Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto franchise has been a cornerstone of gaming for more than two decades. Following its original incarnations as arcade-y top-down experiences all the way back in 1997 and 1999, GTA then underwent a huge evolution in scale and design. Starting with GTA 3series boldly paved the way for immersive open worlds, realistic cinematic presentations and exceptional storytelling in games. Along with iterating and honing its trademark anarchic gameplay, these elements were further refined and reflected in the studio's follow-up to the landmark third entry, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. In its wake, the series earned its reputation and cemented itself as a juggernaut in the industry that has made its presence felt with every new release since then, right up until now as fans eagerly await the next entry.
And while 2025 saw some incredible games come out, including the acclaimed ones Clair Obscur: Expedition 33the long awaited Hollow Knight: Silk Songand innovative surprises that Blue Prince (among many other excellent titles) the year was also filled with its fair share of disappointments. The most notable of these was without a doubt Grand Theft Auto 6 gets another delay. Originally announced in 2022 and slated for a 2025 launch, GTA 6 is now currently slated for release on November 19, 2026. And with that wait in mind, once 2026 rolls around, there's a list of excellent reasons for fans to revisit GTA: Vice City before the sixth numbered entry drops.
A brief history of GTA: Vice City
After GTA 3 changed the gaming landscape in 2001, all eyes were on Rockstar to unify itself. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released a year later for PS2, and was later ported to PC in 2003 and Xbox in 2004. Like GTA 3 before that, Vice city faced controversy for its depiction of realistic violence and accusations of “glamorizing crime” which were hot points of discussion at a time when the games were moving into more mature territory. But it also brought Rockstar's signature style to the fore, and Vice city was a major critical and commercial success. Some of its accolades include:
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Breaking records as the fastest selling game at the time, moving 500,000 copies in 24 hours and 1.4 million in two days.
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Leads the 1st British Academy Games Awards with eight nominations and took home six.
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Winner of Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards.
Why GTA: Vice City holds up so well
While Grand Theft Auto 3 broke ground and set a new bar for open world design and story, Vice city raised this formula further. It tweaked and refined the established mechanics, and Vice city is often considered the superior title between the two. Based in 1986-era Miami, Florida, Vice City, with its palm trees and neon-lined streets, is a more vibrant and extravagant setting than GTA 3s Liberty City. Vice citys story captured the themes of the series extremely well with many memorable missions and moments. Vice city was the pinnacle of its genre at the time and still holds up incredibly well.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City features a relatable but morally complex main character, who was the first fully voiced in the franchise. Tommy Vercetti is portrayed by Ray Liotta, known for his previous roles in popular crime films, and he delivers a pitch-perfect performance as the main character. Liotta was joined by other notable celebrities who quit GTA: Vice Citys cast of memorable and colorful characters that Tommy comes into contact with and undertakes various tasks for:
|
Actor |
Character |
Role in Vice City |
|
Philip Michael Thomas |
Lance Vance |
Ranking member of the Vance crime family |
|
Tom Sizemore |
Sonny Forelli |
Head of the Forelli crime family |
|
William Fichtner |
Ken Rosenberg |
Unscrupulous lawyer and Tommy's contact for Forelli |
|
Robert Davis |
Colonel Juan Cortez |
Retired Central American colonel and drug trafficker |
|
Burt Reynolds |
Avery Carrington |
The property titan |
|
Dennis Hopper |
Steve Scott |
Film director |
|
Danny Trejo |
Umberto Robina |
Leader of Little Havana's Cuban gang |
|
Fairuza Balk |
Mercedes Cortez |
Colonel Cortez's free-spirited daughter |
|
Luis Guzman |
Ricardo Diaz |
Weapons collector and head of a private militia |
|
Gary Busey |
Phil Cassidy |
Arms dealer |
|
Jenna James |
Candy Suxxx |
Adult entertainer |
Of particular interest is Philip Michael Thomas, as he has a fitting connection to the game. Thomas starred as a detective in the 1980s cop show Miami Vicewhich the game also clearly draws much of its inspiration from. Lance remains one of the most iconic GTA figures together with Tommy. Their relationship and dynamic as they turn from reluctant partners, to friends, to sworn enemies form an important crux of the plot. GTA: Vice citys story, combined with its trademark gameplay and presentation, make it an enduring classic.
GTA: Trilogy – The definitive edition was a big bump in the road
Year 2021, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Editiondeveloped by Grove Street Games, was released. The collection is bundled together GTA 3, Vice cityand San Andreas. It modernized and improved some QOL features such as revamped controls, better minimap and mission restarts. However, other parts were noted to be poorly implemented and the package was marred by performance and graphical issues. Many fans and critics cited them as inferior versions compared to the originals. It took three years and many patches to fix some of the most serious problems and bugs GTA: The definitive editionlike the ugly weather effects. But eventually these were evened out, and the experience has been raised to better standards.
Why a GTA: Vice City Replay 2026 makes so much sense
GTA 6 is likely to top the list of the most anticipated games of 2026. And while it is possible that GTA 6 will have another delay, the surrounding hype is unlikely to die down regardless of when it actually launches. Along with the exciting plot which is suspected to revolve around a Bonny and Clyde-like couple, GTA 6 returns to Vice citys iconic locale. Seeing how the city will look and feel after 20+ years and in modern graphics is incredibly appealing, and is one of the biggest and most obvious reasons to return to the original, especially now.
GTA 6 will also potentially contain some of the Vice citys cast. Whether and to what extent this turns out to be the case is still unclear. But GTA: Vice City stands as a complete classic in its own right. And as gamers look forward to what the upcoming title has in store, there's no better time than this year for longtime fans (or those who haven't played it yet) to jump into the original and experience where it all began again or for the first time.
