Take back the Row!
Let me start by saying that GTA: Vice City is one of my favorite games of all time. This game isn't as good as Vice City, in my opinion, but it comes really close.
Let's start with the most important factor in a game: gameplay. Do the controls work? The camera angle? Is it fun? Is there a good story?
The controls work well. Walking around and shooting is easier than ever thanks to the clever aiming system in the game. No matter which way you are facing, you can shoot in any direction. If you're walking one way, and the reticule is to your back, you shoot behind your back. It makes for fluid shooting, and really helps the animation.
Driving around and shooting is a different matter altogether. It's a lot less intuitive and actually sometimes borders on the frustrating. Again, you aim where you shoot. You can shoot in any direction, but having such control over where the bullets go can mean you miss a lot. A different shooting system while in the car would have been a good idea.
The game has a story. It isn't a particularly great story, but it makes sense and stays true to the setting. The ending is actually pretty good. I didn't see it coming. What's cool is that as you complete missions, the city's citizens change. Say you kill a rival gang leader. Well, the radio will have a story on that. It really adds to the immersion factor.
As far as being fun, to me, few games are as fun as this one. There is SO much to do. The main missions are great, but you can participate in tons of side missions. Chop shop activities, insurance fraud, robbing stores, even becoming a hitman. On top of that there are dozens of cars, and each of them are customizable. It's one of the most robust car customization systems I've played on any game, even more robust than some racing games.
As for the graphics, for the most part, the game looks really good. Crisp and detailed textures. Your clothes look pretty good. The cars look fantastic. Each weapon is distinct. Explosions almost "feel" hot.
The Havok physics engine is great. If you hit a pedestrian, they'll go flying, arms and legs flopping to and fro. It's really satisfying. Explosions send them flying too. And don't worry, if you get blown up or hit, you'll go flying as well.
The only problem is that a lot of times, parts of the game will disappear. I mean, you'll be driving down the interstate and the road will disappear, literally. You're driving on nothing. Then, the road pops back on the screen, and you go on about your business. Also, cars spawn in and out randomly. You'll be chasing a car that you're missing from your collection, and it will literally vanish right in front of your eyes. Or, a cop car will spawn right in front of you, you'll hit it, and suddenly you have the police after you.
There's also notable dips in the FPS area. In certain cases, it seems you're watching a slideshow instead of a video game. It's pretty bad.
Other than that, the visuals are fine.
On the audio side of things, it's top notch. The radio stations aren't as good as in Vice City, but they are good anyways. My personal favorite is the easy-listening station. It's very original and the songs are very catchy. Loved it. The talk radio station is pretty hilarious too.
The voice acting is top notch. Some pretty big names went into it. Overall, a well-made game in the audio department.
In conclusion, other than a few visual setbacks (which I'm sure could have been fixed with a little more development time), the game is amazing. Fans of the GTA series who are weary of GTA clones don't need to worry about this game not living up to the original. It does. I can't wait for Saint's Row 2. Get this game!