What could Rockstar include in an 80s VC that they didn't before?

[Patrizio]

Just editing this as it needs an introduction. I've seen a number of posters who are sceptical about a return to an 80s Miami. Most think its been done before and couldn't and shouldn't be revisited. I disagree.

 

Both III and IV were set in a noughties (00s) Liberty City. Little had changed in that period - smartphones did not yet exist and social media was very much in its infancy. Both had a similar theme of murder for hire but very few point out that the two had similar themes. Rockstar argued that LC was not done justice in III and hence IV. They could (and I'm sure will) argue the same about 2002's VC for a return to VC in VI.

 

RDR was set in 1911 and RDR2 in 1899 - let's be honest, both "pushing it" in terms of the "Wild" West still being a thing  (I am aware they are clearly in the last days of the Old West). Yet both are incredibly well done and believable. Both are clearly in the same era and share some of the same characters and locations. Despite this they were not criticised for being too similar. So why not a return to VC?

 

Despite the same era/theme being repeated in LC and RDR, some argue against the same for VC. I disagree. This topic can demonstrate how a new VC could be done - again in the 80s - and be fresh and workable.

 

Let's include what was not included or featured much in 2002's VC:

 

1. Miami Metrolink (opened 1984). A mass transit was not featured in VC and could be in a new version.

 

See below songs that could feature in a new VC in the 80s:

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by PaddsterG2k3

[Patrizio]

2. The Everglades.

 

Have to disagree Damien - the same could be argued for III, LCS and IV!

[Mister Pink]

Good question. I normally argue in favour of a new GTA city as Vice City was new at the time as was pretty much the 3D era of games - all new cities. I thought a new city might be the key to feeling that new GTA feel again. 

 

Having said that, Miami or Vice City is appealing to me again. If we were to get a Vice City Part II, I'd be intrigued, but it would have to do a heap tonne of new things as the thread sort of implies. 

 

Everglades is one. I suppose, having some really backwater rural towns and villages. Really creepy ones like something from True Detective. Proper nasty hillbillies living out in the swamps.

 

Another interesting idea would be the inclusion of Cuba, or more realistically, The Bahamas including Nassau. A bit like Scarface there would be lots of scope for smuggling missions, change of scenery, opening the game to more ocean based missions or flight-based missions, including smuggling, drugs, people etc. 

 

Having said that VC had good things they could elaborate on. For example, a new HD era shopping mall. But make it really detailed, functional too. That was so exciting discovering the mall in VC. You could have loads of stores for clothing, food and even an arcade. Make it great for shoot-outs. Make sure there are some windows that you can smash a bike or car through and drive-around in it and out the other side. Basically make it a playground rampages and loads of other fun. 

 

Another idea is to have actual big cruisers/yachts that you can drive. Like the one in GTA V, except you can steal the odd one. Make it so they aren't easy to steal and hard to buy (in singleplayer), so it's a rare treat. 

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Mister Pink

[Copcaller]

Everglades and additional Florida cities

Edited November 20, 2019 by Copcaller

[Zello]

Drugs.

 

Vice City barely touched on it, and VCS had the drug racket missions and a couple missions in the story but that was it. If they were to revist 80's VC again they can go fully in depth with the drug trade.

[GTAhare]

34 minutes ago, Copcaller said:

Everglades and additional Florida cities

 

Vice City was wonderful, but it came out in 2002. If the next GTA takes place there they could really expand on both Miami and Florida culture in general in a way far greater than what Vice City did. Assuming the Housers would be interested in doing one or more cities than just Miami I’d expect Orlando to be parodied as well. Maybe Jacksonville instead. But assuming the series ever even returns to Florida it depends on whether the Housers decide to focus solely on Miami and do a really detailed Vice City or decide to focus on Florida in general.

[Matty]

Well, Vice City is the most neglected location in the whole series if we’re being honest  - It’s basically a blank template at this point in terms of its potential. There’s plenty that could be added as well as improved, if indeed Vice City (and it’s surrounding area) is to be the location of the next GTA. 

