get into/out of vehicles

Circle = Boom! (Fire weapons)

Right Trigger = Auto lock (locks onto the nearest person for easy aim!

Left Trigger = Free look when not in free aim. When in free aim, this slows down the crosshair for accurate shots - VERY handy for sniping!

The controls are very similar to those of the PS2, and although there are a few less buttons, I think that Rockstar have done quite well!

::Gameplay::

Once the controls are mastered, you will be hooked. Simple. Like I said earlier, the story mode takes quite a while to muscle through!

When playing, you can go almost anywhere! If it is on the left hand side of the map at the start of the game, you can do there! It will take you a good few hours to start to get to grips with the geography of the game!

GTA:VCS also has a copious amount of extra content!

99 Red Balloons - Just like the hidden packages in the other games, except you have to shoot them! Upon reaching 10 balloons, you get a Pistol Appear outside your safehouse! Once you get all 99.. well.. M249! The ULTIMATE weapon! Take down pedestrians with 1 shot, cars in 2 or 3, helicopters in a few! The only thing that this weapon doesn't destroy with a few bullets, is the Rhino Tanks! Then again, these are 'almost' invincible ;-)

Services Missions - Here you take the role of a police officer/fireman/helicopter ambulance pilot/taxi driver and do 15 missions to get extra cash and eventually a little bonus at the end! This could be extra health, extra amour, better swimming abilities... anything!

Races - Be it from roof to roof, round the streets, or up and down the waters of vice city, the races are here!

Lots of variety here, time trials, races against AI controlled characters, or races to get all the markers within the time limit! Be warned, they are everywhere and not as easy as they may first seem!

Phil's Shooting Range! - Think you can shoot do you? I am sure that you will be proved wrong here! Take aim at dozens of targets with all weapons under the Vice City sun here and win a prize!

Empire Mode - This comes into the game a good few missions in! Well actually, quite a lot in!

The basis of this mode is, you attack an establishment, take it over, and rebuild it as one of Protection Racket, Loan Shark, Prostitution, Drugs, Smuggling and Robbery. Each of these can be made into a small, medium, or large venture. Small giving the least amount of cash, large, the most! The more advanced establishments are unlocked as you gain more empire properties!

::Multiplayer::

There are no less than TEN multiplayer modes on offer here people! The only letdown is that there are Ad-Hoc only!

Street Rage - In this mode, you just race, its the same as an in game race, except with friend controlled players!

Taken for a Ride - If you have ever played Capture the Flag, then this is Rockstar's equivalent! Instead of a flag, you steal the opposing team's car! The team with the most cars at the end, wins!

Vice City Survivor - a regular death match mode which you can play as a free for all or in teams.

Tanks for the Memories - A 'King of the Hill' style game. There is a Tank.. somewhere! Each team has to find it, and hold it! The team that spends the most time in it, wins. The only drawback is that everybody has ordinance...!

Might of the Hunter - Same as Tanks for the memories, but with a Hunter Helicopter!

Grand Theft Auto - As the title suggests, you have to steal specific cars, and take them to a specific area to sell them. The better the nick, the better the cash reward! The more cash, the better!

Hit List - Upon starting, one character is the target! All other players must track down, and kill said player! Once you successfully find, and kill said player, you are the new target! Longest standing wins!

Protection Racket - Here you will either be allocated as Attack, or Defense. The defense has 4 cars to protect, once the attacking side has destroyed the cars, teams swap. The team with the quickest time wins!

Empire Takedown - Another team game here! You start at your respective empires in your separate teams! Somewhere hidden on the map, are some explosives! The aim of the game here is to blow up the other teams Empire!

VIP RIP - Once again, a team game! Attackers and defenders! Only difference is that the defending team is defending a VIP! If killed, the Attackers win! For the defenders to win, the VIP must collect 5 briefcases and escape, alive!

::So, what do I think::

I think that this game, is amazing! So many PSP games fall short of expectation, or just simply get boring when you try to pick it up the third time! GTA:VCS on the other hand, is nothing like that and will keep you hooked for ages!

One thing that I find annoying with the game is the glitches! One big one that I will note is do not depend on your garages at safehouses! More often than not, anything that you save in there, will simply disappear! - Quite annoying when it happens to be a Rhino Tank that you have just spend the best part of 20 minutes capturing!

Like I said in a previous review, I think that this is one of few great PSP titles! - Go buy!

Enjoy!