Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released 2002) is the third sequel to the hit video game Grand Theft Auto. It is a Rockstar Entertainment production, available for PlayStation 2 and PC.
Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is one of many video games which have been labeled as violent by many people, and is considered controversial. Set in the late 1980's, the player plays a character named Tommy Vercetti who has recently been released from jail and has to re-associate with mafia elements to earn a living and gain revenge on those same associates who betrayed him. Themes such as drug trafficking and murder for hire are issues in the game. The player must progress through the game narrative by performing series of missions in order to achieve ultimate success.
The gameplay is very open-ended (unlike most games) and although missions must be completed to finish the game, the player is able to drive around and visit different parts of the city (once "unlocked") and otherwise do whatever they wish if not currently working on a mission.
Players of this game can steal vehicles (cars, planes, boats, motorcycles, and helicopters), become involved in drive-by shootings, purchase certain properties (amongst them a film studio, a dance club, a taxi company and a printing works), and generally create chaos. One is also able to carry out productive and non-violent activities in the game such as pizza deliveries, saving people by driving an ambulance, extinguishing fires with a fire truck, and much more, usually with a monetary reward.
In addition, a wide array of guns and arms become available to the player as he or she passes more and more missions. Guns may be purchased at fictional firearm store Ammu-Nation and other types of weapons (such as baseball bats, hammers and chainsaws) at fictional hardware chainstore Screw This.
Various radio stations can be received on radios in most vehicles in the game; one is an interview and chat station (KCHAT), another (VCPR) consists of debate show Pressing Issues and the remainder are music stations which cover particular musical genres such as urban music and rock. The tracks are licenced work from various real-life artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Duran Duran, and other artists that fit the retro 80's theme.
Some suggest that parental supervision is necessary when young people play this game. The Entertainment Software Rating Board rated this game Mature. In Australia, it was heavily modified to comply with current Australian censorship laws. Prostitutes and pimps were removed allowing the game to be given an MA15+ rating.