To be fair to Rockstar, their reasons for dropping many of the references which left an indelible mark on people after Vice City are sound. The company's grown up and become a multi-million dollar organisation and they've proved that they can create a stunning story which stands on its own in Red Dead Redemption. That being said, it might be time to return to some of the more 'classic' styles which made the series great. There's no doubt that GTA V is a wonderful game but its story seems fractious by comparison and its desire to be at the cutting edge of the zeitgeist in everything from the soundtrack to the cars leave it feeling a bit devoid of referential material. Vice City, which was a Miami Vice rip-off to the point of having some of its cast, was stocked to the gunnels with film references. Aside from Tommy's obvious resemblance to Tony Montana from Scarface, there are also references to Carlito's Way, The Godfather, Jaws and even Football star-turned actor-turned murder suspect OJ Simpson.
