The game was released in October 2002 for the PlayStation 2, in May 2003 for Microsoft Windows, and in October 2003 for the Xbox. Much of the development work constituted creating the game world to fit the inspiration and time period the development team conducted extensive field research in Miami while creating the world. The game was also influenced by the film and television of the era, most notably Scarface and Miami Vice. The game's plot is based on multiple real-world people and events in Miami such as Cubans, Haitians, and biker gangs, the 1980s crack epidemic, the Mafioso drug lords of Miami, and the dominance of glam metal. The open world design lets the player freely roam Vice City, consisting of two main islands.

The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle.

While seeking out those responsible, he slowly builds an empire by seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city. Set in 1986 within the fictional Vice City (based on Miami), the single-player story follows mobster Tommy Vercetti's rise to power after being released from prison and becoming caught up in an ambushed drug deal. It is the fourth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, and the sixth instalment overall. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games.

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