PlayStation’s 25th Anniversary: Five best PS2 games of all-time

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

I’m not the biggest fan of the Grand Theft Auto series, but I recognize its place as a mega-successful franchise that dwarfs just about every other franchise out there. And why not? It manages to be a complex story with incredibly high production values. It also the freedom to do just about anything you could want, though not necessarily without consequences. In fact, the consequences were often harsh, but the choice was still there.

It all really started on the PlayStation 2 with Grand Theft Auto III. That’s where the series practically invented the open sandbox gameplay that influenced most games you play today. However, Vice City kicked it up a notch. The nostalgia is certainly one factor, but while other games in the series try to emulate a city, Vice City emulated an entire era and did it incredibly well.

The songs, the threads, the freedom, the humor. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City nailed just about everything it was going for.  Although I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get into other entries in the series, this is the one I gladly spent countless hours with and remember fondly. I didn’t have to try and enjoy anything, it was just a lot of fun and it’s the best entry in the series on PlayStation 2.