After playing for five or six hours straight, Zhang Yi finally crawled out of the gaming pod.

"This game is incredible! How great would it be if people didn't need to sleep." Though his body told him he was tired, his mind was still incredibly excited, filled with images from Vice City (Game).

The game started off relatively calm. It was nothing more than Carl helping his brother Sweet's gang with dirty and tiring work, such as Spray Paint, recruiting subordinates, and Steal Weapons.

But as the game's story slowly progressed, all sorts of exhilarating content began to appear.

Taking the "Chase the Train" mission as an example, Carl and Big Smoke drove to Union Station, learning that a rival gang was preparing to meet and finalize some deals. However, the rivals spotted them, jumped onto the train roof, and prepared to escape using the train. That's when an exciting chase unfolded.

Carl and Big Smoke got on a motorcycle, traversing half of Lost City, taking down their opponents one by one, the entire sequence felt like an action blockbuster.

And this was just an appetizer. After completing this prerequisite, a subsequent mission titled 'Business is Business' would unlock. Carl and Big Smoke infiltrated a mansion, going on a rampage, then were chased by their enemies, frantically fleeing through the streets and alleys of Lost City on motorcycles, finally reaching the dam area to launch a counterattack.

"As expected of Nebula Games, they always flood the live streaming platforms!"

After showering, still recalling the game's scenes in his mind, Zhang Yi leaned on his bed and checked a live streaming platform on his phone, only to his surprise find that almost every gaming section was streaming Vice City (Game).

Of course, if it were just that, it wouldn't be surprising; after all, every new game attracts a good number of streamers.

But Vice City (Game) was different. Its open-world setting meant that different people streaming it produced different effects. Aside from streamers diligently focusing on main quests, almost none of the other streamers exploring the game world were doing the same thing.

The game has three sections where players can choose between three different areas: Liberty City, Vice City (Game), and Lost City. Each area has its own independent story.

The map and content for Lost City are the largest, as it spans three cities in total: the Lost City reflecting Los Angeles, where prosperity and poverty coexist; San Fierro, hinting at San Francisco, with its iconic Golden Gate Bridge-like roads and houses featuring noticeable elevation differences, reflecting the characteristics of a mountain city. Lastly, there's Las Venturas, symbolizing Las Vegas, with its ubiquitous palm trees, neon signs, and themed hotels, showcasing the extravagance of a casino city, contrasted by the desolate desert outside.

And whether it was Lost City, Vice City (Game), or Liberty City, the playable content within was incredibly rich.

Initially, players could experience rather exhilarating content like gang brawls, robbing stores, and car theft. As the story progressed, various functions gradually unlocked, leading to grand cinematic moments later in the plot where players could even pilot helicopters to air-drop magnets to absorb armor, or ride motorcycles directly into a cargo plane about to take off.

In terms of gameplay, besides Billiards, basketball, Tennis, extreme sports, and gambling a fortune in the casino city, players could also recruit subordinates, initiate gang wars to seize rival territories, or heavily invest in businesses like nightclubs, bars, and cinemas to become a business tycoon.

It can be said that the various exaggerated details in Vice City (Game) gave many players a sense of absurdity, making them feel as if they weren't just playing a game, but truly entering its world.

Aside from these numerous types of mini-games, players could even date, walk cats and dogs, and exercise within the game.

In the game, players could have their protagonist engage in various exercises, and it would genuinely affect the character's physique. Players who frequently ate fries and burgers and always drove would find their character getting progressively fatter with continued play. Not only would their movements become sluggish, but their stamina would also greatly decrease. The only benefit was that due to obesity, their ability to withstand gunshots significantly increased.

Conversely, if they exercised regularly, the character in the game would become quite muscular, agile, and full of stamina. The downside, of course, was that they couldn't endure many bullets.

After players got hands-on experience, those who had previously criticized the price of Vice City (Game) all developed a new perspective.

Expensive?

Not at all! In fact, it was ridiculously cheap!

In terms of game content, Vice City (Game) was completely an all-in-one game, where different players could find different enjoyment.

The rich content allowed players to freely do whatever they wanted in the game.

A wide variety of vehicles, from bicycles to even black-tech-like spray paint backpacks – the game had it all!

If there was one thing to say, it was probably that compared to an all-ages open-world game like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Vice City (Game), an open-world title, was clearly not suitable for children.

It was filled with dark humor, imaginative ideas, and satire regarding various chronic ailments of modern society.

There were a wide array of distinct supporting characters, ranging from politicians, celebrities, hackers, film producers, and scientists, down to office workers, hooligans, unemployed drifters, and vagrants. Each had their unique side stories.

At first glance, the protagonists' stories in Vice City (Game), Lost City, and Liberty City all seemed to be about the 'struggle for survival' of people at the bottom of society.

But in reality, as players slowly progressed through the game's story, they would discover that the game was not what they had imagined.

Among them, Tommy, the protagonist of the Vice City (Game) segment, was the most archetypal character. His story wasn't overly complex; it was simply a tale of a crime lord's rise. What players experienced here was ultimate exhilaration: helping the gang boss, stealing tanks, blowing up buildings – doing whatever was most outrageous.

The stories of the two protagonists in Lost City and Liberty City, Carl and Niko, were more complex. The initial reasons for both characters to engage in criminal activities were simple: nothing more than revenge.

But as the game's story progressed, the theme wasn't solely centered on revenge; it delved into a deeper aspect: family.

Especially Carl, the young Black man in the Lost City story, gained the affection of countless players.

Of course, this affection wasn't due to his appearance. If one were to list some of Nebula Games' most underwhelming character designs, Carl's appearance would undoubtedly be at the very bottom.

The real reason players grew to love this character was Carl's personality.

Simple, even a little naive. Yet, his heart was incredibly strong, possessing immense courage and strength. He would always go all out to fulfill his promises, and he was friendly, honest, and loyal.

(End of Chapter) <>