Will GTA VI Disappoint Vice City Fans?

It’s been just a bit over 20 years now since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and the latest info we have on GTA’s next iteration looks like we’ll be making a return… to Vice City in the 21st Century. How will this affect current fans of Rockstar’s classic? Is the 80s vibe of GTA: Vice City what made the game special? Will returning to a modern day version of it take away some of the magic? Join Max Scoville as he takes a deeper look with our Podcast Beyond crew!


Foreign [Music] A few weeks ago Grand Theft Auto Vice City celebrated its 20th anniversary and It got me thinking about how we're now Nostalgic for a game that was itself Rooted in Nostalgia way before a bunch Of footage leaked fans were speculating The Grand Theft Auto 6 would return to Vice City because after all you cannot Spell Vice without the Roman numeral six And the logo basically designs itself so It'd be just a huge huge waste of an Obvious name for a game and sure enough The next game is going to take us back To Rockstar's fictionalized version of Miami now here's something that will Make you feel horrible and old more time Has passed between right now and vice City's original release than between Vice City's original release and when it Takes place which is 1986. now back in 2002 1986 seemed like ancient history And some of that is because when you're 16 years old it feels like a lifetime Because it was your lifetime but also Because I you know the 1980s have this This wonderful sort of iconic brilliant Aesthetic that really sets it apart from Kind of other eras like you can see you Know just a sound bite of music or like A glimpse of you know Don Johnson Blazer Or just even the color palette screams Vice City and all that stuff kind of

Came together to create this amazing Stylized version of a particular point In time and I think a lot of people kind Of conflate their love of Vice City with Their love of that entire sort of Aesthetic and theme obviously it's a Damn good video game but the style did Some very heavy lifting for its Substance now what we currently know About GTA 6 is based on early footage of An unfinished game without any context From its creators and that is pretty Much the worst possible way for Something creative to be unveiled that's Like sneaking into a restaurant's Kitchen after hours and eating a bunch Of raw ingredients out of the fridge Like a raccoon it's not the same thing As trying the chef's tasting menu so Don't do that because you'll get Probably two to three stars immediately Uh in due time we're probably gonna get An awesome trailer from Rockstar that Has like a amazing soundtrack and it's Going to tell us like what and who and Where GTA 6 is focused on but what we've Seen basically just suggest that it's Set in present day and on some level I'm a little bit disappointed that we're Not getting a modern take on Vice City's Original 1980s time period like just Like how if you go to real life Miami in 2022 it's not going to be like Miami Vice or Scarface and a new GTA that's

Set in contemporary Vice City probably Isn't going to have the same Vibe as GTA Vice City and that's okay but you know a Lot of you know GTA fans myself included Have Rose tinted glasses for a 20 year Old game that itself had some pastel Tinted shades on for the 1980s itself so Maybe we should just try to look through The next look at the next installment Through you know another lens obviously GTA 6 is going to improve on Vice City You know the original game in a million Different ways but obviously it's going To draw comparisons to earlier games Because that's that that's what happens Anytime and somewhere somebody's gonna Go it's just not the same and that's True but it's something that we should Celebrate because trying new things is Great At least that's what I keep telling Myself even though I really just want to Play a next-gen video game that's Inspired by a bunch of 40 year old Movies anyway the more immediate concern About GTA 6 obviously is how it will Ever top the ridiculously high bar that Was set by GTA 5 and I guess it can Start by actually getting officially Announced Rockstar your move anyway I've Said my piece all right party on you Know I think uh I think you nailed that Max thank you Um that was wonderfully thank you well

Done yeah I'm trying to I'm working on The I don't I don't know somebody was Like dude the write a thing for the show And I was like okay I'll write a thing In the show so you know you write words Masterfully thank you what do you think GTA 6 uh yeah I mean I'm I'm not the Biggest GTA fan I've said that on the Show Um I I think it would be cool to go back To Vice City like that you know I guess That's our age range though I think Maybe the younger audience may not care As much I'm curious about that yeah like Like Let's actually have that in the comments Like if you are you know if you didn't Experience the 80s Um in any way you shape or form but I Experienced it on PS2 yeah uh like but But we experienced it through our Parents you know what I mean like the 80s were very much well and alive in our Parents memories Um and so like I got that I got a little Bit of that 80s flavor growing up if you Didn't get that from your parents Because your parents were born in the 90s I don't know that's weird Um or the 2000s Um because actually that could be a Point Um let us know if you're excited if You'd be more excited for GTA to go to

Vice City or like set in the 80s or set In more like modern time let us know What you'd prefer Josh what do you think I I mean I don't care about Miami that's Me I mean I don't I don't feel Particularly drawn but Josh there are so Many songs about Miami I don't care I Don't care about Miami I don't feel Drawn to a Sandbox like Adventure game And set in Miami especially in the Modern time like I I I'm trying to like Feel the distinction I guess uh between GTA 5 set in a Los Angeles type place And a modern uh Miami set place and I'm Like I don't know if there's going to be a Distinct difference like there's a Difference between GTA 5 and GTA like Four even even though they're both Technically like modern day there's Still this different flavor but like Imagining like GTA 6 said in Vice City Is like I don't know like it just feels like GTA 5 honestly I mean we haven't you know we Haven't seen it yet but obviously it is It is that weird like GTA Vice City came Out like a year after GTA 3 and in a lot Of ways it has like very similar Mechanics and like kind of a beautiful You know neon turquoise and and magenta Coat of paint and like a killer Soundtrack which obviously like was a Lot of people's first exposure to you

Know 80s music but Um cardi what's your what's your feel What's your read on Vice City versus GTA 6 I say like if I say e don't get me Wrong brilliant game but San Andreas was Always the one to me growing up that I Like if they went back to that which They kind of did anywhere over five like I I was happy with what they did then I Know that Sandra's wasn't really set in A time period like you're saying you Know in the past uh so to speak but uh Yeah I kind of I don't think it would Ruin Vice City for me just because I Don't have that personal connection to It I quite like the modern day gtas like I think GTA IV's story is probably their Best story of them all and at five is The best game what best GTA game they've Made I just have no real despite Departures from that studio I have no Real reason to doubt Rockstar whatsoever Red Dead 2 is my favorite game of all Time like that is like yeah like just Put me in that game forever and I will Ride around but like yeah I just have no Reason to doubt them yeah I mean I'm Curious because like one of the big Things that San Andreas did to improve On Vice City was to add more topography Like that's what Mount Chiliad was they Were kind of were looking at the layout And they're like we need to and like if You read into the research they did to

Really kind of flesh out San Andreas and Add like a bunch of variety to the Locations like that was something They've kind of already Revisited with Five so again both San Andreas and five Kind of set a high bar for going back to Liberty and vice cities respectively so I don't know I'm I'm stoked either way [Music]

You May Also Like