The Nappy Cat Chronicles

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories for PS2 is the second installment in the City Stories series and is second to San Andreas in terms of series advancement and depth. Just like in almost every previous installment, you are a gangster who’s doing it for his family. Your brother, Lance Vance, is a completely annoying compulsive liar who enjoys snorting other people’s cocaine. His bad habits gets you and him in plenty of trouble. But he isn’t entirely useless. During a few missions Lance functions as your wingman (though he can only shoot straight when your helicopter is level). So, unlike Liberty City Stories, you get to hang with your brother and fly planes and helicopters. In fact, there are fire and ambulatory helicopter missions.

The most salient improvement is the night driving. Unlike its predecessors, during the night hours there are few cars on the roadways and even fewer pedestrians. This makes unimpeded speeding a very digital possibility. It’s also very possible to get a few wanted levels at night and not get your business rudely interrupted by suicidal cops. During the daytime, however, there is still a ridiculous number of cop patrols and random sidewalk wankers.

The largest addition to the series is the ability to build an empire. The process of empire building includes destroying the car parked in front of the marked buildings, killing all of the gang members who appear, and purchasing the property. There are a variety of crime types your buildings can avail you to and every type has a series of mini-missions you need to complete. Although these mini-missions are not easy and usually entail running from the cops, SWAT teams, and/or rival gang members, the time and effort are worthwhile. The larger your empire and the more mini-missions you complete, the larger your stream of daily cash.

Weaponry and bullet proof vehicles are no longer relegated to Easter egg-type status. After you shoot and spend your way to a complete empire, the vehicles that spawn in front of your buildings become bullet proof. I cannot overstate how convenient this is. Not only are they fast, they can actually withstand the barrage of bullets you can dish out from the minigun you purchased at the nearby mall.

The main storyline accounts for only around 30% of the total gameplay. Your other duties include racing, completing the shooting range challenges, taxiing, ambulancing, firefighting, policing, boating, popping balloons, stealing cars for the impound lot, and all the miscellaneous hootenanny that has come to define the Grand Theft Auto series. Taken alone, the storyline leaves a lot to be desired. It’s a rehash but the overall gameplay takes this installment to the next level and, if it’s an indication of what’s to come, Grand Theft Auto IV is going to make men weep.