Grand Theft Auto 2

Grand Theft Auto 2, commonly abbreviated as “GTA 2” is a 2D top-down view video game released on September 30, 1999 for the PC, October 25, 1999 for the Sony PlayStation, April 30, 2000 for the Sega Dreamcast, and November 10, 2000 for the Game Boy Color. Like many violent video games, the Grand Theft Auto series has been directly linked to acts of adolescent violence in real life.

Gameplay

GTA 2 mimics GTA 1’s sandbox style gameplay with a similar top down view and the same physics engine. Improvements were made in comparison to the 32-bit lookalike graphics in GTA 1. Textures are published in slightly, but still noticeably higher quality. GTA 2 follows the old-fashioned formula of obtaining extra “points” by running over and killing pedestrians, damaging other cars, and even killing police. Points obtained unlock “missions” that progress storyline and earn extra money. Storyline is progressed by earning “respect” from one of the city’s gangs. Grievances dealt to a certain gang will decrease respect from one gang, but increase respect from another. Game progress is saved by walking into megachurches at select locations in the city, making a mandatory donation, in other words; payment of $50,000 dollars of in-game currency in exchange for “salvation” that will eliminate the player’s wanted level and save game progress to the storage medium that the platform uses. The game utilizes largely the same weapons (guns, knives, etc.) as other Grand Theft Auto games. The game also features the well-known pedestrian fights and car jackings, both provoked and unprovoked of other Grand Theft Auto games.

Settings

The game is set in an un named town in a non-specified location in the United States in a time period between 2000 and 2013. The game’s setting is referred to as “Anywhere City”. The city is divided into three districts serving as levels that need to be progressed through. Downtown District: The downtown district is a hub of commercial activity with its own mental institution and a large university. Its architecture mimics the upward building styles of downtown areas of your typical city of 500,000 people in the US. Residential District: The residential district consists of a prison, a trailer park with an Elvis themed bar named “Disgracelands”, a pun on Graceland; the home of the deceased Elvis Presley in Memphis, a shopping mall, and a large hydroelectric power plant. Industrial District: The industrial district consists of a large seaport, a meatpacking plant, a [[nuclear power]] plant, and a Krishna temple.

Soundtrack

The game follows Grand Theft Auto’s style of having radio stations featuring songs that exist in real life, accompanied by DJ chatter and satirical radio advertisements.