Grand Theft Auto: Vice City out on iOS, no sign of Android version

Rockstar's nostalgic romp through a parody of Miami in the 60s has finally made its way to the iOS App Store. While the game was also supposed to be simultaneously launched on Android, there is no sign of it on Google Play as of the time of writing. It costs Rs 270 on the App Store.

Rockstar has released the game in celebration of the 10th anniversary for the series. It features enhancements over the original version, including updated graphics, character models and lighting effects. It also supports saving your game on iCloud and custom iTunes playlists. It is supported on iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, all iPad models and 4th and 5th generation iPod touch.

Time for a homicidal rampage again

Recently, Rockstar had released screenshots that showed off some of the graphical enhancements in the 10th anniversary edition of the game. The screenshots show the protagonist of the game—Tommy Vercetti—generally driving around town and wreaking havoc. It looks like the graphics in the game have been improved—apart from better texturing, the polygon count seems to have been upped and there's better lighting.

Rockstar states the 10th Anniversary Edition will bring the full Vice City experience to iOS and Android, and will have native high-resolution graphics, besides several enhancements unique to the platforms. The enhancements include updated character models and lighting effects, new and more precise firing and targeting options, a fully-customisable control layout and native support for devices with Retina displays, among other improvements.

Earlier, Rockstar had also released a trailer for the 10th Anniversary re-release of the game. The trailer gives a good idea of all the graphical enhancements you'll see when the game launches. The trailer takes you back to the neon-lit parody of Miami and drops you in the midst of an alternate re-telling of Scarface.

GTA: Vice City tackles the backstory of the universe Rockstar created with GTA III. While GTA III takes place in Liberty City in the early 2000s, Vice City takes place in the titular city—which is modelled on Miami—in the 60s. Vice City’s protagonist is Tommy Vercetti and the game's story is heavily influenced by the movie Scarface. Vice City was the first game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise to feature bikes as usable vehicles. It also introduced alternate costumes for the character as a gameplay mechanic that helps you lose the police.

When the game does make its way to Android devices, it will be compatible with the following devices:

• Android Phones: Motorola Razr, Razr Maxx, Razr Maxx HD, Motorola Atrix, Motorola Photon, Motorola Droid Bionic, HTC Rezound, HTC One X, HTC One S, HTC Evo 3D, HTC Sensation, HTC Droid Incredible 2, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Nexus S, Samsung Galaxy Note 1 and 2, Samsung S2, Samsung Galaxy R, Sony Xperia Play, Sony Xperia S, P, T & TL, Sony Walkman Z Series Media Player, Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Google Nexus 4.
• Android Tablets: Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, LG Optimus Pad, Medion Lifetab, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 / 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Sony Tablet S, Sony Tablet P, Toshiba Thrive, HTC Flyer, Google Nexus 7 and Google Nexus 10.