One of the big reasons why so many people are eager to get their hands on GTA 6 isn’t just because it’s an anticipated title and many want to finally get to play it, but because they want to see what Vice City is like in this new entry. For those who don’t know, the location known as Vice City was the setting for multiple titles in Rockstar Games’ legendary franchise, and it all started with a title that came out 24 years ago. Yes, it’s truly been that long. While the game has definitely not “aged well” in the visual sense, it still stands as a milestone for the series, and a bar that must be cleared in many respects.
Over on Reddit, a fan put together some “similar shots” from the two “versions” of Vice City to highlight the major differences that have come about with gaming technology over the past two decades. Specifically, we see a shot of the main character from the original game, Tommy, in a pool, over a shot of the new game’s protagonist, Lucia, in a pool. Yeah, it’s quite a difference, and in the most basic of ways.
In the days of the PS2, Rockstar had to work with much fewer polygons and processing power, which is why everything looks so blocky. Meanwhile, with the power of the PS5, among other systems, the team can go full-tilt to try and make things look as realistic as possible. Some even joked on the thread that there are more polygons in Lucia’s necklace than there are in the shot with Tommy, and they might be right on that front.
Furthermore, the level of detail in the scene itself is rather telling. Tommy is in the pool by himself, with minimal detail showing off the scene around him. Meanwhile, Lucia is in a crowded pool with all sorts of details around her to highlight not just the business of the place she’s in, but the atmosphere of Vice City itself.
That’s the key difference here, and it’s another reason why GTA 6 is so anticipated. When the original two trailers dropped, they both showed off the remarkable detail that this modern version of Vice City would have, and that has led many to wonder just what else will be shown in this version of the city that wasn’t possible on the PS2, PS3, or even the PS4.
We now have LESS than a year to wait until we find out that answer.
