Introduction
If you are new to Grand Theft Auto, then this is the ideal guide for you. I've tried to cover all the game's basics, so by the end you should have no questions and be ready to play the game knowing what to do, what everything is for and so forth. Despite being written for new GTA gamers, I'm sure there are a few things which may be of interest to those who know the game well. I should also point out that this guide has been written to cover Vice City Stories, but will probably see you being ready to play any other GTA game, as they follow similar fundamentals. If I don't go over something, it is more than likely because the game will tell you how to do it. OK, let's get started!
Controls
The controls are the same as Liberty City Stories' and largely similar to preceding GTA titles with the exception of the new 'combat system' . See the Controls page for full details.
Getting around
Bridges closed?
You will be restricted to one island (out of the four playable islands) before completing a set amount of missions. The reason for the closed bridge:
"Weather forecasters are predicting a stormy time for Vice City as Hurricane Gordie threatens to make landfall in the South Keys. City Officials have taken the usual precautionary measure of close all bridges from the mainland to Ocean Beach and Vice Point and all flights from Escobar International Airport have been halted until further notice. For more news updates stay tuned for Vice News Network. "
Start Map-
When you pause the game, by pressing the start button, a menu will appear with the map of Vice City as the spectacle and several options along the bottom. You can zoom in by pushing X, and can use the analog stick to move around. You can use this map to pinpoint or target a desired spot. Each street, district and so forth are labelled, together with places you have to go to get missions and local amenities -.Pay 'n' Spray, Ammu-Nation gun store, etc.. The legend shows the symbols which represent each of these places.
Radar map-
The elliptical Radar map, displayed in the bottom left of the screen, is one of the handiest tools in the game. You can use the map to find locations around the city fast and easy,by making targets on the map, or following blips. There are are three forms of the blip. The blip as a triangle pointing downwards, indicates that a target is lower down than you are. A triangular blip pointing upwards, indicates the target is above you. And a square blip indicates that a target is at the same height level as you. Your position is marked by the white pointer in the middle.
Transportation-
There are a fair few missions within the game that include time limits, so knowing the forms of transport can be an acute component. There are a variety of ways you can get from A to B; by land, air and sea. If you don't fancy driving yourself, you can get take a 'trip-skip' - just look for a parked Taxi or Cabbie with a large floating arrow above it. They only appear outside hospitals and police stations after being busted/wasted, get in and they'll take you to re-attempt the mission you failed.
