GTA Vice City is better than VCS

[ArmanCan]

46 minutes ago, nick323f said:

Absolutely agree... Those two games blended together could make perfect and polished game.

I wish one day all 3D GTA games could be graphically uniformed (including GTA SA Introduction)

 

 

It is unofficial mod and only based on GTA III, VC and SA but looks great  

[HenriqueV5]

To be fair, it is necessary to compare the games on the PS2 versions.

1st) GTA VCS has slightly better textures and more lighting effects.

2nd) The overall brightness in VCS is higher than in VC. In VC, the atmosphere is slightly darker and more sober than in VCS. In terms of atmosphere, VC is better.

3rd) The gameplay of VCS is better, you can effectively move the camera with the right analog stick.

4th) The missions in VCS were terribly poorly designed, the difficulty is exaggerated and ridiculous.

5th) The story of VC is much better, despite not being as original as that of VCS.

6th) The soundtrack (radio stations) of VCS is much better than that of VC, there are many classic and highly successful songs. I believe this game will never see a remaster due to the high cost of licenses.

7th) The city architecture in VCS is worse, there are many destroyed houses.

 

I prefer to play VCS over VC on the PS2. However, if we add the PC version of VC to the equation, I would undoubtedly choose it.

[Dr_Sprunk]

I would think that if VC was my first GTA game or played before VCS.

 

To me, VCS>VC and it's forever unchangeable. 

[Funktipus]

On 11/5/2023 at 7:41 AM, HenriqueV5 said:

To be fair, it is necessary to compare the games on the PS2 versions.

1st) GTA VCS has slightly better textures and more lighting effects.

2nd) The overall brightness in VCS is higher than in VC. In VC, the atmosphere is slightly darker and more sober than in VCS. In terms of atmosphere, VC is better.

3rd) The gameplay of VCS is better, you can effectively move the camera with the right analog stick.

4th) The missions in VCS were terribly poorly designed, the difficulty is exaggerated and ridiculous.

5th) The story of VC is much better, despite not being as original as that of VCS.

6th) The soundtrack (radio stations) of VCS is much better than that of VC, there are many classic and highly successful songs. I believe this game will never see a remaster due to the high cost of licenses.

7th) The city architecture in VCS is worse, there are many destroyed houses.

 

I prefer to play VCS over VC on the PS2. However, if we add the PC version of VC to the equation, I would undoubtedly choose it.

Co-sign on #4 & #6. For me, VCS is the hardest game in the series. Not only are the missions hard, they're long too.

 

[little_jacob28645]

On 1/24/2021 at 4:33 AM, JaeDan 101 said:

Title says it all

 

The animations in Vice City are more realistic in mission cutscenes. But in VCS, they suck like sh*t. And every time a character is talking, you will notice the mouth moving in a very different way than people do. You guys agree with this?

nah in my opinion gta vcs is better .

On 12/7/2023 at 8:08 PM, Leone_Son said:

I would think that if VC was my first GTA game or played before VCS.

 

To me, VCS>VC and it's forever unchangeable. 

totally agreed 

[Iwazaru51]

I just recently played vice city stories for the first time and I absolutely loved it. I had no idea it was a full fledged game and the OST is even better than vice city in my opinion! DEPECHE MODE!! 

[Sheikh-Nightshader]

It makes me sick nowdays i am seeing people call vcs vice city like its the vice city game. Entire facebook pages that just call it vice city and not separate the two games. GTA Vice City was so much better than VCS. And now with ppsspp and emulators being so widely available alot of the foreign countries are thinking vcs is the only vice city. Sad. I joined a FB group and it was titled gta vice city. All posts are about vcs and i talked with many of them and they had no clue of the real original game. It was all about vcs. It happened again in another gta fan group on FB. If i am going to mention the two games i will seperate the two because the original can be respectfully called vice city alone. Vcs not at all and its a forgotten game with the only good thing about it was the sunset. 

