The Reinvention of Water Physics in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

Oct 6, 2006

While some Next-Gen titles cannot figure out ways to incorporate motorcycles and flying vehicles, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories for the PSP has taken the watery backdrop of Vice City and expanded on it enormously. From the moment you enter the world of Vice City, one thing becomes clear. More than any other Grand Theft Auto metropolis, Vice City is defined by the water surrounding it. In developing the latest installment of Grand Theft Auto for the PSP, the team at Rockstar Leeds went to great lengths retooling the aquatic playground of Vice City.

Let's clear something up immediately—the player can swim in Vice City. Perhaps lead character Vic's military training is the cause for this, but one thing is clear—swimming, which made its debut in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, has never been more central to gameplay than it is in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Beyond swimming, the waterways around Vice City will behave like realistic water. The physics of the game have been developed so that piloting a boat has its own distinct, realistic characteristics. The boats will bob and respond to wake and trail just as they would in real life.

At Rockstar Leeds, careful consideration went into creating an aquatic environment that was as accurate to real world water physics as possible, creating a liquid veracity on par with other areas of the Grand Theft Auto environment. Gone are the days of a boat governed by physics more suited to 4 wheeled vehicles on pavement, unaffected by wake, change in direction, or speed. Instead, general water physics will cause every waterborne vehicle to bob in the water, respond to changes in the current and be affected by the increased drag that a liquid imparts. Turning and maneuvering will be highly affected by the speed in which the boat is moving. Beyond basic physics, each vehicle behaves differently. Jet Skis are as nimble, if not more so, than motorbikes on the mainland as they exploit the extra purchase that water offers to aid in quick directional changes at velocity. This added degree of handling will make chases on the sea as exciting as any police chase on land.

Variety of Vehicles

New vehicles were added to take advantage of the water. Jet skis were added to give the waterways a fast, agile personal craft. It is possible to do water-based "ski-bys" on unsuspecting boat owners, criminals on the high seas or ne'er-do-wells on the beach. Beyond the jet ski, amphibious vehicles make their debut. The APV allows the player the freedom to quickly turn off of the city streets and enter the water, giving pursuers the slip as their vehicles cannot follow. Also, in addition to these vehicles, sea planes and helicopters deliver an added dimension to gameplay.

Add to this the stable of speedboats, yachts, sailboats, zodiacs, airboats, and more, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories might have the largest collection of sea-based vehicles in gaming history.

Mission Structure

Beyond the physics, the core changes being made to the water opened the door to some epic missions. Longer, more complicated missions have been created that take full advantage of the watery environment of Vice City. It's common to find missions that begin on land and move out onto the water, whether by design or by the fact that the player chooses to use the water to their advantage. Sometimes it's faster for a player to use a jet ski instead of a car, for example. In other instances, the missions are designed to take the action to the waterways of Vice City.

Watersports

Taking advantage of the open world structure that Grand Theft Auto is famous for, many side missions now take place in the water. Players will be able to take part in various sporting activities. Vic, strong swimmer that he is, will be able to take fully exploit the waterways. Activities such as swimming events, boat and jet ski races are available for the player to take part in. There are also water-based rescue missions, if the player feels like being a good samaritan.

With all the added gameplay elements, the ability to swim, new vehicles, and side missions that incorporate its watery environment, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is the most aquatic and by far the most advanced game yet available for the PSP. It easily holds its own against console based games, next-gen or current. A shot across the bow to gamers everywhere—Grand Theft Auto is still the king of the open-world sandbox thriller.