Tommy Vercetti was the first Grand Theft Auto lead who was a character. In the 2D games you could choose from eight playable protagonists, but this had no real bearing on the game besides the colour of their clothes, skin, and hair. You didn't know a thing about them, with only a 2D portrait giving you any clues about what they might be like. Grand Theft Auto 2's sole protagonist, Claude Speed, was a blank slate with little in the way of a personality. And the silent anti-hero of Grand Theft Auto 3 (also named Claude, but a different person) had a clear motivation—seeking revenge on the traitorous ex-girlfriend who betrayed him and left him for dead—but his personality was, again, almost entirely non-existent. He was furiously driven and clearly loved mayhem, but that was about it.

Related: It's Been 11 Years, But I Keep Coming Back To Detective Adventure L.A. Noire

That's why Tommy was such a refreshing change of pace. He was every bit as violent and morally reprehensible as his one-dimensional predecessors, but elevated enormously by the fact that he actually spoke—courtesy of the late, great Ray Liotta. He had layers too. Not many, granted, but enough to make him more than just another faceless cipher for the player to inhabit. Even though Liotta famously had no idea what Grand Theft Auto was (or its ability to shift millions of copies) when he signed up to play the character—and reportedly clashed with Rockstar during the recording process—he gave it his all. Tommy is calm and collected, with a bone-dry sense of humour and a quick wit, but will explode with loud, fiery anger when anyone is foolish enough to cross him.

0000003321.1920x1080

A lot of Grand Theft Auto protagonists are flawed, damaged people whose personal issues and hang-ups often interfere with their work. Even a hardass like GTA 4's Niko Bellic has family issues and a troubled past to wrestle with. But Tommy Vercetti is, as far as someone who kills people for a living can be, comparatively well-adjusted and baggage-free. He's temperamental and prone to sudden, violent fits of anger, sure, but is otherwise the most professional and level-headed lead character in GTA history. Playing as a seasoned, hardened career criminal—rather than a scrappy up-and-comer like Carl 'CJ' Johnson from GTA: San Andreas or a washed up neurotic has-been like GTA 5's Michael De Santa—gives Vice City a very distinctive flavour compared to other games in the series.

Vice City is a classic rags-to-riches story. Tommy begins the game as a low-level hood in a gaudy Hawaiian shirt and ends it as, essentially, Tony Montana. Scarface has always been a major influence on Grand Theft Auto—GTA 3 had a radio station, Flashback FM, consisting entirely of songs from the soundtrack—but Vice City is the most overt homage to Brian De Palma's '80s classic. Like the film, it's incredibly satisfying watching (and, in the case of the game, participating in) Tommy's ascent from nobody to kingpin. Every GTA game follows this basic structure, but Vice City does it best. By the time the credits roll and you've swept up every valuable property in the city, beaten every rival, and taken a slice of every illicit business, you really do feel like Tommy owns the place.

0000003318.1920x1080

Later GTA leads may have more depth and nuance, but Tommy Vercetti is still my favourite. He may display some very dim flickers of warmth, humanity, and loyalty at times, but for the most part he's a man driven entirely by greed, power, and vengeance—and I admire his honesty. A Grand Theft Auto character should be an unapologetic sociopath. I get why Rockstar wants its characters to be more complex for storytelling purposes. We can probably expect more of that from GTA 6 leads Lucia and Jason. But there's a lot to be said for playing as a guy who just wants to demolish the competition, make bank, build an empire, and become the baddest dude in the city. Tommy Vercetti embodies the chaos and nihilism at the core of the GTA experience, and that's why he's still the greatest.

Next: The Genius Of Mafia 2's Twin Time Periods