10 Video Games 90s Kids Never Forgot
3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The strength of Vice City was the source material it drew from.
The 80s allowed Rockstar's writers and designers to create a window into history/culture of the game's Miami setting. A culture that (much like the time its based in) revelled in excess, allowing the story to be exciting and not take itself too seriously.
It had a plethora of well known actors in Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds, Danny Trejo, Danny Dyer and even 80's icon Debbie Harry among others. This mammoth cast brought the game to life and made it feel authentic to its setting. This was helped along further by perhaps the most influential soundtrack ever put into a videogame.
The radio stations in Vice City don't just work they have some of the greatest music ever in them... again selling the game as a microcosm of the 80's. It outright engineered my taste in music and I have no doubt it did the same for thousands of others.
The Hollywood influence is not easy to unearth either, and clearly inspired the narrative side of things. Rockstar made the game emulate its source material so well it never felt cheap.
GTA: Vice City was impactful, fun and always excessive.