Fact or Fiction? Volume 1

Written by Charlie Sinhaseni on 11/14/2002 for

Fact or Fiction: Grand Theft Auto Vice City is the best game you've played all year.

Grand Theft Auto Vice City is probably one of the year's most anticipated titles. With such high expectations, someone is bound to be disappointed by what the game had to offer. So it comes without saying that the staff of Gaming Nexus would have some varied opinions on Rockstar's latest hit.

Dan Clarke - Editor in Chief

I admit it, I got sucked into the hype. I was really looking forward to this game to the point of getting in line at Best Buy for the 9:30 am opening. I took it home and while I loved the music I was so frustrated with the same targeting system that I took it back out. While the soundtrack rulez, I honestly can say I haven't played it much since launch day.

Dan's Verdict: Fiction

John Yan - Senior Hardware Editor

GTAVC is a good game but has many flaws that I do overlook. It's certainly not the best game i've played all year but it's still fun. I view GTAVC as more of GTA3.5 as it expands on the original and just adds more but it does have rocking 80's music. It's certainly one of the best PS2 games I've played this year but I wouldn't say it's the end all be all game of 2002.

John's Verdict: Fiction

Charlie Sinhaseni - Senior Editor

While the game was fun at first, it lost its charm after a few hours. The more and more I played it the more and more I grew to hate it. I kept noticing so many deficiencies in the game that I thought about going back and editing my review. Sure the music is great but who cares about music when you’re having a hard time killing anything in the game. To be honest I’ve spent much more time playing Need for Speed Hot Pursuit II than I have playing GTAVC.

It’s a great game if you love paying 50 dollars for a glorified expansion pack that fails to address the problems of its predecessor. Most of the problems make the missions unplayable, has anyone played the mission entitled The Driver yet? Hey here’s an idea, let’s add cops that are trying to break up the illegal street race but instead of making them chase both parties, they only chase you around town. What’s that? There’s something called AI coding in games nowadays? Who’d have thunk it?

Charlie's Verdict: FictionCyril Lachel - Staff Writer

Alright, I confess, Vice City is my personal favorite game of the year (thus far). Not because it's the most hyped game of the year, but simply put, it does just about everything right. The story is phenomenal, featuring not just kick butt writing, but a cast of some of the best voice actors in the business. The game is loaded with replay, even after you've finished with the dozens upon dozens of game missions. Each task you take is different from the last, some even setting a new high water mark (that bank heist in unequaled). The game isn't perfect, but it certainly offers more to do than any other game this year. And best of all, everybody I know that has played it, loves something different about the game. It's easy to dislike something that is over-hyped, just look at the backlash against Metal Gear Solid 2, but Vice City manages to deliver.

Cyril's Verdict: Fact

Michael Askounes - Staff Writer

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is nothing less than the most detailed, open-ended game to ever grace a console system since Adventure on the Atari 2600 which now that I think about it wasn't very open-ended at all. The amount of content - be it missions, weapons, vehicles, 80's music, bad guys - in GTA:VC is absolutely staggering; Rockstar North should be proud of the game that they've created, and it's sure to become the milestone that all other games are measured by. For those of us who grew up in the 80's (Flock of Seagulls is in the HIZOUSE!!!), playing GTA: VC was a total nostalgia trip back when Miami Vice, spiked hairdos, and skinny ties were the order of the day. If you can find a better console title than GTA: VC, than I'd sure like to play it!

At least, that what I've heard from the TV commercials... I actually haven't played it yet. But I'm sure it kicks ass!!!

Michael's Verdict: Fiction

Tyler Sager - Staff Writer

It’s not that I don’t think GTAVC is a bad game. I’m sure it’s a great game. But I’m one of those heathen few who have yet to actually play it. Honestly, it’s really not my style of game, and I’ve been a bit busy with so many other titles that I have yet to give it a whirl. I can say it’s a fun game to watch being played, as I’ve spent quite a few hours observing my friends wrecking havoc. And from the amount of work, school, and social engagements that they have set aside over the past few weeks, I’m guessing that there’s an incredible game here.

The best game I’ve played yet this year has to be Kingdom Hearts. I was completely absorbed for the entirety of the game, something that doesn’t happen all that often. And the combination of Disney and Square is something I really couldn’t resist, even if the game didn’t have incredible play. A wonderful game.

Tyler's Verdict: Fiction