We’ve still got a ways to go before we all collectively make our (extremely) long-awaited return to the shores of Vice City when Grand Theft Auto VI releases later this year – and it set my mind wandering back to 2002, where we got our first glimpse at the neon-soaked nights and sleazy underworld of one of gaming’s most beloved locales. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has a special place in the hearts of many, and its action-packed ‘80s pop culture drenched storyline featured a plethora of moments we still talk about to this very day.

I’ve selected eleven of what I consider to be Vice City’s most enjoyable, entertaining, and unforgettable missions to fuel that nostalgia and get you remembering a considerably simpler time in gaming before plunging into what could be Rockstar’s most ambitious and realistic title to date.

The Best Missions From GTA: Vice City



11. Phnom Penh ‘86

One of Vice City’s earliest truly cinematic-feeling/action movie-style missions, and the primary gameplay barrier to accessing the map’s western region, Phnom Penh ’86 sees Tommy and Lance clearing out a Prawn Island mansion occupied by gangsters at the request of drug lord Ricardo Diaz – first by helicopter, then by foot. If you played the original Vice City back in the day on the good ol’ PS2, you’ll no doubt recall with great fondness and frustration the aiming controls of the machine gun from within the helicopter as Lance circles the building (you do receive unlimited ammunition for this section, mercifully). And the tension only continues to rise as Tommy is dropped down to street level, forcing you to carefully pick off any remaining survivors while heading back up to the roof.

10. Cabmageddon

The sheer insanity of the final Kaufman Cabs asset mission naturally makes it one of the most memorable in the entirety of Vice City. What starts out as a seemingly run-of-the-mill taxi assignment quickly breaks down into what can only be described as a sort of vehicular battle royale, with six rival Vice City Cabs drivers all trying their hardest to wipe you (and Kaufman Cabs) out for good. Only after surviving the onslaught for sixty seconds and eliminating Vice City Cabs’ head honcho, you’re able to put all this madness behind you (earning yourself some cash and a fancy striped cab spawn as a bonus).

9. G-Spotlight

What would Vice City be without its sleazy side? To promote an upcoming InterGlobal Studios film, director Steve Scott tasks Tommy with setting up the largest (and most scandalous) piece of marketing yet – a massive spotlight projection of adult star Candy Suxxx’s most notable…assets, let’s say, onto the side of a building. And because we’re talking about a Grand Theft Auto game here, this obviously involves jumping from rooftop to rooftop while atop a motorcycle. Because of course it does.



8. Autocide

One of the mysterious Mr. Black’s payphone-delivered contracts, Autocide revolves around assassinating various disguised gang members (a billboard worker or a security company employee, for example) situated around the city within the given time limit. If you aren’t at least somewhat familiar with Vice City’s layout, or playing the game for the first time, you’re likely going to have a hell of a tough time with this mission – but it’s undeniable that this is one of the most intense and memorable sequences the game has to offer.

7. Cop Land

Sometimes, a plan doesn’t always go as smoothly as you’d like it to. A botched bombing operation prompts Tommy and Lance to head into the now police-infested North Point Mall and finish the job themselves. If you’re a Vice City fan you’ll of course know that the main highlight of Cop Land is the intense ride back to the Vercetti Estate following the successful coffee shop bombing, with what feels like every single police car in the region hot on your tail (if you didn’t already prepare a helicopter in advance for safer transit, that is).

6. Sir, Yes, Sir!

Ah, yes. Vice City’s iconic tank mission. Sir, Yes, Sir’s concept is actually quite simple (as any self-respecting tank mission should be) – steal the Rhino tank being escorted by the military through the streets of Vice City, then drive it over to Juan Cortez’s lockup in a timely fashion before it self-destructs. Even with the three-star wanted level the game immediately hurls your way, this is one of those types of missions you really have to try and screw up to fail. Just sit back and enjoy the chaos, I say.



5. Publicity Tour

An easy candidate for most entertaining mission in the entire game, Publicity Tour combines both comedy and high-stakes action as Tommy has to speed through the city behind the wheel of metal band Love Fist’s limo while the members attempt to defuse a bomb set to go off if the vehicle slows down. Listening to the band’s panicked dialogue as they deal with the situation is the clear standout moment of this otherwise pleasantly straightforward mission. Once the bomb is defused (somehow), all that remains is to drop them off at their next live performance.

4. All Hands on Deck!

All Hands on Deck is essentially one long action-packed escort mission for Colonel Juan Cortez and his yacht as he flees the waters of Vice City. And we aren’t just talking about protecting the precious cargo from waves of disposable agents delivered via boat here – Tommy’s got inbound attack helicopters to shoot down as well. Much like other entries on this list, All Hands on Deck feels like something straight out of an over-the-top Hollywood blockbuster, and that’s what makes it so dang satisfying to play.

3. Rub Out

If you’re a Scarface enjoyer, you’ll really get a kick out of this one. Rub Out features the intense all-out assault on Ricardo Diaz’s mansion – (eventually converted and rebranded to the Vercetti Estate when all is said and done) starting from the front of the property, and reaching its climax on the entrance stairway, Tommy and Lance leave no henchman behind in their vengeance-fueled attack. This mission also concludes with one of the most badass cutscenes in the game, as Diaz finally gets put six feet under for good, vengeance is served for his involvement with the game’s opening drug bust (also on behalf of Lance’s dead brother) and Tommy’s criminal empire is primed to branch out into further endeavours.

2. The Job

The Job is a bank heist mission done right, complete with multiple moving parts, a bumbling (and eventually gunned down) getaway driver, vault-cracking antics, Jason Voorhees-esque hockey mask disguises, and a deadly standoff with a SWAT team. Completing The Job also ties the ribbon on the Malibu Club asset storyline and allows the player to start collecting income from the property. That’s on top of the fifty thousand bucks earned from your efforts at the bank, of course.



1. Keep Your Friends Close…

This is what everything has been leading up to, the grand finale of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - a fierce shootout set entirely within (and on top of) Vercetti Estate, where Sonny’s extortion attempts and Lance’s betrayals are dealt with (permanently). With Tommy finally assuming total control of all business matters, and the entirety of Vice City at his feet, it’s an almost wholesome ending to the game as he and defense lawyer Ken Rosenberg muse on what lies ahead.

GTA 6 launches on 19 November 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-orders available here.