GTA: Vice City iPad Review

Arguably the most memorable game within the GTA franchise for the brilliant soundtrack, cool central characters and diverse landscape, the launch of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City onto mobile devices was always going to come with some fanfare.

This was the game that managed to take the series a step up after the reinvention of open-world sandbox gaming that took place in GTA 3, of course already on iOS and Android.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the original release (yes, it really was that long ago) Rockstar have given their own take on the 80s a polish and presented it back to the fans otherwise unchanged.

All the main story missions are there, as well as the Rampage and vigilante side missions so you’re never short of ways to make cash or just create some carnage.

Much like GTA 3, Rockstar has chosen not to tinker too much for what worked so well on console, so don’t expect to see an array of mobile-only features, although there is a nice touch where you can upload music from your device’s iTunes into the game and play it through the in-car radio by selecting the ‘tape deck’ option.

Vice City also comes with iCloud saving so if you start playing on your iPhone on the way home you can pick it up later on your iPad from the same spot.

These are nice touches to help make for a better mobile experience, but hardly central to your enjoyment of the game. That of course comes from the way it plays, and after some issues with the way GTA 3 handled there was hope that Rockstar would be able to make a better job of the touch controls this time around.

‘That’ moment in Vice City might happen at different times, but it’s always the same for everyone.

Sadly though this isn’t quite the case, with the crude driving controls still a major issue, especially when it comes to having to try and avoid police tyre spikes because you’re trying to flee the scene of a ‘disagreement’ with a gang member.

The trouble is that the steering controls are comprised of two buttons, left and right, and this feels so rudimentary when you’re trying to dodge traffic and the cops.

In fact, it’s even noticeable and annoying when you’re simply cruising the streets. This is in stark contrast to being on foot, where the left side of the screen supports a floating joystick, while swipes on the right hand side can toy with the angle of the camera.

This in itself is not without issue, with the game often jumping back to an automatic camera angle when you try to pinch zoom or adjust to see what’s behind you.

On more than one occasion you might find yourself almost firing behind the camera, which is not ideal for trying to deal with the riot van-load of VCPD who have just shown up.

It is worth noting that you can change the driving controls in the Settings section of the menu and have the same set-up as on foot, but be warned that there are still kinks to work through.

Your next problem will be trying to target the right enemy once you’ve got your hands on some firepower. The game has an auto aiming system, which automatically locks onto and fires at the nearest thing once you tap the fire button.

This is okay in a shootout with the police on a deserted street, but should all hell break loose in the Malibu club you might find yourself shooting at civilians more than you are at the police or bad guys.

There are two kinds of ways to get Wasted at the Malibu Club.

This is an altered set-up to what we saw in GTA 3 where you had to hold down the shoot icon to trigger the targeting system. It’s more automatic this time, but as we’ve just discussed this isn’t entirely a good thing.

There are still issues then to playing GTA on mobile devices, but even though you’ll be frustrated by the turning circle of vehicles and the deserted nature of the streets when searching for interaction (read as beat-up and steal money from), there is still a lot to be excited about.

The novelty of having Vice City in your pocket won’t wear off for some time, and the Retina display polish that has been applied really does make a difference to the visual enjoyment of the game, even for the little impurities that were present in the original console title.

Score Breakdown

Graphics

8.5 / 10

Sound

9.0 / 10

Gameplay

6.0 / 10

Longevity

7.5 / 10

Multiplayer

N/A / 10

Overall

7.0 / 10

Final Verdict

That’s part of the reason we love GTA beyond the expansive world and mindless violence – the rough around the edges character builds and entertaining voice acting. It’s all still here, and now with that fantastic 80s soundtrack to go with it.

GTA: Vice City iPad Review