The Backstabber's Blues

[Captain Northstar]

His brother was a good guy in a bad man's game. Lance is so good he's bad. And the game he's in belongs to the baddest man of all.

 

Meet "The Backstabber's Blues": the untold story of your favorite trustworthy deuteragonist. Discover what Lance was up to while Tommy was busy taking over Vice City, learn the fate of 20 kilos of coke, three million of dollars and, of course, three mysterious assassins who just crossed the wrong man. Uncover the plot behind the notorious ambush and meet familiar characters from an all new perspective.

 

"The Backstabber's Blues" is a story driven mod that puts narrative first. My biggest goal was to make you see the man you love to hate in a different light, while still having loads of fun with bombastic action, stylish aesthetics and witty dialogues. Hope you will enjoy playing it as much as I enjoyed making it!

 

It's time for some Vance vengeance!

 

 

 

 

Socials

If you're interested in mod's progress, you can follow me here:

YouTube | Discord | TikTok | Instagram

Screenshots

Spoiler

 

CHAPTER I DOWNLOAD

 

Chapter One "Crooks, Dames and Funny Names" includes:

• 11 story missions, 3 strangers' missions, 5 side hustles and open world events, telling you the first part of Lance's revenge story. Look at the familiar events from the new perspective and see what Lance was up to while Tommy was finding his steps in Vice City. And if revenge is taking a heavy toll on your mood and your wallet, distract yourself with establishing your pimping empire, delivering exotic cars, helping blue chip clients, stealing hot goods or participating in Vice City's illegal racing scene. 
• 11 new vehicles, 3 new weapons. Find new ways to move through the city in style to highlight Lance's flamboyant and extravagant personality. Buy and upgrade cars and don't ever worry about losing them: they will always be available in the same parking spot. And if you don't like the paint job, change it permanently in Al's Paint Shop on Washington Beach.
• 22 outfits. Lance doesn't look for hidden packages or red balloons: he puts fashion first! Clothing parlors in Vice City now have interiors and unique outfits in them. Discover them all to reflect Lance's style!
• Reworked map. New safehouses, bars, restaurants, fast food joints, clothing stores and hotels,  all seamlessly incorporated into the map of your favorite city and fully interactable. Have a drink on Ocean Drive, go on a shopping spree on Washington Avenue, visit your local drug dealer in the back alley and then spend a night in your luxurious suite. Experience Vice City like you never did before!
• Addiction. Lance is an addicted person in grief. Cocaine keeps him going and alcohol numbs his pain. They can get you through the day, but depend on them too much and the world will become a bleak, scary place. Seek out the closest rehab to get another chance at normal life. For a price, of course.
• Fitness. Lance can gain and lose weight depending on his lifestyle. Eat and walk regularly to stay in shape or eat your problems away and find yourself as overweight as Gonzalez. Of course, Vice City's streets always offer a faster way to lose your kilos: usually in exchange for grams.
• VCFL Radio with 16 new songs, DJ Tina Jane's dialogues and cameos from familiar characters. Feel the late 80s vibe with the hottest songs for the hottest city.

 

I've been working on this mod for more than a year without telling anybody, so it's a very big day for me! I hope to finish the first chapter before New Year and I really hope you will like it.

 

How To Install

Put the contents of "The Backstabber's Blues - Chapter I" folder into the root folder of your original GTA Vice City. Agree to replacing the files. You can use any clean version, including Steam version. 

 

Please do not use modded versions of GTA Vice City or install any mods on top of it: "The Backstabber's Blues" already includes all vital patches and plugins, such as Silent Patch and Widescreen Fix, and might not run well with new mods.

 

Also, please make sure your screen resolution is not higher than 1920 x 1080, otherwise there might be some issues with launch and/or graphic elements within the mod.

 

Known Bugs

Almost all known bugs are related to screen resolution in one way or another.

• If your screen resolution is higher than 1920 x 1080 it will cause a glitch with in-game dialogues and pager. Please use lower resolution, preferably 1920 x 1080 or 1600 x 900. Or, if you have free time, please contact me so we can manually adjust dialogues and pager to your resolution. It will help to improve other players' experience in the future.
   

• If game doesn't launch, please change properties of exe file to be compatible with your resolution.
   

• If game crashes on start, please go to your Display settings in Windows and make sure than Scale is not higher than 100%. Here's the screenshot:
   

  Spoiler

  

   

 

• I tested "The Backstabber's Blues" relentlessly to avoid any bugs and make your experience will be as smooth as possible. But no matter how much I polish it, it's still a mod that makes the game do things it's not supposed to do. So unfortunately you might encounter some bugs and crashes. Please save and reload your game as much as possible.

