While the sun-soaked streets of Los Santos and the gray skylines of Liberty City are perhaps the most familiar settings to fans of Rockstar Games' most beloved franchise,Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citypresented a playground that was as fun to exist in as it was to look at. The overbearing palm trees and neon-studded boulevards made it clear that Vice City was aparody of Miami in the 1980s, and asGrand Theft Auto 5has given Los Santos a significant makeover from itsSan Andreasbeginnings, Vice City is long overdue the same.Grand Theft Auto 6is rumored to return to Vice City, but to do so it will have to make some substantial improvements.
A lot has changed in 20 years, both in terms of gameplay and storytelling for video games, and Rockstar Games has once again proven with the release ofRed Dead Redemption 2that it’s an industry leader in attention to detail and immense world-building. This reputation is nothing new, but all eyes are onGrand Theft Auto 6to see if the developer can maintain the same level of polish that it’s known for. The fictional town of Vice City may be poised to make a return, and fans will likely be salivating at the very thought.
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Vice City Needs to Expand
While thePlayStation 2GTAgames provided fans with huge open worlds by 2002’s standards,Grand Theft Auto 5’s Los Santos was several times larger than it was the first time around. The same has to happen for Vice City, and although the2021Definitive Editionshould have showed that the setting is still funin its original state, the next mainline entry has to take full advantage of the company’s previous works.Red Dead Redemption 2andGrand Theft Auto5have so much replayability because the landscapes are so very large and there’s lore packed into every nook and cranny, and with the potential that Vice City brings, it simply has to be bigger than it was all those years ago.
There is a place forsmaller open-worlds in the AAA space asYakuzahas proven, but withGrand Theft Auto’s emphasis being fixed on exploration as well as mischief, it’s important to provide a space that allows players to let loose. Driving through the same handful of streets is repetitive, and the PlayStation 2 trilogy ofGTAgames can be enjoyed, but only really with the knowledge that its formula has been improved upon with later entries. A bigger map simply makes sense in today, especially as mostGrand Theft Autogames live or die by the quality of the city itself.
Vice City Should Be a Victim of Time
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’s stunning presentation and gripping story are reliant on the time period as Rockstar Games drew inspiration from, namely films and TV shows likeScarface, Heat, andMiami Vice. The 1980s aesthetic is essential for the narrative that unfolds aroundprotagonist Tommy Vercetti, but while it would be easy to replicate this again, a new time period would do well to differentiateGrand Theft Auto 6from its predecessor.
Grand Theft Auto 5did the same thing with Los Santos, taking it from the early 1990s to 2013 without losing any of the landscape’s charm. In fact, cruising though the streets inGTA 5and then returning toSan Andreasgives Los Santos a sense of history. WhileGrand Theft Auto 6’s Vice City should be very different from Los Santos, taking the same philosophy with its time jump could be beneficial to the franchise as a whole rather than just the next release itself. Dragging Vice City to modern day would radically change the vibe of the location, and could be a perfect way to bring a beloved setting to a whole new audience.
Grand Theft Auto 6is currently in development.
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