The Setup: 1986 Vice City

GTA Vice City opens with Tommy Vercetti — voiced by Ray Liotta — being released from prison after 15 years, sent to Vice City by Sonny Forelli to handle a drug deal. The deal goes wrong, the money and drugs are stolen, and Tommy is left to build his empire from nothing while hunting down who betrayed him.

The game is set entirely in 1986, soaked in Miami Vice aesthetics: pastel suits, Ferrari Testarossas, new wave music, and neon-drenched nights. Everything about Vice City is a love letter to 1980s crime cinema.

Early Game: Building Connections

Tommy's first allies are crucial:

Ken Rosenberg: Your lawyer and first contact in Vice City. Nervous, cowardly, but useful.
Juan Cortez: A retired colonel who connects Tommy to Vice City's underworld.
Ricardo Diaz: The most powerful drug lord in Vice City — and your first major antagonist.

Early missions establish Vice City's geography and introduce the main power players. Do not rush to buy properties early — focus on story missions to unlock more map.

The Turning Point: Killing Diaz

The mission "Rub Out" is Vice City's narrative pivot. Lance Vance (whose brother was killed in the airport deal) joins Tommy to storm Diaz's mansion and kill him. This gives Tommy his first major property: the Vercetti Estate, which becomes mission central for the rest of the game.

Building Your Empire

After killing Diaz, Tommy can buy businesses that generate income:

Pole Position Club: $30,000 purchase, generates ~$4,000/day
The Malibu Club: $120,000, unlocks bank robbery missions, generates ~$10,000/day
Boatyard: $10,000, unlocks boat missions
Taxi Cab Company: $40,000, generates passive income
Kaufman Cabs: $40,000, taxi missions for big payouts

To maximize passive income, complete the asset missions (missions tied to each property). Fully completed properties generate ~$40,000+ total daily.

The Final Mission: Keep Your Friends Close

The betrayal is Lance Vance, who sides with Sonny Forelli to take everything Tommy built. The final showdown at the Vercetti Estate is a two-stage fight: first kill Lance on the roof, then defeat Sonny Forelli in the main hall.

Tommy kills Sonny and becomes undisputed king of Vice City — the only GTA ending where the protagonist fully wins and keeps everything.

Hidden Packages

Vice City has 100 hidden packages spread across both islands. Collecting them unlocks weapons at your safehouses:

10 packages: Body Armor spawns at Ocean View Hotel
30 packages: Chainsaw spawns
60 packages: Minigun spawns
100 packages: $100 reward + all weapons at safehouses

Grand Theft Auto III