My personal option of course the original was the best. The best storyline in GTA history and smartest protaganist. Also it was the game that introduced me to GTA. I love it forever.

[BoulderFaceplant]

I kinda don’t understand the love that people have for VC’s plot. It’s not delivered in the greatest way- most missions lack an ending cutscene entirely. Vance’s turn as Tommy’s sidekick is actually very brief- he spends 2/3rds of the story shadowing Tommy and then only gets to be his partner for like 4 missions. His paranoia is shown nowhere in the cutscenes, and instead comes out of left field via two cell phone calls. Meanwhile there just isn’t much to the story at all- it’s kind of one-note, honestly. 
 

You have the property ownership endgame condition that will have you grinding for cash if you didn’t know to buy the Printworks while the mission money was flowing in. You have those awful Haitian missions that do nothing to advance the plot. It’s all just wildly uneven, definitely lacking the cohesion that most Internet critics would have you believe. 
 

I know most of these quibbles are a product of its 2002 release date. To be clear, this game is a massive step up from GTA III. But Vice City Stories takes important cues from San Andreas, and I think it’s vastly preferable as a result. Camera control, car handling, targeting, story, characters… yeah I’ll take VCS any day. 

Edited February 7 by BoulderFaceplant

[WedaSan]

On 2/6/2025 at 11:37 AM, Sheikh-Nightshader said:

It makes me sick nowdays i am seeing people call vcs vice city like its the vice city game. Entire facebook pages that just call it vice city and not separate the two games. GTA Vice City was so much better than VCS. And now with ppsspp and emulators being so widely available alot of the foreign countries are thinking vcs is the only vice city. Sad. I joined a FB group and it was titled gta vice city. All posts are about vcs and i talked with many of them and they had no clue of the real original game. It was all about vcs. It happened again in another gta fan group on FB. If i am going to mention the two games i will seperate the two because the original can be respectfully called vice city alone. Vcs not at all and its a forgotten game with the only good thing about it was the sunset. 

My personal option of course the original was the best. The best storyline in GTA history and smartest protaganist. Also it was the game that introduced me to GTA. I love it forever.

Wow, so you're in that FB group too?

Yeah, it made me sick. Even sicker to see people there keep asking for cheat or they keep whining as they cannot complete certain missions.

 

They referred "Vice City" when they actually mean "VCS". The same goes with "Liberty City" when they mean "LCS".

 

I bet they never even played "original Vice City" or even III. They are really missing out if they don't even know Tommy Vercetti.

 

I guess most of them only play on mobile. Despite the original trilogy also has mobile ports as well.

Edited March 25 by WedaSan

[Sheikh-Nightshader]

11 hours ago, WedaSan said:

Wow, so you're in that FB group too?

Yeah, it made me sick. Even sicker to see people there keep asking for cheat or they keep whining as they cannot complete certain missions.

 

They referred "Vice City" when they actually mean "VCS". The same goes with "Liberty City" when they mean "LCS".

 

I bet they never even played "original Vice City" or even III. They are really missing out if they don't even know Tommy Vercetti.

 

I guess most of them only play on mobile. Despite the original trilogy also has mobile ports as well.

Yep 100%. I do try. I know most are playing on mobile ppsspp and apps alike. I tried giving them aethersx2 for ps2 emulation and copies of the real games and optional of my GTA Vice City Beta Edition that me and now a couple others are working on. And they are asking me "is dat vice city ppsspp" They are from some poor country and dont know better. So i direct linked them the emulators and sent the bios and game. Luckly i got a few to get to know the originals better. Its just pathetic these guys, they even think there is a gta5 ppsspp/mobile and get scammed. I made posts explaining all whats possible and what is not. Telling them alot is just mods and i still see them commenting on these scam posts asking for it. Sickening. I run a FB group named GTA Modding Community and will ban all scammers and link all mods Some are mine Like the ps2 iso mods and the pc mods, others are packs i put together for mobile app players. but its whatever people can just be stupid or ignorant