 

Team

Me

 

Special Thanks

Even though I am the only member of my team, I wouldn't be able to create anything without countless tools, patches, plugins and knowledge provided by GTA modding community. Their love and passion for the game rivals the productiveness and professionalism of multimillion companies.

 

I tried to mention every creator of every tool that I have ever used in the development of this mod. All of them (and more) will be mentioned in the credits of the game as well. If I accidentally forgot anybody, please tell me and I will fix it asap. I missed some tags as well and I would be very grateful if you provide them in the comments.

 

Luigi's Club for help
@Axirion for inspiration
@bibidibabidibu for endless support
@ThirteenAG for CLEO, Widescreen Fix, Open Limit Adjuster and Project2DFX
@maxorator and @The Hero for Maxo's Vehicle Loader
JuniorDjjr for MixSets, FramerateVigilante, PedFuncs and Radio Change Down
OPL Team for Open Limit Adjuster

@steve-m for VC Limit Adjuster and Collision File Editor

@Andy80586 for updated VC Limit Adjuster
@Silent for SilentPatch and VC Trails

@Seemann for Sanny Builder
TheLink2012 for Modloader
Alien and @DK22Pac for CLEO
Spooky for IMG Tool
@DK22Pac and @The_GTA for MagicTXD
feroCT5 for GTATexter
@Ryosuke839 for GTAAnimManager
@Parik for DragonFF Blender add-on
@The Hero (aap) for Euryopa
MaD CaT for MP3 <> ADF
Guard3 for g3DTZ

_𝓐𝓖 for Classic Axis
@erorcun for SACarCam
@Leonazix and JuniorDjjr for PedFuncs

@CharlesVercetti for Changeable HUD Colors
@Tommy_Vercetti102 for Stories Style Swimming
@Ryadica926 for NoClothesReset

Edited February 19 by Captain Northstar

[Cascavel]

This looks quite cool! Best of luck and hope to play it soon

[PhPmayan]

Cool! I'm sure that I will play it

[nlspeednl]

This looks pretty cool! It looks like you put a lot of heart into it, and I'm genuinely curious where you take the story!

[Sergiu]

So that's what you've been cooking, huh?

 

Impressive, definitely something to keep an eye out for...

[universetwisters]

I love the tacky 80s pattern on Lance’s black shirt lol. Was it based on any actual shirts or an original design?

[Keith Ward]

Wow, this looks pretty damn good! Looking forward to it.

[TareqGamer]

Pretty interesting, can't wait to try it out when it comes out.

[Captain Northstar]

9 hours ago, Sergiu said:

So that's what you've been cooking, huh?

 

Impressive, definitely something to keep an eye out for...

Hell yeah! Thanks to you guys for your support! There are some tricks to converting from PSP that are absolutely impossible to learn from the public sources. Only in the dark corners of Luigi's Club you can find such information...

 

9 hours ago, universetwisters said:

I love the tacky 80s pattern on Lance’s black shirt lol. Was it based on any actual shirts or an original design?

Wow, you immediately noticed the real stuff! I worked on the default outfit for Lance for so long, trying different styles and patterns. I originally tried to copy Eddie Murphy from SNL in 1981, but Lance looked weirdly Indian in it. Then I wanted to give him some aggressively 80s shirt, but not Hawaiian, so he's not a copy of Tommy. I browsed tons of patterns among black actors, singers and models until I settled up for this super white and nerdy looking shirt. It's real, you can actually buy it online and I think it appeared in some 80s shows and movies as well. Super glad that you noticed it, thanks!

Spoiler

 

[AutisticTorch]

of course universetwisters would spot the f*cking 80s shirt LMAO

very interested in this mod, I hope it goes somewhere and we can actually play it some day

[Captain Northstar]

41 minutes ago, AutisticTorch said:

I hope it goes somewhere and we can actually play it some day

I'm too far to back off now lol

The amount of time and effort I invested in it will not let me just stop.

 

Crazy to think that this is the first time I shared this whole thing with anybody. Thank you very much for anticipating my mod, I won't let you down!

[AutisticTorch]

2 hours ago, Captain Northstar said:

I'm too far to back off now lol

The amount of time and effort I invested in it will not let me just stop.

 

Crazy to think that this is the first time I shared this whole thing with anybody. Thank you very much for anticipating my mod, I won't let you down!

