Phil Collins cameos, Thomas returns in VCS?

When the film American Psycho hit theaters in 1999, it used many pop songs from the 1980s for comic effect. In one of the film's most graphic scenes--protagonist Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) has a ménage a trois with two prostitutes to the strains of "Sussudio" by Phil Collins.

When Collins learned of the scene, he publicly voiced his displeasure that the filmmakers had used the song--which had been legally licensed--in the scene. However, the onetime Genesis drummer is now again courting controversy by appearing in the trailer for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

The third trailer for the second installment in the ultraviolent crime franchise features an in-game computer-animated version of Collins performing "In the Air Tonight," which was most famously featured in the Risky Business soundtrack and the pilot for the show Miami Vice. There is also a reference in the preview to the game's protagonist, Victor Vance, being recommended for a job by "Phil"--although the Phil in question is more like the gun runner Phil Cassidy from the original Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

The latest trailer also indicates that one of the stars of Vice City will be returning in its PSP prequel. Toward the end of the trailer, a voice that sounds identical to actor Philip Michael Thomas can be heard uttering lines spoken by insecure criminal Lance Vance, the character Thomas played in Vice City. However, this could not be confirmed as of press time.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is set for release in North America on October 30. Check out VCS's gamespace for previous coverage of the game.