Vice City should expand its maps and jump back in time if it were to form for Grand Theft Auto 6.
Although Carl Johnson’s adventure in Los Santos, a city destroyed by corruption and a long history with drugs, was one of the most successful installments of Rockstar Games, it seems that nothing has surpassed the nostalgia of the streets of Liberty City. In the role of Tommy Vercetti, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City -launched in 2002- has been a benchmark for the GTA saga.
This popular game, a decade after its launch, is still on the lips of fans for many reasons. One detail that should not be overlooked is that the aesthetic of Liberty City, with its neon lights and large palm trees, is a parody of Miami in the 1980s. This perfect setting for a scenario plagued by vices and criminal gangs gave a special touch to the fifth title in the Granf Theft Auto saga.
But to the above it should be added that, subsequently, in GTA 5, the franchise revamped the look of San Andreas, unlike Vice City, which kept the same characteristics. And, now that there are many indications that Rockstar could add the latter to Grand Theft Auto 6, it would be better if it received its respective improvements.
Although these are only rumors and the franchise has not given any information about it, the truth is that in 20 years things have changed a lot for the video game industry. And this includes titles like Vice City. Although it was hugely popular in its time, both gameplay and graphics have come a long way since then. When it comes to attention to detail and world building, Rockstar has been mindful of constant evolution. Proof of this is Red Dead Redemption II, a western that brought the adventures of Arthur Morgan to thousands of fans. So Vice City would need to be updated if it were to be part of Rockstar’s latest installment.
The changes that Vice City needs
The 2002 standards were focused on huge open worlds. Of course, what for GTA could have been huge in that year, now it may not be even half of what players expect. For example Los Santos; once the franchise brought it back for Grand Theft Auto 5, the map was vastly larger than the original. In this way it would have to happen with Vice City, especially because of the potential that the title has for today. Although in the Defitive Edition of 2021 he showed that the initial scenario was quite fun, Rockstar would have to take advantage of the lines of opportunity for this title, just as it did with Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption II.where there is a large margin of replayability thanks to a significant number of alternate landscapes and stories.
On the other hand, although there are smaller open worlds for AAAA space, in GTA exploration could become a strong point, as multiple quests would lead players to investigate their surroundings, even get up to some mischief, as in the past. . And the fact that there is a space for it, it would give more depth to the narrative. In this way, if the franchise did not expand the map, the experience could be repetitive for its fans; in addition to the fact that the story of the game takes place within the same city. Therefore, it would make sense that GTA lived up to the quality of other installments in recent years.
Time is also important to bring Vice City back
As you could read in previous paragraphs, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City draws inspiration from 1980s Miami. What made his story so immersive depended on the time of the events in the hands of Tommy Vercetti. This aesthetic was linked to a specific theme that, if reproduced as it is at this time, could lose its essence. In any case, it would be an opportunity for the franchise to highlight the vestiges of time in a city as complicated as Liberty City.
In fact, this is not new, since GTA 5 applied the same principle for Los Santos. From being set in the 90s, it was moved to 2013 without losing its nature, so you could practically walk the streets with the feeling of rediscovering a city increasingly destroyed by crime. The same should happen with Vice City, giving it a time jump to the modern age so that the game’s settings can feel more genuine..