There NEEDS to be a northern city that has a snowy climate. Vice City is great, but it isn't that different from Los Santos's tropical climate. Other than street layout, and name, it's STILL palm trees, condominiums, skyscrapers, beaches and bright lights.
I'm all for it, but it HAS to include a large northern city that is snowy and cold. If it's only southern Florida, I can GUARANTEE people will go apesh*t because they will say it feels almost exactly like GTAV. Furthermore, the attachment to Vice City has as much, if not MORE to do, with the 80's/scarface vibe that made that game so great.
Many people will be disappointed when it's a modern day setting with a better looking, but unrecognizable Vice City.
I'm not saying it won't be a great game, but it's not going to be what people think it's going to be.
This was not a problem when San Andreas came out after Vice City, so why should it be a problem now ?? I don't understand that.
And furthermore. LA (Los Santos) is not within a tropical climate. It is warm and sunny like Miami (Vice City) yes, but it's a dry Mediterranean climate, it's not tropical at all. Miami (Vice City) is located in tropical, humid climate on low-lying swampland. Besides both cities are also very different from each other in terms of physical appearance, layout, demographics and local culture. The only similarities are palm trees, sunny weather and glamorous image, but that is really it, and they are not significant similarities either.
I'm not against a Vice City, but I DO think that there needs to be a significantly large portion of the game that is a snowy environment. While Miami isn't a carbon copy of L.A., it's still a mix of urban, suburban, and corporate areas in a warm climate, palm tree filled map, with the deserts of Sandy Shores being replaced by an Everglades type region.
The differences between tropical and Mediterranean climate aren't large enough to make the game feel that much different. It WON'T have the Miami of the 80's theme or soundtrack, which i'm absolutely positive is something people will not only notice, but have a heart attack about.
I DO like the idea of a reimagined Vice City, but there also needs to be a completely different environment like a snowy northern region with a large city to serve as a contrast to Vice City. Just my opinion.