[WedaSan]

32 minutes ago, Sheikh-Nightshader said:

Yep 100%. I do try. I know most are playing on mobile ppsspp and apps alike. I tried giving them aethersx2 for ps2 emulation and copies of the real games and optional of my GTA Vice City Beta Edition that me and now a couple others are working on. And they are asking me "is dat vice city ppsspp" They are from some poor country and dont know better. So i direct linked them the emulators and sent the bios and game. Luckly i got a few to get to know the originals better. Its just pathetic these guys, they even think there is a gta5 ppsspp/mobile and get scammed. I made posts explaining all whats possible and what is not. Telling them alot is just mods and i still see them commenting on these scam posts asking for it. Sickening. I run a FB group named GTA Modding Community and will ban all scammers and link all mods Some are mine Like the ps2 iso mods and the pc mods, others are packs i put together for mobile app players. but its whatever people can just be stupid or ignorant

I bet they can't even tell that Tommy is a completely different person to Vic.

 

I understand if they are from some poor country, but it doesn't mean they have to be this stupid or ignorant.

 

Some of them even said "I need it" whenever someone shares a screenshot of a game he's playing, meaning they want someone to send them the game. Seriously?! Are they expecting someone to be santa claus or something? Feel like talking to elementary school kids that you have to do everything while they are just waiting for your "kindness" to send them the game. If it were real life, it would feel like they want you to buy a game for them but using your own money. Such a spoiled brat.

 

It really pissed me off as well when they think GTA V is playable on PPSSPP. Sometimes I vent my frustation about people like them in another group called Vice City Prickposting.

Edited March 25 by WedaSan

[Sheikh-Nightshader]

6 hours ago, WedaSan said:

I bet they can't even tell that Tommy is a completely different person to Vic.

 

I understand if they are from some poor country, but it doesn't mean they have to be this stupid or ignorant.

 

Some of them even said "I need it" whenever someone shares a screenshot of a game he's playing, meaning they want someone to send them the game. Seriously?! Are they expecting someone to be santa claus or something? Feel like talking to elementary school kids that you have to do everything while they are just waiting for your "kindness" to send them the game. If it were real life, it would feel like they want you to buy a game for them but using your own money. Such a spoiled brat.

 

It really pissed me off as well when they think GTA V is playable on PPSSPP. Sometimes I vent my frustation about people like them in another group called Vice City Prickposting.

Im in prickposting too. But ya trust me its the reason i made my own group, to weed out those types and for those willing to get a better education on gta series. probably the funniest of all i ever heard was that Gta san andreas was the first gta game. of course being me i listed them in order and actually was kind enough to educate this youngster. And at least got him into playing the original vice city and told him to watch all cut scenes as i believe the original had the best storyline of all gta games. And Ray F'ing Liotta voice acted Tommy come on its gotta be the best. Alot better than vcs in my eyes...

 Anyhow im Sheikh, Alpha and Beta hunter and modder (usually alpha-beta related) nice to meet u.

[JetNormalGuy]

13 hours ago, Sheikh-Nightshader said:

Ray F'ing Liotta voice acted Tommy come on its gotta be the best.

I gotta be honest here but Ray Liotta voicing Tommy was so lackluster, he barely talks most of the game and when he does it its anything remarkable + the PC version of the game is broken so you barely get to hear him talk outside of missions + whoever wrote Tommy's dialogue really loved the word prick. Every other character in Vice City had a better performance than Ray, think of Lance, Diaz, Rosenberg, Kent Paul ect.. 

 

I much prefer playing as Vic and seeing him interact with the other characters than Tommy. I'd go as far as to say Toni Cipriani was the better italian raging lunatic between the two we have.

[Sheikh-Nightshader]

28 minutes ago, JetNormalGuy said:

I gotta be honest here but Ray Liotta voicing Tommy was so lackluster, he barely talks most of the game and when he does it its anything remarkable + the PC version of the game is broken so you barely get to hear him talk outside of missions + whoever wrote Tommy's dialogue really loved the word prick. Every other character in Vice City had a better performance than Ray, think of Lance, Diaz, Rosenberg, Kent Paul ect.. 

