Classic Game Review 7: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - A Retrospective

In this video, I'm taking a look at one of the most iconic games ever made, GTA: Vice City!

[@theninethrees8044]

Vice City is definitely the best in terms of atmosphere. I was born in the 90’s but when I played Vice City as a kid I felt nostalgic about the 80’s lol

[@mirajahmed707]

Thats how good this game is

[@infjgirl3850]

Same here. I’m a 90s child, yet Vice City helped me discover my love for 80s music 😂

[@ShootingStar1313]

If there ever was a game that deserved a remaster, this would be it.

[@alexandernapier14]

This DID age well.. remaster coming in the next week or 2. Get. Ready.

[@patriksejzi1681]

and now... we got it bro :)

[@aranerem3767]

The remaster trilogy is coming

[@AH-bf4md]

Can’t wait to listen to those great radio stations again

[@pootis.145]

TAKE IT BACK TAKE IT BACK

[@JAYDOG1337A]

The worst thing in the sunshine auto missions, is when you spend ages finding a rare spawning car, then on your way back, another just as rare car passes you by

[@visassess8607]

That's why they give you a garage and save point there lmao

[@haroeneissa790]

@@visassess8607 he means before he reached the garage. You can't park the car in the garage if you're not there yet

[@riley3295]

I watch a lot of retrospective/analysis videos and yours are by far my favourite. Mature, thorough, and engaging. Looking forward to seeing your channel grow pal

[@cultureshock8435]

Cheers mate!

[@jimboramba]

I always get goosebumps once that vice city theme kicks in. So 80s

[@jacksizzle8937]

This game is probably one of the greatest things ever, using component cables, a good tv, and tweaking the visual settings, throwing in the weather/rain cheat and driving onto the beach w your car looking towards the Malibu club w fever playing is fun in of itself, and then you can play the game, but I sometimes just stand on top of my car and shoot ppl or sit in the car lol

[@lordgrisaia]

Hey man I love your videos! Only thing I would say change is maybe turn the background music down a little as at times it can be hard to hear you. Other than that, great job!

[@bigballz4u]

Or just turn it off/change the tune. The VC theme didn't fit when GTA3 was being discussed.

[@alexandernapier14]

Such a good video. Thank you so much. Grand theft auto is so important to my childhood. I was born in 1992 and My newly met stepdad got me GTA 1 in February of 1998 for my birthday. Apparently he heard hype about it so he wanted to impress me.. They didn’t realize what it was all about until I was playing it. I oddly remember him telling my mom “well, he’s already played this long” haha ….fast forward I was in a YMCA after school program and this kid was telling about how he had GTA 3. At the time I was only really getting gifts on birthdays and/or Christmas. When he told me “you can beat old ladies with baseball bats” my crazy little kid brain was SO IN. Getting GTA 3 was all I dreamed about. Opened it the following Christmas. Beat up some old ladies, lol. A year or 2 later I remember seeing commercials for Vice city and needed that. I learned so much about the 80s and “vintage” popular culture from this game. I still play this one on my iPhone 12 Pro Max to this day. Beyond excited for the remasters. Keep up the great work. And thanks again.

[@cultureshock8435]

Cheers for watching Alex :)

[@christiano5109]

Born in 92 as well...got the ps2, ratchet and clank and vice city and this helped shape the rest of my gaming life

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

"What GTA 3 lacked was soul" how can such a nebulous statement be so instantly right that all it needs for context is simply to have played both 3 and VC in their time? GTA 3 is almost a barebones proof of concept. It certainly had its charm but it felt so hollow, so sterile and detached. Vice City felt alive despite not being that big a step up in terms of visuals or mechanics. It comes very close to being a reskinned GTA 3 but it feels as big an improvement as San Andreas later would despite bringing nowhere near as much to the table as SA would. GTA 3 was a marvel in its time and still holds up fairly well considering its prototypical status in a genre that has come so far. But 5 minutes in Vice City blew it out of the water in atmosphere. GTA 3 proved it could be done, Vice City showed it could be more than just a functional experience while doing so.

[@gregory4511]

I’m surprised you don’t have more subs. I’ve watched several of your other videos and I appreciate the work you put into them. Look forward to seeing what you do in the future.

[@cultureshock8435]

Appreciate the kind words brother!

[@shreeyutshrestha8920]

Damn this takes me back to when I was around 7 years old and I’d play this a bunch with my uncle, those were the days. Banger vid btw👌

[@evzenvarga9707]

Great review, I love your videos, your channel deserves more attention.

[@cultureshock8435]

Appreciate the kind words! Just uploaded a new GTA video check it out

[@kevinnodine6266]

Honestly the definitive edition got released, I'm so glad I have my copies of the original versions of the trilogy. I have no issue playing the ps2 Era type games. The controls are wonky, but I love it. Great review.

