Grand Theft Auto: Vice City App Poster Image

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

age 18+
(i)

 

Mobile version of console hit just as violent as original.
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  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City App: Screenshot #1
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What parents need to know

Educational value

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City wasn't created with educational intent, and we don't recommend it for learning.

Ease of play

There are a lot of controls on screen, making it sometimes hard to control actions. This is especially true for iPhone players.

Violence

Players can kill other humans, including police officers, or drive into pedestrians on sidewalks and parks. There are beatings, gang warfare, drive-by shootings, and bloody deaths, many shown in up-close detail. For example, players can drive on the sidewalk, running over pedestrians at will or assault a pedestrian on the street, beating him to death to get money (or beating a police officer to death to get his weapon).

Sex

Explicitly sexual. Prostitutes are prominent characters in the game, both as part of the story and non-player characters -- and they're dressed in low-cut apparel, true to the streetwalker cliche. You can gain "health points" by having implied sex with a prostitute in your car, where you hear what is happening and watch rhythmic actions of the couple from a distance, but don't actually see the act.

Language

If the word is offensive, it's used here regularly. 

Consumerism

The game is part of a long-running franchise, and players may be moved to buy a more recent version of the game after playing this. This edition also comes as the fifth installment of "Grand Theft Auto" for consoles is looming.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

A core theme of the game is drug use and trafficking. There's some alcohol consumption as well.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is completely inappropriate for children. The game glamorizes the drug trade, is loaded with violence and sex and could teach them a few obscenities that even parents are unfamiliar with. The game is a direct recreation of the console hit, and what didn't work for kids then still doesn't today. Players can lead a life of crime, shoot police officers (as well as civilians and drug dealers), drink and drive, and have sex with prostitutes.

What's it about?

Players control characters by using a virtual \"thumbstick\" on the left side of the screen and a series of buttons. When on foot, they control running, hitting, and shooting. When in a vehicle, they switch to a pedal and brake, drift and the horn. Users can change the radio station in vehicles by swiping the bottom of the screen. Players can follow the game's main story or opt for the hundreds of side missions in the game.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

No, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is not a game for kids -- but if you're at all familiar with the series, you likely already knew that. It's loaded with sex, violence, language, drugs and pretty much everything you want to shield a child from. 

But for adults, it's a very well-made action game that justifiably deserves the praise it has received for being "interactive cinema." The game transitions to the mobile world smoothly and weaves an intricate tale. The detail, ease of play, deep story, and sprawling game environment make this a game that any fan of the series will spend dozens of hours rediscovering. 

App details

Devices:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
Price:$4.99
Release date:December 6, 2012
Category:Action Games
Size:1021.00 MB
Publisher:Rockstar Games
Version:1.0
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.3 or later; Android 2.3 and up

This review of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was written by

Chris Morris
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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What parents and kids say

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Parent Written bySensibleParent123 December 20, 2012
age 14+

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 14+

I let my 14 year old son buy this game, and I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 14. It has a little more graphical violence that Grand Theft Auto 3, just because the graphics are allot better, but straight out of the box it can be classed as inappropriate for someone of the age of say, 12. In the first mission, I watched my son play it, and already sexual concepts were used. Myself as a father, would not recommend it for my younger kids.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Parent of a 13 year old Written byjacobmz007 November 7, 2013
age 12+

Not alot of sex, but alot of blood and language!!

The game has ALOT of violence in it that is unrealistic than like call of duty or halo but is gory and bloody. Lots of blood is only seen if you shoot someone in the head with a sniper or shotgun. The sex is very mild compared to other gta's!! There's girls along the beach dressed in bikinis or girls that are dressed like prostitutes (it's not clearly stated if they really are or not), but that's really all!! The game has a buttload of cussing, but not as abd as you would hear in school or sports by the average teen!! overall, its good for 12 and up!!
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Adult Written byLewis Woodhall January 15, 2013
age 15+

AGE RESTRICTIONS!

Language - 6/10 Sex - 3/10 Violence - 9/10 Disturbing Gore - 3/10 Drugs - 2/10 Langauge - Suitable for 12/13+ Sex - Suitable for 12/13+ Violence - Suitable for 15/16+ Drugs - Suitable for PG
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
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