Because after the 5th go-around, it’s the same shit different color. In April 2003, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, a year after its original inception, was finally released on Xbox (I don’t, and will not, own a PS2 or PS3). It was a joyous day, a day to remember, a day punctuated with running over brightly clad civilians in my quest to become the #1 drug lord in Vice City. Ah yes, those were the good old days. The days when GTAIII and Rockstar ruled the world hand in hand and romped through fields on money, public praise, and 9.0+ game reviews.
In June 2005, GTA: San Andreas rolled out for the Xbox and once more I wasted away hours in front of my tv. CJ Johnson and I enjoyed hours of typical GTAIII style gameplay, but Rockstar had added a bit of refresh to the game. I could suddenly travel from Los Santos to San Fierro to Las Venturas without once hitting a load screen. I could fly private jets, prop-planes, jet-packs, attack helicopters, a Harrier VTOL, and when I got tired of any of these I could climb to the altitude limit, have CJ open the door, and take a diver. Parachuting into Las Venturas at night was what made GTA: San Andreas memorable.
We did not have to wait long for Rockstar to once again capitalize on their GTA franchise with the October 2005 release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Well, I was on a roll at this point. After all, I had bought the Xbox double-pack for GTAIII, GTA: San Andreas, and even GTA Advance (which was crap). GTA: Liberty City Stories was overall a good game. I was able to relive my days in Liberty City with the portability of the PSP: while on the train, on a flight, or while driving (the police can be really uptight sometimes). I finished it with a sigh of, “Well, that was fun” and set it among games like Ridge Racer and Fifa 2006 which serve only to collect dust.
When GTA: Vice City Stories (GTA: VCS hereafter) hit shelves a year later I cried for fear that even though I didn't want to buy it, I knew I would. Thanks to my Gamefly.com account, I did not spend the $40 to buy it but rather had it sent to me, rather unexpectedly actually, as a nice little rental. From the moment the game started to the 3 hours of gameplay later that I place it back in the envelope to be sent back to Gamefly.com, I was bored.
GTA: VCS is ultimately what GTA: Vice City was to GTAIII: same gameplay, different package. Where GTA: VCS fails is in its presentation. Loading times are frequent and long, often breaking an already too long cut-scene into 3-4 scenes. Every time I saw the loading screen, I put down my PSP in frustration. Sure, PSP is known for its loading times thanks to the wondrous, innovative, and industry changing UMD format (sarcasm). But GTA: VCS takes this to a new level. Example: the last mission I played before putting the UMD back in the envelope Vic Vance had to drive his inebriated buddy Phil to his warehouse to ensure his liquor, humorously deemed “Phil’s Bomb Shine”, was not blown up. After driving for less than a minute to our destination, I was hit with a load screen. Ok, time to move Phil’s 4 liquor crates from the flaming warehouse into the truck. Crate 1, load time. Crate 2, load time. Crate 3, load time. Crate 4, oops I ran into something, the liquor falls, warehouse blows up and I have to redo the mission. Press eject button, remove GTA: VCS, insert GTA: VCS into envelope, seal, send. C’est fini.
Adding to this infuriating load mechanism is the improvement of draw distance and graphics at the expense of fewer pedestrians on the sidewalk. When I say less, I mean 5 max on the screen at a time. One of the amazing immersive elements about GTA: VC was the environment. People in loud shirts surrounded you, and paired with a killer soundtrack you felt as if you were in the ‘80’s. GTA: VCS did not afford me a similar feeling of nostalgia (nostalgia being used loosely here since I was born in '82). I did not feel the ‘80’s, nor did I feel as if I was in a sandbox world that was mine to explore.
I have read the reviews, noted the new features, and appreciate the changes Rockstar has made to make GTA: VCS a fresh experience and I am disappointed I couldn’t be more patient. In my eyes, GTA: VCS got wrong the basic things that make the GTA franchise amazing. I was so weighed down by my first impressions of the game that I could not enjoy the later, and more interesting and innovative, aspects of the game. Though I have no doubt GTA IV will breathe and entire fresh approach to the GTA franchise, I feel as if the most recent attempts at capitalizing on the GTA license have been the same ol’ same ol’. Rockstar, you still have my faith, but please do not disappoint next time. Oh, and Gamefly.com, thank you for saving me forty bucks.
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