Grand Theft Auto : Vice City

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games for PlayStation 2. Set in 1986, it follows mobster Tommy Vercetti after his release from prison and his dispatch from Liberty City to establish business for the Forelli family. When a drug deal is ambushed, Tommy is left without the money or merchandise and begins pursuing the people behind the setup.

The story unfolds in Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional, Miami-inspired coastal metropolis. Its beaches, high-rise downtown, neon-lit commercial districts, seedy back streets, and nearby swamps give the city distinct neighborhoods to explore. As Tommy works through rival criminal groups and local power brokers, the campaign charts his attempt to turn a disastrous arrival into control of the city’s underworld.

Played from a third-person perspective, Vice City combines structured story missions with the freedom to roam between objectives. Missions range from driving, pursuit, and delivery jobs to shootouts and timed assignments, while payphones, businesses, and other contacts open up additional work. The two-island city gradually becomes more accessible as the story advances, leaving plenty of space for self-directed exploration and side activities.

Cars, motorcycles, boats, helicopters, and other vehicles are central to getting around and to many of the game’s set pieces. Players can steal vehicles from traffic, use them for races or escapes, and travel by water or air when a job demands it. On foot, Tommy can use a broad selection of firearms and explosives, with combat and evasive driving often working together during missions and open-world encounters.

Buying property adds another layer to the PS2 experience. Safehouses provide places to save progress, while certain purchasable businesses become assets that generate income after their associated missions are completed. This shifts the game beyond individual jobs: Tommy can build a portfolio of holdings while expanding his influence across Vice City.

The original PlayStation 2 version is especially defined by its period presentation. A selection of in-car radio stations supplies licensed music, talk programming, commercials, and DJ segments that reinforce the game’s satirical 1980s atmosphere. Later editions brought Vice City to other systems and remastered collections, but this release is the foundational 2002 PS2 version that introduced Tommy Vercetti’s story and the city itself.