The new GTA game takes place in the sun-drenched beachfront town of Vice City, which is based on Miami in much the same way that GTAIII"s Liberty City is based on New York City. The game takes place in the 1980s, an era when glamorous excess was the order of the day. Taking its cues from a wide range of inspirations, from the Reverend Jim Bakker to Miami Vice to Scarface, Vice City keeps the humorous tongue-in-cheek nature of the GTA series alive by referencing its inspirations without directly lifting them.
While much of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City"s nuances have yet to be revealed, it definitely looks like Rockstar is on track to repeat the success of last year"s Grand Theft Auto III. Vice City sticks close to the standard GTA formula while adding a handful of new objects and options that should freshen up the experience considerably. Combining that with the storyline gold mine that is a cocaine-filled 1980s Miami--so it makes sense that Vice City is one of the year"s most anticipated releases.