Introduction

Grand Theft Auto 2 is a game that nearly everyone has heard of, but few people have actually played. In fact, many would argue that it’s the “worst” GTA game ever made—but it’s also the most important. Yes, many elements of the game were eclipsed by sequels—and not just aesthetically. The gameplay of GTA2 was considered primitive and frustrating by modern standards, and yet its influence on both the gaming industry and our culture as a whole can’t be overstated enough. So grab your favorite weapon (or at least your favorite controller), because we’re about to explore how one of gaming’s most maligned titles ended up being so influential…

It’s all in the name.

Grand Theft Auto 2 was released in 1999, developed by DMA Design and published by Rockstar Games. It was the second game in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the first to feature multiple characters.

The game’s title is significant for several reasons: First, it’s an example of a play on words—the word “grand theft” is used as both an adjective (to describe something as being grand) and a verb (to describe stealing something). Second, it highlights just how ambitious this sequel was compared to its predecessor—Grand Theft Auto 1 had only allowed players one character; GTA2 allowed them two or more at once! Thirdly, it emphasizes that this game isn’t just about taking things away from people—you can also give them back!

Developing GTA2 was like building with Legos.

The game’s development was also a learning experience for the team, who had never worked on a game before.

The process was much different than what they are used to today, with very little technical documentation available at the time, and no real standard for how games were made. The team relied heavily on trial and error, often working from scratch instead of using existing code or tools from previous projects. They would build something in a specific way—for example, using a top-down perspective—and then decide it didn’t work for their needs and start over again from scratch with another style or structure. It sounds like a difficult process now but back then it was just how things were done!

The development team was tiny.

The development team for GTA 2 was tiny. In fact, it was made up of only a few people.

The team was small, with less than ten people working on the project at its peak. This means that they had to work hard to make sure that they were able to get everything done on time and within budget.

The game was full of in-jokes.

Although the game was full of in-jokes and nods to other games, it was most notable for the way it seamlessly integrated open world gameplay with an engaging narrative. As you played through GTA 2, you would encounter characters who could be hired as bodyguards or drivers. These characters had unique personalities and skillsets that would make them more effective at certain tasks than others, which made choosing which ones to hire a strategic decision based on what challenges lay ahead of you. Additionally, your choices about which missions to take on directly impacted how the story progressed: if you decided not to help one character early on, they might end up betraying you later on in the game!

GTA2 was the first to feature multiple characters.

GTA2 was the first game in the series to feature multiple playable characters. You could play as Claude, a gang member seeking revenge on those who wronged him; or you could play as Toni Cipriani, a mafia henchman attempting to climb up the ladder. Another notable feature is that each character had their own unique story and personality, which made them stand out from one another in a way that no other game had done before. For example, if you played as Claude, he would be an angry alcoholic whose only goal in life was revenge. If you chose to be Toni Cipriani on the other hand (a wise choice), then he would be an ambitious punk with an easygoing attitude towards life and crime

GTA2 featured a top-down perspective instead of a first-person perspective, which is now the norm for games in the series.

In GTA2, you played the game from a top-down perspective instead of the first-person perspective that has since become the norm for games in the series. This was a big change from GTA1 and other games at the time.

The first Grand Theft Auto took place from a third person perspective (like Resident Evil or Tomb Raider) but soon after, many other titles followed suit with first person shooters like Doom or Half-Life.

It was one of the first open-world games.

GTA2 was the first game that featured an open world that was not procedurally generated. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it means that every single building and object in GTA2’s city were placed there by its designers. In other words, there was no randomness to be found in this game’s world!

One of the most important things GTA2 brought to gaming at large was how it changed the way we think about open worlds and their design. While some games had attempted to create open worlds before (like SimCity), none had done so successfully enough for them to become popularized as a genre unto themselves. Because of this new standard set by GTA2, many future games would take inspiration from its example and build upon it.

GTA2 had an interesting ad campaign that wanted you to play it, but not follow its message.

As you can see, the marketing campaign for GTA2 focused on everything that makes a game feel like something you should be ashamed of playing. You might think it would be hard to sell people on a game that they were supposed to be ashamed of playing, but that just goes to show how powerful this kind of marketing can be. The ads made such an impact on popular culture that they’ve become part of our collective consciousness; if you’re anything like me and are reading this article because someone linked it to your Facebook timeline or Twitter feed, then chances are pretty good that at least one person in your life has told you about these ads before.

It started a series that we still love and play today!

GTA2 changed the gaming world as we know it. It was the first game in a series that still has a huge following, and is still going strong today. The game was released in 1999, but its innovations have had a lasting impact on games, from GTA3 to Red Dead Redemption 2!

It was developed by DMA Design (later Rockstar North), and it’s easy to see why so many people love these games. This one started it all with its 3D game world that let you explore different areas freely.

Grand Theft Auto 2 opened up many different avenues and ideas for the gaming industry.

Grand Theft Auto 2 is more than just a game. It opened up many different avenues and ideas for the gaming industry, which is why it was so influential at the time. GTA2 was one of the most important games of all time, and it’s still being played today by millions of gamers around the world. It also helped pave way for other games in this series that would become even more popular later on.

In order to understand why GTA2 was so important, you have to go back in time and look at where things stood at this point in history. Back then there weren’t many good open world video games out there—even fewer that were realistic or attempted to replicate something similar to real life (like Grand Theft Auto). There were also no MMORPGs yet either; those didn’t show up until several years later with EverQuest (and Ultima Online).

Conclusion

Without Grand Theft Auto 2, we wouldn’t have the amazing series of games that we have today! That’s not to say it’s perfect, or even great. But the fact remains that no matter how you feel about the game, it’s still an important part of video game history. So if you haven’t played it before (or even if you have), check out Grand Theft Auto 2 and see what you think! The worst thing that can happen is a few hours wasted playing a mediocre game…but maybe you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised!