Grand Theft Auto 2: Ретрофутуристический Город Преступлений

1999 action adventure game

Grand Theft Auto 2 is an action adventure game developed by DMA Design and published by Rockstar Games in October 1999 for Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation, and the Dreamcast and Game Boy Color in 2000. It is the sequel to 1997's Grand Theft Auto, and the second main instalment of the Grand Theft Auto series. Set within a retrofuturistic metropolis known as "Anywhere City", the game focuses on players taking the role of a criminal as they roam an open world, conducting jobs for various crime syndicates and having free rein to do whatever they wish to achieve their goal. The game's intro is unique for a title in the series, as it involved live action scenes filmed by Rockstar Games. Grand Theft Auto 2 received mixed reviews for most platforms, and negative reviews for the Game Boy Color, but was a moderate commercial success. While the soundtrack and some gameplay elements, such as the gang loyalty system, were praised, the graphics, controls, and setting received a more mixed game response. The game was also criticized for failing to innovate the formula established by its predecessor, despite several improvements it brought. Grand Theft Auto 2 was followed by 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, which started a new era for the series, while the game itself was re released on Steam in January 2008.

Like its predecessor Grand Theft Auto, the game focuses on players completing a series of levels, each requiring a set target score being achieved in order to progress to the next stage. Points are awarded from various criminal actions such as destroying cars, selling vehicles, and completing missions for various crime syndicates, with the latter awarding more points than doing simple criminal actions. Creating chaos from their crimes will cause the player to be wanted by the police who will hound the player to arrest or kill them, with higher wanted levels increasing the level of response used. Being arrested or dying loses the player any equipment they found, and impacts their multiplier bonus. Grand Theft Auto 2s setting is unique for the series: a retrofuturistic metropolis referred to as "Anywhere, USA", which is divided into three districts (Downtown, Residential, and Industrial) that players will switch between as they progress through the game. The time period the game is set in is not specified—conflicting sources suggest anything from "three weeks into the future", to the year being 2013, a health meter, garages that can modify vehicles with special improvements, a selection of side missions ranging from running a taxi to driving a semi truck, and groups of 'hidden' packages to find across the level.

The game was developed with an eight minute short film of live action footage, filmed within New York City. The short film was devised as an introductory sequence for the game, and was made available on Rockstar Games's website. The film follows a criminal named Claude Speed (played by Scott Maslen), who conducts jobs around Anywhere City for several criminal syndicates, until his actions eventually catch up and he is killed by an assassin from one of the gangs he robbed. The film was based on a screenplay by Dan Houser, and directed by Alex De Rakoff.

Each area features five radio stations from a pool of eleven, one of which is heard as the player drives most vehicles in game. Changing radio stations for preference is possible. "Head Radio" was present in the original Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Each gang has its own radio station that transmits within a limited area. Police vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks and tanks had no ability to listen to the radio channels. Instead, the player would hear the radio transmitter of the emergency services. All the music and the ads included in the game are exclusive, following the tradition of previous games. People in charge of the musical content were Craig Conner, Stuart Ross, Paul Scargill, Colin Anderson, Bert Reid and Moving Shadow. Some of these producers would keep their work on subsequent GTA releases. The Game Boy Color version uses some real songs, one of which is a sped up version of "Back in Black" by AC/DC. The Character Selection theme is an old Brazilian song titled "Chega de Saudade".