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Apologies in advance for the predictable Vice City-induced enthusing that will inevitably follow, but right now I really have very little else going on in my gaming sessions or even in my life as a direct result of the all-consuming game I received just a few all-too-short days ago.
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Chilling out after a hard day at the office. |
Right now I'm spending more time in the company of '80s gangster wannabes that I've only met recently than with any of the friends that I've made in my 28 years of life. The guys I'm hanging around with whenever I have the time aren't masters of conversation--we don't go out drinking or shooting pool, and I've not known any of them for more than a week. That said, though, I know for a fact that any one of them would die to protect me (many of them have), and I've put my own life on the line looking out for them on more than one occasion. I am, of course, playing more Grand Theft Auto: Vice City than is healthy right now, and the aforementioned gangster wannabes are the hired muscle that protect me and mine from rival gangs and the like.
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I was playing Hitman 2 before Vice City. |
My ascension to power in Vice City has been rapid to say the least, and not because I've employed despicable cheat codes or rushed through the game's missions without taking the time to explore and appreciate everything that the city has to offer. The reason is quite simply that since receiving the game three days ago, I've made a conscious decision to neglect family, friends, and food in favor of playing it. It's not just my real life in London circa 2002 that's suffering as a result of Rockstar North's latest offering, either. Before Vice City arrived, I was enjoying some varied and rewarding gaming, including saving the earth via the miracle of time travel in TimeSplitters 2, kicking ass in Tekken 4, and competing for trophies in Pro Race Driver. I also wasted a few hours cleaning up graffiti with a water cannon one time--but even though Super Mario Sunshine is the first game I've purchased in a while, I doubt I'll be going back to it anytime soon. It used to be that my choice of game on any given evening or weekend would be determined by my mood at that time. Right now the only decision I face every time I turn on my PS2 is how I'm going to play Vice City.
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One day, all of this will be mine. |
If I'm in the mood for racing, maybe I'll get a police chase started or jump in a stock car at the arena. If I'm in the mood for a fight, maybe I'll walk into a police station or an enemy gang's territory brandishing a katana or a flamethrower. And if I need to chill out after a tough day at GameSpot's UK office, maybe I'll just watch the sunset from the cockpit of a helicopter or while relaxing on a yacht. Hell, in Vice City I even have a varied wardrobe with everything from a Hawaiian shirt and choice of tracksuits to a pinstripe suit and a police uniform. In Vice City, I feel like I can be whoever I want to be and do whatever I want to do--and that's a feeling I rarely get in real life, and I certainly don't remember getting that feeling in any other game, save for Grand Theft Auto III.
Of course, at the time of this writing, Vice City is still new to me, so it's conceivable that I'll tire of it at some point and go back to playing all of the other games that I'm now neglecting. I really can't see that happening, though. It was only when Vice City arrived that I gave up on my quest for the remaining 20 or so hidden packages in GTAIII, and after experiencing the degree of freedom that the two games have offered I'm not sure I really feel like going back to life as a jumping plumber, an assassin, or even a racecar driver--I can jump, murder, and race as much as I like right now, all without needing to climb out of the Justin-shaped depression on my couch to reach the now-redundant eject button on my PS2. Of course I can't swim, squirt water, spin around collecting rings, skateboard, summon powerful aeons to assist me in battle, or listen to anything other than the cream of '80s tunes right now--but why would I want to? Luther Vandross and Blondie rock!
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