 

I much prefer playing as Vic and seeing him interact with the other characters than Tommy. I'd go as far as to say Toni Cipriani was the better italian raging lunatic between the two we have.

We all are entitled to what we think is the better game i respect ur viewpoint. Me personally i like ray liotta as an actor already. So even tho he only gave it 30-40% liotta is enough to win it for me. I also love vice city the best of all gta games

[WedaSan]

17 hours ago, Sheikh-Nightshader said:

We all are entitled to what we think is the better game i respect ur viewpoint. Me personally i like ray liotta as an actor already. So even tho he only gave it 30-40% liotta is enough to win it for me. I also love vice city the best of all gta games

Even thought the most people keep saying San Andreas is better, I still prefer Vice City. Tommy is way cooler to CJ for me. At least Tommy almost never whines.

 

Also not much a fan of "RPG stats" in San Andreas. Feels like playing Rune Factory to raise a lot of skills by doing certain things. It's just stupid that you can die by hunger. At least VCS doesn't have them anymore.

[Sheikh-Nightshader]

1 hour ago, WedaSan said:

Even thought the most people keep saying San Andreas is better, I still prefer Vice City. Tommy is way cooler to CJ for me. At least Tommy almost never whines.

 

Also not much a fan of "RPG stats" in San Andreas. Feels like playing Rune Factory to raise a lot of skills by doing certain things. It's just stupid that you can die by hunger. At least VCS doesn't have them anymore.

Totally agree. Tommy %100, Vic i can see is a good person at least and not at all like his brother. Vic i like more than CJ as a person. Tommy tho my favorite over all.

Edited March 27 by Sheikh-Nightshader

[_BlackShadow]

For me, Vice City Stories offers a better representation of the 1980s compared to the original Vice City. Its atmosphere and soundtrack are incredible, truly capturing the essence of a hot, sunny Miami in the '80s. Especially the timecycle of Vice City Stories helps a lot to create  this vibe. The soundtracks in VCS features some underrated gems from the '80s, a brilliant choice by Rockstar. While the original Vice City contains iconic, top-tier tracks representing the decade, VCS was about underrated gems of 80's. The inclusion of artists like Phil Collins, Dio, Pat Benatar, and various memorable British hits was just amazing.

 

In terms of missions and gameplay, VCS had more fun stuff than VC. The introduction of new gameplay mechanics provides fresh perspectives in the 3D GTA universe. The characters have engaging personalities, and the antagonists are well-developed, adding extra depth to the storyline. Additionally, the empire-building mechanic—allowing players to attack and establish their own empires—significantly improves the property ownership experience. Unlike VC, where owning properties became monotonous after completing asset missions, VCS makes property ownership dynamic and rewarding.

 

Furthermore, quality-of-life improvements, such as saving progress in Paramedic, Vigilante, and Firefighter missions after reaching level 6 was great additions.

 

When it comes to depicting the 1980s era, VCS pays exceptional attention to detail.

The presence of props from 80's, storefronts, pedestrians fashion, and player having pager showcases capturing the essence of the decade. Vice City, although great in its own right, doesn't quite match the meticulous detail and immersive qualities found in VCS. Overall, Vice City Stories stands out as the definitive representation of the 1980s, making it, in my opinion, an even better Vice City experience than the original VC. Surely, Vice City itself remains iconic, with its unique style make it's TOP 3 GTA's in the franchise.

 

Visual wise, when compared with original Vice City, it wasn't good as OG VC. Textures are way too compressed and characters are way too low poly. Since the game was PSP exclusive, I think Rockstar just made the models for PSP right away and didn't bother to improve them for PS2. Some textures received improvement but that's pretty much it.

Edited March 27 by _BlackShadow