Rockstar is set to make another splash with the release of Grand Theft Auto 5, which will more than likely turn out to be best selling blockbuster of biblical proportions. Throughout the series we've seen soaring highs, and sorrowful lows. Now I'm just one man shouting at the internet, but never before or since has the series reached such perfection as with the sun bleached boulevards of Vice City's many attractions.
1. The Cast
In a sprawling sandbox game like GTA, you need a memorable cast of characters if you're going to rise above the mediocrity that so often litters the shelves of your local game store. For every Red Dead Redemption we get a Driver 3. This is the sad truth which we must confront. Since GTA 3 pulled the sandbox genre kicking and screaming into the modern age, the GTA games have delivered some great narratives and memorable characters. Out of the series though, Vice City rules supreme. Partnered with the aesthetics and theme Rockstar created a cast to really get you teeth into. Tommy Vercetti was a wise cracking gangster who was such a refreshing change from the mute Claude from GTA 3. He had flair and style that was sadly lacking from later protagonists like Niko or even CJ. Add to him some great secondary characters. The cowardly Ken Rosenburg and the obnoxious Kent Paul. Oh and of course who could forget about the drunken Scots from heavy metal outfit Love Fist. The cast was also quite small in that the big players rose to the top to shine while secondary characters were handled effectively enough to come in, play their part and not ham up the scenery. Plus the play on 80s stereotypes is just great, whatever way you look at it. Coke barons, porn stars and yuppies, what more could you ask for?