Miami Vice: The Game - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

For the 1986 game, see Miami Vice (video game)

Miami Vice is a third-person shooter

Third-person shooter

Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...

for the PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

. It was released as a tie-in with the movie of the same name

Miami Vice (film)

Miami Vice is a 2006 American crime drama film about two Miami police detectives, Crockett and Tubbs, who go undercover to fight drug trafficking operations. The film is a loose adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name, written, produced, and directed by Michael Mann...

. Therefore, the likeness of the narcotics officers Crockett

James "Sonny" Crockett

James "Sonny" Crockett is a fictional character from the Miami Vice television series and film of the same name. The character is portrayed by Don Johnson in the television series, and Colin Farrell in the movie version of the show. He was introduced in the Miami Vice pilot in 1984 and appeared in...

and Tubbs

Ricardo Tubbs

Detective Ricardo Tubbs is a fictional character and protagonist from the American television series Miami Vice and the 2006 film of the same name. He is portrayed in all his appearances in the television series by Philip Michael Thomas, and in the film by Jamie Foxx...

are based on that of Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell

Colin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....

and Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...

, respectively.

Plot

Set before the events of the film

Miami Vice (film)

, the focus of the game is to bring down a South American drug lord

Drug lord

A drug lord, drug baron or kingpin is the term used to describe a person who controls a sizable network of persons involved in the illegal drugs trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they might never be directly in possession of something illegal, but are insulated from...

known as Sacrenegra, whom the authorities are unable to link to his operations. As the player advances through the levels as either Crockett

James "Sonny" Crockett

or Tubbs

Ricardo Tubbs

, they get deeper and deeper into the drug operation, and closer to bringing down Sacrenegra.

Gameplay

While going through levels, the majority of the gameplay is combat, with enemies who must be killed to advance the level. Emphasis is put on taking cover, with health running out quite fast if player remains in the open during a shoot-out. All fire-arms have laser sightings, which acts as an aiming reticule.
The player may also deal drugs amongst other suppliers, both buying and selling. Drugs can be bought at one point and kept for several days, in which they may increase in value, thus making a profit for the player. Additionally, varying drugs can be obtained throughout each of the levels, and sold for a profit once the level is complete. Drugs can also be sold to informants for information.

Throughout each level, FlashRams can be recovered and later "hacked" at the police station. "Hacking" resembles that of an arcade game, in which a certain score must be obtained through destroying boxes, which often fire at the player icon. Each FlashRam contains three levels, which increase in difficulty. Completion of hacking a FlashRam unlocks stated extras, such as the ability to upgrade firearms, and locate drug dealers.

Money earned can be spent on buying and upgrading weapons, buying suits (thus building a reputation for the player) and buying armour (thus protecting the player).

The firearms in the game can be summed up into three basic categories:

Pistols
Shotguns
Machine Guns

Each of these weapons can be upgraded, giving them larger magazines, better accuracy, and higher power, thus killing enemies more effectively.

Reception

Miami Vice: The Game was met with some positive reception. Review website Trusted Reviews rated it 7/10, praising its gameplay as being "a rare commodity: a PSP action game that can actually hold your attention for longer than the first half hour", while fellow review site GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

rated the game 7.3/10. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

gave it a lower mark of 6.6/10.

Not all reviews were positive, however. Website Gamespy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...

rated it 2.5/5 and review TV show X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...

gave it just 1/5. Both reviews cite poor gameplay and the shortness of the game as reasons for their low scores.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.