Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The ROMANOV Archive continues its deep dive into Russian influence in Western video games, this time exploring how Grand Theft Auto: Vice City satirizes Cold War paranoia.
From fear-mongering televangelists to over-the-top Hollywood action heroes and Ammu-Nation’s patriotic propaganda, Vice City is a neon-lit reflection of the 1980s obsession with Soviet threats. But how accurate are its portrayals of Soviet-era weapons and cultural references? And what does this satire say about America’s perception of Russia at the time?