The main difference lies in the characters and their story arcs. Tommy Vercetti in GTA Vice City is a well - known criminal who has his own motives related to the drug trade in Vice City. On the other hand, Victor Vance in GTA Vice City Stories is a character with a military background. This affects the types of missions you get. For example, Victor might have to deal with military - grade weapons and vehicles more often. In terms of the game world, GTA Vice City Stories may have made some improvements or changes to the layout and functionality of the city compared to the original GTA Vice City. Graphics - wise, GTA Vice City Stories might also have some enhancements over the earlier release, although both games have that classic GTA look.
Well, in GTA Vice City, the overall atmosphere is more about building up Tommy's criminal empire. However, in GTA Vice City Stories, Victor Vance has his own set of goals which are more related to military - like operations at times. The missions in GTA Vice City are more focused on the typical GTA style of crime, like taking over drug deals, while in GTA Vice City Stories, there are more military - themed missions because of Victor's background. And the vehicles available also vary. There are some new vehicles in GTA Vice City Stories that weren't in the original GTA Vice City.
One major difference is the story. In GTA Vice City, you play as Tommy Vercetti, while in GTA Vice City Stories, you play as Victor Vance. Also, the map in GTA Vice City Stories has some additional areas and features compared to the original GTA Vice City.