[@k00kieed0hh2]

Awesome work man! you definitely deserve more subs!

[@cultureshock8435]

Cheers man, we're getting there ;)

[@nasidctg]

I was 12 years old when this came out. Feels like it was last week but it's already being called a classic. I'm old 😂

[@lordnoiado]

Fucking NOSTALGIC game, and I was born in 99. It's not only nostalgic in essence due to the great 80's atmosphere but it was such an important game for me that it carries a personal sense of nostalgia

[@zhhsshhhd5949]

Great job, I loved the video! Liked and subscribed!

[@johnbowen7314]

Great doc. I truly can’t wait to play the forthcoming trilogy remaster. :)

[@bradlyfray1010]

Dude. This video is very good. I hope it gets more views soon.

[@cultureshock8435]

Appreciate it brother. Check out the GTA IV review if you liked this one!

[@davidwolfe6773]

This game is a classic I was in 8th grade going into 9th when this was released

[@JEREMCEE]

Amazing video man well done

[@alexlokanin3312]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video

[@prakharm.216]

Great vid my g, you covered this game in such detailed manner that I'm a fan of yours, and as for the game i feel like even though the story is amazing, and the performances are impeccable. But apart from that the world feels just....... Empty and lifeless and almost barren even though it has nailed the vibe perectly, it just feels lacking for some reason. I know open worlds are hard to pull off, but a game named shenmue, released in 1999 pulls of the open world better than any of the 3d era gta's let me know what you think.

[@bradr3541]

I am still amazed not only the full Vice City but also San Andreas fit on my iPhone

[@liveyourdreammedia]

My fav. VC track has got to be Fat Larry's Act like you know... Hurry hurry hurry! Great video. Have a sub, and a great day.

[@cultureshock8435]

That's a good one mate, to be honest there are too many good ones to note! Cheers for the sub

[@influencehistory8879]

I was really looking forward to this video, and your analysis seemed like it had potential but I have to be honest with you the sound mixing needs a lot of work, additionally you are killing me here by playing the opening theme of vice city for nearly the entire duration of the video that's super annoying and grating I suggest more varied music tracks at a significantly reduced volume in the future I think that would improve this very significantly

[@Pouilleux]

Another great video, but I have to say the music is a bit too loud. Makes it somewhat difficult to hear what you're saying. Other than that, I have nothing to say. Great work

[@outerheavengaming6196]

Royce Da 5'9" Shoutout 🤘🏻

[@raphaelabreu6057]

This game needs a full on remake with the interaction feature with npcs like in red dead 2 expanded & enhanced.

[@Gamesta100]

Vice City started out as DLC for GTA3 but because of its size they felt it made more sense to make it a brand new game For me it's 1. VC 2. SA 3. 3 because of nostalgia and the impact it had on me 4. VC Stories. If I hadn't played GTA3 when it released and before VC the it would be my 3rd favourite.

[@nyikomatjeke5873]

The GTA series is amazing but I'll rather choose GTA vice city than all the games and I'll choose it everytime

[@Roy3.16]

14:17 wow, what a beautiful view 😍

[@rivaldobox]

Could've used a little bit variety on the soundtrack for this video. Listening to VC main theme for 40 minutes straight was... something

[@B33FY2011]

Vice City is the best game in the series by a country mile to for me. I was born in 1985, so I wasn't old enough to remember living through the second half of the 80s. I was 17 years old when Vice City released and it immediately made me look at the 80s with nostalgia even though I grew up in the 90s. It got me into Miami Vice which I am currently binging and love everything about it. Everytime I watch Miami Vice it instantly makes me think about Vice City. There are a lot of Miami Vice easter eggs including Crockett and Tubbs making an appearance.

[@virketalpatel]

But does he reply tho

[@khululyp]

Recently watched Donnie Brasco and the mob branching out to miami for drugs feels also as inspiration.

[@davi4526]

nice video

[@cultureshock8435]

Cheers bro

[@Gamingchairenthusiast122]

I love beating my top score at mr .whoppee sales.

[@coooooool12342]

Vice City is still my favorite GTA.

[@MG-wk2eh]

Nice review, but I don't agree that GTA III had no soul. Or rather.. I feel that was the intent of it. Liberty City felt gritty all the time and had a sleazy undercurrent in it. The murky colour palette added to the atmosphere, graffiti on trains, the polluted looking water etc. When you start off in Portland, you can tell it's the poor part of the city. No one is driving the nicer cars (like sports cars and SUVs) and there is a higher concentration of prostitutes, pimps, thugs (the ones that mug people and carjack you), and blue collar workers, especially around the docks and red light district. When you unlock Staunton Island you start seeing the nicer cars as well as different types of NPCs like middle-class looking women out shopping and university students. It reminds me a bit of the intro of The Sopranos, which features Tony driving home through New Jersey, he passes derelict areas, etc, before eventually arriving at his nice mansion. GTA III is very primitive by modern standards, it is 22 years old after all and one of the first games of it's kind, but I thought it was very immersive. The story was generic/forgettable as hell though. Even the great voice acting couldn't carry it.

