Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City brought its unmistakable image of the 1980s to mobile – synth music, the neon skyline of a Miami-inspired city, and the story of gangster Tommy Vercetti rising from a street foot soldier to king of the underworld. Alongside the main storyline, the open world offers plenty of side activities, real estate deals, and iconic vehicles like sports cars and speedboats, thanks to which the game still feels like a full-blooded experience today, not just a historical curiosity.

Here too, Rockstar chose the model of a paid game with no ads and no microtransactions – a one-time purchase for the complete experience, which for ports of major console titles to mobile is more the exception than the rule. The port preserves the original content, including the licensed soundtrack stations, though over time some tracks disappeared from the version for legal reasons, which is a common fate for older licensed games upon their re-release.

Touch controls are handled by a virtual joystick and a set of on-screen buttons, which works decently for driving but noticeably struggles during shootouts and aimed fire – it doesn't replace the precision of a physical controller. Support for external gamepads makes the game significantly more pleasant and is practically a necessity for the more demanding missions. Despite these flaws, Vice City remains one of the most successful mobile ports of classic sandboxes thanks to the strength of the original material.

Why play: Suitable for players longing for a nostalgic visit to Vice City in their pocket anytime while traveling, ideally with a gamepad at hand due to the more demanding shootouts and driving missions.