Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The biggest game of the year is here. Check out our massive dual review inside.
Published: November 25, 2002
Sam: We've already touched on it a bit, but man, the sound design is frickin' phenomenal. The voice acing is great, of course, but we're dealing with some pretty experienced voice actors here, so it should be. I had my gripes with Ray Liotta's comments when carjacking (barking, "sorry, I need this more than you do!" like a pocket protector-wearing Poindexter doesn't exactly reek of tough guy machismo), but the stuff that's in the cut scenes is awesome, and some of the phone conversations are just... They're perfection.
Kyle: Right on. If you had your eyes closed, you'd think it was a movie. I love how the cut scenes are a lot more realistic as well. You don't just knock on the door, receive your mission, and walk out. Your crime bosses are usually preoccupied, which is extremely cool and a lot of the time quite humorous. Putting you in charge of a character with his own voice and attitude is a big, successful leap on the part of Rockstar North. No longer are you a reticent bitch-boy, but you've got a say in what's going on (thanks for the voice acting of the admirable Ray Liotta) and act as a bad-ass as you please. I can't get enough of Tommy telling Ken Rosenberg to sit down and shut up!
Sam: Yeah, and some of the stuff where Tommy's trying to reel Lance in over the phone is up there with some of the best stuff I've seen Liotta do in movies. What makes the characters work, though, is the fact that EVERYONE delivers great dialogue.
It doesn't hurt that the rest of the game -- from the quips from pedestrians (I don't think I'll ever hear all their comments) to the honking horns to the burly burping rumble of the motorcycles -- all of it just sounds fantastic. Much of the immersion that you can latch onto with Vice City comes from the audio. It just has the ability to really pull you in.
Kyle: And man, oh man does GTA: VC officially own the music category. Radio stations spurting with tons and tons great 80's hits, from hard rock to the short-lived new wave. The radio announcers have their own great personalities (thank God Lazlow returned!) and the hilarious spoof commercials add such a classic comedy to the game. Even the talk shows such as KChat and VCPR hold their ground, carrying on the same great talk show antics as Chatterbox had for GTA3.
Sam: Yeah, this is easily the best soundtrack I've heard in a game. I've discussed this with friends, but this is the first game that I was able to pick up the controller, jump into it, and instantly start singing along with the songs. Chatterbox was my favorite station in GTA3, but I really do think that the variety and extra oomph of KCHAT and VCPR edge it out. And it's two, count 'em two, stations of hilarious talk! Woo hoo!
Kyle: Exactly. To go as far as to actually sell the game's soundtrack as a separate package is quite the accomplishment. Rockstar North was able to take what GTA3 had started audio wise, and bloomed it into something so much more innovating and gripping. With amazing music and a voiced dialogue that rivals some Hollywood movies, who could ask for more? 9.8 for sound, all the way.
Sam: I've gotta go perfect 10 here. This is literally the best sounding game I've ever heard.
Kyle: I may seem crazy to drop the game a few decimal points for audio, but I do have a minor gripe. Rockstar North obviously went for realism by dropping the closed caption for the cut scenes. But with that comes a price. I had a real hard time distinguishing what characters with a native slang, such as Love Fist and Ms. Cleo... erm, I mean Auntie Poulet, were saying. I found myself checking back to the game's written recap of dialogue at times, but it was by no means a blow to the game's sound. Realism is what we asked for, and realism is what Rockstar North delivered!
Average: 9.9