 

The obvious would be the surrounding rural areas/backwater swamps inspired by/based on their real life counterparts (the Everglades). It would give more sense to Vice City itself having a mainland portion.
 

As for the city itself - a more realistic downtown district, more small islands between the mainland and beach portions of the city that act as secluded/gated communities (a good setting for reclusive but competing high-flying drug barons if the storyline would to go in that direction) and a larger, more run-down suburban area in the mainland portion of the city. Then there’s of course the transit systems and the like too, as touched on by the OP. I also like the idea stated above of there being an expanded, detailed and more functional mall too so I’ll echo that as well.

[Patrizio]

3. Liberty City Riots 1980 (Liberty City is a genuine area in Miami - curious what Rockstar would call it!)

 

Lots and lots of interesting points here.

 

As @Zello said actually drug dealing has never really done done. It could be an interesting side mission. 

 

As @Mister Pink said, with the (hopeful) inclusion of Caribbean islands, actual drug smuggling missions could be a new side mission.

 

Regarding the Everglades - they almost included it in VC - calling it the "Gator Keys". I guess they felt they couldn't do it justice and so pulled the idea. I do wonder if Bayou Nwa in RDR2 is testing ground for the Everglades in a new GTA - it'd be fairly easy to transfer across, I imagine.

 

As Matty said, Vice City, whilst bearing a decent resemblance to Miami, has not yet  had the makeover that LC and LS have had. Much of downtown and the ghetto areas would need developing hugely, and I think they could do it well. 

 

I also wonder if they'd have a new southern state that included a version of New Orleans and/or Atlanta.

[jamesos]

I really want side missions where you can acquire and sell drugs. Similar to the way fences worked in RDR 2. 

[Shyabang Shyabang]

A football stadium where we can watch the games:

 

 

Miami's cocaine scene:

 

 

And concerts:

 

 

[Patrizio]

Miami Sound Machine/Gloria Estefan need to be on the soundtrack too - can't recall if they were in VC - I don't think so...

[burger_mike]

Man, everyone’s perception of the 80s miami here is based on movies, we don’t actually know what it was like, I’m sure they can pull something off. 

[DexMacLeod]

7 hours ago, burger_mike said:

Man, everyone’s perception of the 80s miami here is based on movies, we don’t actually know what it was like, I’m sure they can pull something off. 

Yeah, and Rockstar isn't nearly as devoted to mimicking pop culture as they were in the 3D era either. I imagine if they were to go to 80s Vice City again it'd be in a similar vein to what they've done with IV and V. More of a satirical commentary on the society than a pop culture parody.

[Matty]

9 minutes ago, DexMacLeod said:

Yeah, and Rockstar isn't nearly as devoted to mimicking pop culture as they were in the 3D era either.

That’s a good point. It’s also probably easier to satirise the current day (i.e. GTA V and Los Santos’ over-the-top satirising of both petty materialism/consumerism as well as gang life in Los Angeles) as opposed to a setting in the past.

 

If Rockstar continues in IV/V’s vein of satire rather than pop culture references - then, in my opinion, I can’t see the setting being in a past era, either.

 

Still plenty of potential though to explore a storyline based around warring drug cartels and trafficking, however, if Vice City is to be the location of the next GTA due to Miami’s actual history concerning the illicit drug trade.

[CarltonDanks69]

On 11/19/2019 at 11:46 AM, Damien Scott said:

Can't think of anything. GTA VC's story was inspired by Scarface, there was Miami Vice references, Michael Jackson's songs, Video Killed the Radio Star, neon lights on Ocean Drive, etc. They've captured that period pretty well in GTA VC and VCS so I don't think there's any reason to go back to it.

all that in a next gen system sounds amazing! hope they add pyt to the radio too

[Duhillestpunk]

Malls with stores that have a purpose! I liked the North Point Mall I’m Vice City don’t get me wrong. But, I wish some of the stores were purposeful. Like Vinyl Countdown, I wish we could’ve had the ability to buy cassettes or hell even vinyl. I mean why not? It was the 80s. Hopefully with 6 they will include a mall with stores with the ability to purchase music. That’d be awesome.

