Grand Theft Autois a series that is well known for its storytelling and the protagonists that players spend dozens of hours with in each title. The franchise’s history of great protagonists started withGrand Theft Auto: Vice Cityand its first voiced protagonist Tommy Vercetti. Played by Ray Liotta, Tommy was a big jump for the series and was extremely successful in winning the hearts of fans and bringing personality to his particular game.
Now, players are preparing to experience Tommy’s story all over again withthe release ofGrand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition. The remastered trilogy includesGrand Theft Auto 3,Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, andGrand Theft Auto: San Andreaswith some visual enhancements and quality of life improvements. Many fans of the series have pointed out that it is not only a great way for fans to revisit the games that they love but also the best way for fans who have only played newer titles in the series to see where it came from as well. However, those new players may need a bit of help getting caught on up the stories leading up to the games to help them keep track of what is going on.
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The Forelli Crime Family
Before understanding where Tommy Vercetti is at during the start ofGrand Theft Auto: Vice City, players have to understand who the Forelli Crime family are. The crime family is an Italian-American sect of the Mafia that is based in Liberty City. The Forelli Family broke away from the larger Leone Family sometime beforeVice Cityfor unknown reasons. The Forelli Family is led by the Don Sonny Forelli who leads the family in their constant power struggles against rival gangs such as the Yakuza, Diablos, and Southside Hoods. The conflict between the Forelli Family and the other gangs not only lays the groundwork for the game’s setting, but is also used for a lot of thesocial commentary present inVice City.
Throughout the game, members of the Forelli Family can be identified by their uniforms that usually include light blue or brown Hawaiian shirts, and are usually equipped with pistols. However, the family does appear throughout nearly every 3DGrand Theft Autotitle, with the uniforms of their members changing throughout, making them a staple faction within the series. EvenVice City’saccompanying games in theGTAremastered trilogysee players facing off against the family under various different leaders.
How the Forelli Crime Family Turned Against Tommy Vercetti
Tommy’s story began in Liberty City. Born in 1951, he frequently helped his father work in the print shop where he was employed. Very little is known about Tommy’s mother, but dialogue throughoutVice Cityhints that he had a bad relationship with her. Eventually, Tommy joined the Forelli Family as a low-ranking member before quickly proving himself to be capable and rising through the ranks until he was a made man. This came to a head in 1971, when Sonny grew fearful of how much power Tommy was accumulating and sent him on a hit where he had eleven men wait in ambush to kill Tommy. However, Tommy survived and killed all eleven men, as, despite appearances,Tommy is extremely capable.
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Regardless, Tommy was arrested for the murders and sentenced to death, but Sonny intervened on his behalf as a thank you for not ratting on the Forelli family, getting his sentence commuted. This left Tommy only serving a 15-year sentence before he was released thanks to further meddling by Sonny. The entire ordeal garnered Tommy the nickname of the Harwood Butcher by the media and saw his release gaining a lot of media attention in Liberty City. So, Sonny had Tommy sent to Vice City out of hopes that he can help the family build a presence there while also allowing him to operate under less scrutiny. This is where players are introduced to Tommy Vercetti,embarking onVice City’s timeless journey.
Tommy Vercetti’s Personality
Much of what happens both before and duringVice Cityis a result of Tommy Vercetti’s personality. He is a very intelligent man, but his smarts are often off-put by how temperamental he is. Tommy is quick to anger and prefers resorting to violence to get things done when he is frustrated with others. He does not shirk away from killing, and frequently does so without hesitation or remorse. However, he does have compassion for some people close to him, such as Earnest Kelly, who served as a father figure throughout his time in the family. Another defining characteristic of Tommy is that he prefers to do work himself rather than delegating to others to make sure that things get done how he wants them to, which helps explain why hegets up to so many hijinks inVice Citywhen he doesn’t have to.
Despite all of this, however, Tommy is also an extremely loyal individual, so much so that he returned to working for Sonny despite suspecting that he had been set up while he was in prison. He also shows loyalty throughoutVice Citywith his many affiliates and gang partners, such as helping Ken despite his ongoing drug issues and even giving Lance Vance equal control of theirgrowing crime businessdespite his fading mental faculties.
Everything about Tommy helps make him one of the most interesting and engaging protagonists across the entire series, and it will be great for players to be able to revisitGrand Theft Auto: Vice Citywith the release of the remastered trilogy. This is especially true for Nintendo fans, as the trilogy will beGrand Theft Auto’s very first time on a Nintendo home console, and it even comes with some exclusive features and control options. Hopefully, fans and new players alike will be able to enjoy the remasters when they release so that an entirely new generation can discover the classic titles.
Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Editionreleases on November 11 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S with mobile versions in development.
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