[@wesyung5906]

You know about the JQ?

[@shubhashivu9539]

I miss those yellow days

[@virketalpatel]

My favorite part of vice city and especially sanadreas is the music. Especially San Andreas I love 90s west coast rap

[@cultureshock8435]

I'd have to agree

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

The music selection is so good that it's almost a shame since the odds of players listening to the utterly hilarious talk radio stations is pretty low in comparison

[@Raycloud]

You could run and shoot with the pistol and uzi in GTA 3 too.

[@Roy3.16]

14:19 Vice City's soundtracks are best in the series, there's no arguing about that.. San Andreas is 2nd and Vice City Stories is 3rd

[@cultureshock8435]

Stories has one of the best soundtracks ever, highly underrated!

[@Roy3.16]

@@cultureshock8435 yes, actually Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories got buried under San Andreas's shadow. I believe Rockstar released them in the wrong time in 2005 and in 2006 right after the release of San Andreas in 2004.. I have a request for you, if possible then please make a review video about San Andreas

[@cultureshock8435]

@@Roy3.16 It's coming brother. Just dropped a Mass Effect review, working on a script for another, but San Andreas is number 11 💪🏻

[@Roy3.16]

@@cultureshock8435 thank you bro ❤️

[@aranerem3767]

Classic game

[@ChrisTronbot]

Is there a way to get in contact with you by any chance. I have been incredibly impressed with your work on this channel. I am currently working on a huge scale review that I believe could be the future of Video Game Reviews on KZbin. Would love to talk 👍

[@cultureshock8435]

Hey man if you give me an email I can reach you at I'll drop you an email and we can take it from there!

[@ChrisTronbot]

@@cultureshock8435 Here it is: [e-mail]

[@jonathanbirch2022]

A nice vid, but it’s just you talking over the same intro song for 40 minutes? Maybe write an essay

[@superjetze]

Why did you think it was a good idea to have the vice city theme looping that much?

[@cultureshock8435]

Because it gets my dick really, really hard

[@BIGwillTHEGAME]

KZbin Recommended

[@Ilshatey]

Too bad Metallica didn't sell some songs from Master of Puppets to include in this game.

[@cultureshock8435]

🤘

[@Quickgetmemy]

Bruh u played ff10 or just watched fmvs?

[@dvkprod]

The music is incredibly obnoxious, I wasn't able to finnish the video.

[@TimeWisely]

I think it's unfair that you compare vice city to another game, you don't understand the first thing of game development. The game first of all, does look bad, that's no lie, it's from 2002. You don't know how game development works, it depends on polygons, and how much geometry the console has to render, and something you don't realize, is that those cutscenes in that other game, were in indeed fake. They were pre-rendered, you can see a difference, and also, one thing you also can't see, is the fact that the crowd is also a bunch of animated gifs, it's why the whole room is dark, because if they weren't dark, you can see the low quality pictures. The GTA series has no way of doing this, everything you see is rendered in real time. It would not make sense to make incredibly high quality models when the PS2 was the lowest powered system of the era, and the game was developed for that console. You may wonder why gta sa looks marginally better, well that's simple, they had discovered a new compression method, therefore, they were able to pack more content into the game, for example, textures looked less spotty, and the models were smoother because they figured out how to make it smoother. SA came out in 2005. I dislike hearing people calling these games ugly, you really need to understand how the development works before you can throw such a blatantly unfair comparison out there. These games are both completely different in complexity and how they were designed.

[@shrediknight4738]

Bronze?

[@mohammedtabrizi4968]

First dislike 👍

[@mohammedtabrizi4968]

@HelloThere 👍

[@Brahbrahbrahbrahbrahbrah]

This game came out when I was 10 and not only did it contribute to my taste in video games but music too. I remember hearing Slayer for the 1st time through this game on Vrock and from that point on I was and still am a huge metalhead, I've gotten into so many metal genres like Thrash, Death, Black, Grindcore, etc and to think it all started with vice city is remarkable considering it was simply a game I got at Game Crazy in Hollywood Video by lying to my mom about its content 😂

[@romainring]

You're just angry that you didn't get to play it in 2001

[@Gamesta100]

Nobody got to play it in 2001 lol

[@Aintyourbuddy_guy]

The character models are supposed to look like cartoons..