There’s an argument to be made thatGrand Theft Auto: Vice Cityis the most unique entry in the franchise’s vaunted trilogy. The sun-soaked beaches, the neon lights,the killer soundtrack, and the unforgettable ’80s atmosphere are hard to dislike. TheGTA Trilogy: Definitive Editionbrought the nostalgia back, albeit with more than a few kinks and issues.
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PC players, of course, can fall back on the modding community to make their gameplay experience better. Already, Nexus is host to a growing number of mods aimed specifically at the Definitive Edition ofVice City. Fans would be remiss if they didn’t check out these useful mods that are sure to make things better.
7Tommy Vercetti (The Definitive Edition)
GTA: Vice Citylooks better now than it ever did,although not everything is perfect. One area of criticism that fans seemed to focus on was the character models of the trilogy’s protagonists. Players felt that the three leading men in the Definitive Edition looked a bit “off” compared to their original depictions.
To rectify that issue, players may want to consider theTommy Vercetti (The Definitive Edition)mod by DoctorMike. This useful add-on makes Tommy look more like his original incarnation while also maintaining the overall aesthetics of the Definitive Edition. It’s definitely one of the first mods players should think about downloading.
6Enhanced Vice City Vibes Reshade
Speaking of visuals, the rest of the game could use an extra bit of work, too.Vice City’s aesthetics are perhapsthe most dazzling of the trilogy, so it stands to reason that fans want their game to look its best. Several options exist for this task, but a reshade mod tends to do the trick quite nicely.
Enhanced Vice City Vibes Reshadeby TheRealAB is a great place to get the ball rolling in this department. Lighting is one of the main focuses of this mod, which does wonders for the game’s atmosphere. Colors are much more vibrant, giving the setting an appealing quality that makes it difficult not to stare in admiration.
5VC More Vehicle Variety
The games of theGrand Theft Autoseries always take place in sprawling cities. Immersion is one of the key ingredients to an open-world title. A small detail, yet often a noticeable one, is the lack ofvehicle variety, especially in older games likeVice City. Witnessing a long row of cars of the same model stuck in traffic isn’t very realistic.
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TheVC More Vehicle Varietymod by Torno270 helps mitigate this problem in the Definitive Edition. Now, players will see a greater diversity of cars in different color schemes. It’s not a huge mod, but it’s one that can potentially go a long way toward making the city feel just a bit more immersive.
4Sounds Overhaul For Vice City
How a game sounds to a player is an important business. Effects that come off as too muffled, loud, etc. can be annoying. Luckily, this is one area where modding tends to be particularly useful. Some of the sound effects inVice Citycould use some extra work.
The aptly namedSounds Overhaul for Vice Citymod by Insanity666 incorporates a whole host of improvements. Sound effects emitted by weapons, bullets, cars, explosions, rain, and even emergency sirens are all given an overhaul. Fans should be able to instantly recognize the changes implemented by this add-on.
3Vice City - Classic Weapon Icons
Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and it canextend to even small details. TheGTA Trilogy: Definitive Editionimplemented changes both large and small to the HUD/UI of their games to make them a bit more modern and less cumbersome. However, it’s fair to assume that not all players were fans of these changes.
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TheVice City - Classic Weapon Iconsmod by Tervel is a case in point. It’s a minor add-on that replaces the newer weapon icons of the Definitive Edition with the old-school images. As stated previously, it’s a very minor alteration, but one that some players may be interested in adding to their load order.
2GTA VC Classic Weapons Pack
While on the topic of weapons, Tommy Vercetti can amass quite an arsenal inVice City. From shotguns and assault rifles to flamethrowers and rocket launchers, Tommy is basically prepared for any eventuality. If players intend on improving the graphical fidelity of the game’s setting, they should also take some time to enhance the look of the weapons themselves.
That’s whereGTA VC Classic Weapons Packby K1llM2n comes into play. The vanilla textures belonging to the game’s weaponry are replaced with higher-resolution models. With this mod, Tommy’s loadout can look just as good as the rest of the game.
1Tony Montana Suit For Tommy
This last mod isn’t particularly essential, but it’s a nice touch nonetheless. It’s no secret that Tommy Vercetti’s mansion, as well as the game’s ending shootout, areheavily inspired byScarface. With theTony Montana Suitmod by SFIJuanmi, Tommy will sport the same threads as Al Pacino’s character in the movie. Now, players can recreateScarface’s ending inVice Citya bit more faithfully (although things end much better for Tommy than they do for Tony Montana).
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Editionis currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.
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