 

I'm just very pessimistic when it comes to any story related mod, a lot of them have died mid-development/concept stages or get stuck in development hell. It's very difficult to make one, let alone a good one because at least to me you either

• Get a small group of people that don't know a whole lot or aren't experienced enough to create their vision
• Trouble keeping a group motivated and from dropping out of the project

I do have some questions though;

1. How many chapters do you plan on doing?

2. Are the little graphics in the screenshots in the actual game and not just for screenshot purposes? Do they animate at all when they appear for example?

3. How does the fitness work? Are there any disadvantages to being skinny and fat, or is it like how Red Dead 2 deals with it where it barely affects the gameplay?

4. How are saves going to work with the chapters as they are added?

 

But like I said in my first post, excited and very interested in this and I'll be keeping an eye on it. I'll give it a shot when the first chapter releases. Good work so far

Edited November 25, 2025 by AutisticTorch
too many ands in the last sentence

[Captain Northstar]

1 hour ago, AutisticTorch said:

• Get a small group of people that don't know a whole lot or aren't experienced enough to create their vision
• Trouble keeping a group motivated and from dropping out of the project

Fully agree with that part and that's why I work alone lol. Management is much more difficult than people think, it's easier to just go and learn Blender if you need something modelled.

 

The real problem is your own ambition. I planned to make a simple story mod, but after I learned modelling there was no stopping me. For a few month I just changed the map instead of coding. I'm afraid that would be the real reason why the mod would be never finished. But hey, at least there will be first chapter for people to play!

 

Now to your amazing questions (thanks for asking them!):

1 hour ago, AutisticTorch said:

1. How many chapters do you plan on doing?

I'm planning to do five: one for each assassin and two for other... Villains. 

1 hour ago, AutisticTorch said:

2. Are the little graphics in the screenshots in the actual game and not just for screenshot purposes? Do they animate at all when they appear for example?

All screenshots are gameplay. I didn't want to use AI to voice the dialogues and created Advance/Chinatown Wars system instead. Thanks to @DimZet for his speedometer mod, I would never figure it out without opcodes he used there.

1 hour ago, AutisticTorch said:

3. How does the fitness work? Are there any disadvantages to being skinny and fat, or is it like how Red Dead 2 deals with it where it barely affects the gameplay?

I decided not to go that deep, even though I learned a way to control protagonist's stamina later in development. Fitness in my mod is purely cosmetic. I took the existing mechanic in the game that Rockstar never used. If you eat, you get fat. If you run or snort cocaine, you get slim.

1 hour ago, AutisticTorch said:

4. How are saves going to work with the chapters as they are added?

You will have to start all over, unfortunately. But I don't think it's going to be a problem, since people who play mods are used to completing Vice City over and over again every few months. I play "Extended Features" every time a new version is dropped, for example. Also, I will add stuff to content from previous chapters, so it won't feel boring. At least this is my hope.

[WillzyyyGTA]

I've been seeing your development shorts on YouTube and I love the amount of passion you're putting into this! The visual style of the dialogue boxes is really unique too. Best of luck with the mod! 

[ilyove6]

This mod really seems interesting. i will play it for sure

[Captain Northstar]

15 hours ago, WillzyyyGTA said:

I've been seeing your development shorts on YouTube and I love the amount of passion you're putting into this! The visual style of the dialogue boxes is really unique too. Best of luck with the mod! 

Wow, thanks! Love your content! I'm incredibly flattered that you noticed both my videos and the amount of love I put in what I do. Hope it will turn out good in the end.

[Captain Northstar]

I added the credits to the mod's description. I'm copying them here as well.

 

Even though I am the only member of my team, I wouldn't be able to create anything without countless tools, patches, plugins and knowledge provided by GTA modding community. Their love and passion for the game rivals the productiveness and professionalism of multimillion companies.

 

I tried to mention every creator of every tool that I have ever used in the development of this mod. All of them (and more) will be mentioned in the credits of the game as well. If I accidentally forgot anybody, please tell me and I will fix it asap. I missed some tags as well and I would be very grateful if you provide them in the comments.