[HOW'S ANNIE?]

The Colombian Cartel. How these guys weren't featured in VC, or even really VCS, is beyond me. Aside from maybe the Cuban gangs these guys were the main force to be reckoned with in 80s Miami.

[DOUGL4S1]

Video-games. San Andreas did a cool job with Arcade machines around the map, but I feel like it could be expanded way more. 1980s saw the release of Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, etc, and I feel like they could parody a lot of it. Maybe have an actual Arcade, with video-games and minigames the player could play, that woud be kind of cool.

 

Another thing would probably be drugs. Drug smuggling and selling was kind of limited, and drug usage was non-existant to say the least.

[Algonquin Assassin]

Parodies of 80s slashers. Having just watched the entire season of American Horror Story 1984 and assuming GTA VI will still have the in game TV I would love to see a parody of Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine etc. Remember the Knife After Dark radio commercial in Vice City? 

 

Hell you could take it one step further and have another Eddie Low esque serial killer that's obsessed with those kind of movies or something. Everyone thinks of the 80s as glitzy, glamourous etc, but I personally would love to see a darker and seedier side of it in the background. 

[Lock n' Stock]

32 minutes ago, SonOfLiberty said:

Parodies of 80s slashers. Having just watched the entire season of American Horror Story 1984 and assuming GTA VI will still have the in game TV I would love to see a parody of Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine etc. Remember the Knife After Dark radio commercial in Vice City? 

"Why hello there, Danny! I didn't know it was hockey season!"

 

Twilight Knife was another funny one.

 

 

[Americana]

Hmm... a good map.

 

---

[Gentlebreeze]

Pedestrians actually enjoying the beach(swimming, surfing, fishing, sun bathes

Spoiler

nude

, parties, entertainment, scuba diving,

Chainsaw actually dismembers

Hurricanes and flooding

Everglades

Random small islands

Dredger boat to build islands

Being able to touch and react to objects and people (grabbing, pushing, pulling)

Battleship battles (pirates)

Recruit allies for missions

tbc..



 

Edited November 28, 2019 by Black_Jesus

[Shyabang Shyabang]

A GTA version of MTV, or a parody of MTV

 

 

[Zello]

Communism. The 80s were the height of the cold war and people were afraid of nukes. Cuba is also very close to Florida they could have a couple of anti Castro military groups like in that one episode of Miami Vice.

 

The main thing is to keep it a minimum V had too much Government spy stuff in it and I don't want a repeat of that.

Edited December 1, 2019 by Zello

[Shyabang Shyabang]

21 hours ago, Zello said:

Communism. The 80s were the height of the cold war and people were afraid of nukes. Cuba is also very close to Florida they could have a couple of anti Castro military groups like in that one episode of Miami Vice.

 

The main thing is to keep it a minimum V had too much Government spy stuff in it and I don't want a repeat of that.

How about Soviet spies?

 

I'm curious on how it was like to live under the fear of nuclear weapons after watching The Day After, Threads, and this debate:

 

 

This debate involved famous people such as Carl Sagan, Robert McNamara, and Henry Kissinger.

[jippa_lippa]

the RDR 2 detail, in 1980s florida.

[Gentlebreeze]

 

A theme park with amusements 

[VictorVance1239]

Maybe they could make the story progress from playing as a group of 4 young people who enter the criminal world together in the 80s and go through lots of ups and downs into the Modern World. Including traveling to different cities to take over each one. I could dig that.

[darklone]

ultra realism

[Patrizio]

Just bumping this again.

 

As someone said - a greater focus on the Colombian cartel(s).

 

A character based on Griselda Blanco.

 

A more serious, IV-like theme in VC.