The excitement for the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 has caused melt-down across the gaming community, especially since the release of the first trailer which has garnered 156 million views – and counting.
One key take from the trailer is the setting for GTA 6; a return to Vice City.
Vice City has been a key location in the Grand Theft Auto universe having featured in the original 90’s top-down game, the iconic Grand Theft Auto: Vice City released in 2002 and in 2006’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
GTA: Vice City was the first game to allow players to explore this pseudo-Miami in full 3D and was replete with Miami Vice vibes. It remains my favourite GTA game some twenty years later.
In Grand Theft Auto 6, Vice City will be located in fictional Leonida and will be one of several locations which can be explored. This new Vice City should be a mixture of both nostalgia and innovation being developed twenty years after the release of the first iteration of this iconic location.
You can be certain – and the trailer provides enough detail to show – the location has evolved over time.
The GTA 6 trailer hints that while Leonida is fictional, its essence is heavily inspired by real-life Florida. This inspiration brings to life Florida’s distinctive culture, eccentric tales, and social nuances. Players can expect a blend of realism and fantasy in Vice City, mirroring Miami’s lively culture and its complex history. The city’s design promises an array of beach fronts and attractions, inspired by Miami’s iconic coastal scenery.
Alongside Vice City, there will be other playable areas including Vice-Dale County (an obvious take on Miami-Dade), Kelly County and Leonard County. We can anticipate these other key locations will offer a marked diversion from Vice City’s urban locales. Expect locations based on The Everglades, Miami Beach, The Florida Keys and maybe even Cape Canaveral.
The choice to return to Vice City as the setting for Grand Theft Auto 6 is a superb tribute to the legacy of the series. A fictional Florida offers so many opportunities for different game play experiences.