GTA: Vice City captures the timeless Miami of the 80’s with great music, clothing and architecture inspired by the real city.
GTA: Vice City is one of the most popular games in the GTA franchise. Rockstar has pretty much recreated Miami Beach in GTA: Vice City. The 80’s music, yacht parties, dress styles and neon buildings make the player feel like they are right in the heart of Miami, Florida. Overall, it’s an exaggerated (but still fairly accurate) portrayal of Miami in the 1980s.
It seems that GTA: Vice City is also copying things from Miami Vice. Every other mission involves the player dealing with drugs or gangs in the city. In the role of Tommy Vercetti, the player must recover the money from a drug deal gone wrong. As Tommy begins to build his empire and explore Vice City, it’s clear that Rockstar designed the game to emulate Miami in every way.
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GTA: Vice City has a lot to offer with over 20 hours of gameplay. The game remains interesting with 40 different weapons and more than 120 era-style cars. Vice City includes people and nationalities common in Miami. The player can complete the Haitian and Cuban story arcs once part of the main story is completed. Cuban Missions include Umberto Robina voiced by Danny Trejo in GTA: Vice City. However, it’s more than the people and cultures that make Vice City feel so much like the real Miami.
The iconic Colony Hotel makes an appearance in GTA: Vice City
The architecture in Vice City is almost identical to the buildings in Miami. For example, the Colony Hotel in Miami will be redesigned as the Colon Hotel in GTA: Vice City. The hotel’s appearance is very similar to the real Miami, identical to the blue neon sign. Although players cannot enter the hotel, it is nice to see familiar sights throughout the game. Another landmark in GTA: Vice City is the Cape Florida Lighthouse in Key Biscayne. Players can enter the lighthouse and even find a rare item in the area.
The famous Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami appears in GTA: Vice City. The famous landmark, renamed Ducum Inn Hotel, is in the Vice Point game. The hotel’s semi-circular shape is identical to the real Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. Players can only enter the Ducum Inn when playing GTA: Vice City Stories, which is different from GTA: Vice City. The Fontainebleau Hotel is one of Miami’s most historic buildings and has been made famous by many films and television shows.
The GTA: Vice City map is an exact replica of Miami
The map in GTA: Vice City reaches a point like the state of Florida and even has islands similar to those in the real Miami. Where North Bay Village and Normandy Shores Golf Course are in Miami, Vice City has a similar layout in the same location. The location called Little Haiti is in the game as it is also in the same location as Miami. In comparison, the Miami and GTA: Vice City maps are almost identical.
Another part of Vice City that fits Miami’s real world is the characters’ clothing. The majority of clothing worn in Vice City is Hawaiian button-down shirts or Mafia-style outfits. The 1980s were a time for pastel suits, and they’re definitely thriving throughout the game. The majority of women in the game wear swimsuits or dresses. Tommy Vercetti can change into GTA: Vice City with many different outfits during the game. All the outfits in the game fit the Miami lifestyle shown on screen in the 80’s.
GTA: Vice City music sets the true Miami tone
In GTA: Vice City, the music gives the game that 80’s theme it’s looking for. Being on a yacht with a Hall & Oates song playing in the background is an iconic moment. The era of music throughout the game is an excellent choice for the setting. Although some songs are missing from GTA: Vice City radio in the Definitive Edition, Rockstar has chosen appropriate soundtracks to capture the 80’s Miami feel.
GTA: Vice City captures the lifestyle of ’80s Miami in an over-the-top, but often accurate, way. This is done through clothing, neon architecture and hit music. GTA: Vice City does a great job of making the player feel like they are in real Miami in the heart of the 1980s.
About the author
Savannah Nelson
(9 published articles)
Savannah Nelson is the video game features writer for Screen Rant. Savannah graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in creative writing. Savannah, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, spends her free time playing video games and running her father’s family bar.
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