Full Review

15 August 2006 - Yes, it’s a movie tie-in. Yes, we detest movie tie-ins. Yes, the movie is a bit on the lame side as we’ve previously suspected. But we’ll try not to let all that cloud our judgement.

Movie tie-ins generally adopt whatever gaming style is in vogue at the moment and Vice is no exception. It’s third person shooter action, akin to a much more action-based Tomb Raider. Well, without any of the tombs. Or raiding. Either way, it’s bound to be rubbish.

You can tell by now that we weren’t looking forward to reviewing this one, but at first glance it doesn’t look all bad. It’s certainly well produced with the developers managing to fashion a fair looking Miami for the PSP’s small screen.

As you’d expect, the flared trousers and linen suits of the original series are gone and you’re left with Michael Mann style grit. The aim of the game is the same as the movie – battle the baddies of Miami and their evil drug dealing ways. Damn them getting our kids hooked on all those naughty narcotics.

The controls are pretty simple and fairly well implemented by PSP standards. The game is very arcade-y in feel too, so it’s easy to pick up and play. Unfortunately those are the only compliments we can muster.

Miami Vice just plods along. Anyone out there remember Namco’s tragic Dead to Rights titles? Well, the action’s slower than that. In fact it’s slower than a tortoise that’s managed to cripple all of its four legs.

Your enemies pop out from behind the scenery the same time every time offering no challenge whatsoever. Once you’ve picked up the ridiculously simple patterns, you’ll be picking off Yaphet Koto style hoodlums with ease.

VERDICT
OK, so that happens in a lot of games. Well, we’d forgive that if it wasn’t for the insanely short time it takes to reach the end of this drab affair. You’re looking at maybe 3 or 4 hours at the outside.

Plus there’s far too many health kits and ammo pickups lying around to make this anything like a serious challenge. Coupled with the ridiculously short length of the game, this offering is an obscene waste of money.

Now if it had flared trousers and 80s synth chords, that would be a different matter.