 

Luigi's Club for help
@Axirion for inspiration
@bibidibabidibu for support
@ThirteenAG for CLEO, Widescreen Fix, Open Limit Adjuster and Project2DFX
@maxorator for Maxo's Vehicle Loader
JuniorDjjr for MixSets, FramerateVigilante, PedFuncs and Radio Change Down
OPL Team for Open Limit Adjuster
@Silent for SilentPatch and VC Trails

@Seemann for Sanny Builder
TheLink2012 for Modloader
Alien and @DK22Pac for CLEO
Spooky for IMG Tool
@DK22Pac and @The_GTA for MagicTXD
Steve M. for Collision File Editor
feroCT5 for GTATexter
Ryosuke839 for GTAAnimManager
Parik27 for DragonFF Blender add-on
@The Hero (aap) for Euryopa
MaD CaT for MP3 <> ADF
Guard3 for g3DTZ

AG for Classic Axis
@erorcun for SACarCam
@Leonazix and JuniorDjjr for PedFuncs
@Tommy_Vercetti102 for Stories Style Swimming
@Ryadica926 for NoClothesReset

 

Thank you guys SO MUCH, nothing would be possible without you. And thanks to everyone who is interested in "The Backstabber's Blues" or Vice City in general. My childhood is alive through you.

Edited November 28, 2025 by Captain Northstar

[Backyard Brawler]

4 hours ago, Captain Northstar said:

I added the credits to the mod's description. I'm copying them here as well.

 

Even though I am the only member of my team, I wouldn't be able to create anything without countless tools, patches, plugins and knowledge provided by GTA modding community. Their love and passion for the game rivals the productiveness and professionalism of multimillion companies.

 

I tried to mention every creator of every tool that I have ever used in the development of this mod. All of them (and more) will be mentioned in the credits of the game as well. If I accidentally forgot anybody, please tell me and I will fix it asap. I missed some tags as well and I would be very grateful if you provide them in the comments.

 

Luigi's Club for help
@Axirion for inspiration
@bibidibabidibu for support
@ThirteenAG for CLEO, Widescreen Fix, Open Limit Adjuster and Project2DFX
@maxorator for Maxo's Vehicle Loader
JuniorDjjr for MixSets, FramerateVigilante, PedFuncs and Radio Change Down
OPL Team for Open Limit Adjuster
@Silent for SilentPatch and VC Trails

@Seemann for Sanny Builder
TheLink2012 for Modloader
Alien and @DK22Pac for CLEO
Spooky for IMG Tool
@DK22Pac and @The_GTA for MagicTXD
Steve M. for Collision File Editor
feroCT5 for GTATexter
Ryosuke839 for GTAAnimManager
Parik27 for DragonFF Blender add-on
@The Hero (aap) for Euryopa
MaD CaT for MP3 <> ADF
Guard3 for g3DTZ

AG for Classic Axis
@erorcun for SACarCam
@Leonazix and JuniorDjjr for PedFuncs
@Tommy_Vercetti102 for Stories Style Swimming
@Ryadica926 for NoClothesReset

 

Thank you guys SO MUCH, nothing would be possible without you. And thanks to everyone who is interested in "The Backstabber's Blues" or Vice City in general. My childhood is alive through you.

Wow, unlike Tommy.

Lance Vance can swim because he learned it from his brother Victor Vance, nice.

Edited November 28, 2025 by Backyard Brawler

[Captain Northstar]

2 hours ago, Backyard Brawler said:

Wow, unlike Tommy.

Lance Vance can swim because he learned it from his brother Victor Vance, nice.

I didn't want to add it originally because Vice City isn't really designed for swimming anyway. But mod by @Tommy_Vercetti102 is so good that I couldn't resist.

[Backyard Brawler]

59 minutes ago, Captain Northstar said:

I didn't want to add it originally because Vice City isn't really designed for swimming anyway. But mod by @Tommy_Vercetti102 is so good that I couldn't resist.

Would be cool if you added a mission involved swimming for Lance.

[Captain Northstar]

19 hours ago, Backyard Brawler said:

Would be cool if you added a mission involved swimming for Lance.

Come to think of it, I have a side-mission that you can finish by throwing a car in the water. It's certainly less infuriating when you can just throw yourself along with it lol

[Costyiii_93]

impressive work! Look forward to release

[Luis Mane III]

oh hell yeah another gta vc total conversion mod

[BLUHope98]

Cool stuff!

But one thing I noticed, so many mods with amazing map additions, yet not for the vanilla game...

[nite_stick]

This looks amazing. Congratulations. Can't wait to play it! 

[Captain Northstar]

Made a little video with map comparison. I didn't want to spoil all the surprises, so some changes are not on the video. But it gives you a general idea about what to expect in terms of the map. Hope you enjoy it!

 

 

[Jayso]

Very cool

[Captain Northstar]

Video about how drug addiction works in the game:

 

[Luis Mane III]

13 hours ago, Captain Northstar said:

Video about how drug addiction works in the game:

 

when the mod releases eventually i will avoid NOT PEPSI Like its the black plauge.

[Adrenaline12]

Hi, mod link?