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Grand Theft Auto 2 - The Legacy Review
IGN • • technology
Key Points:
- IGN is revisiting each core Grand Theft Auto game ahead of GTA 6's release, focusing on their historical impact, gameplay evolution, and lasting appeal rather than traditional reviews or scores.
- Grand Theft Auto 2, released in 1999, refined the original with features like saving, a health bar, improved driving mechanics, and enhanced weapon variety, but retained challenging tank-like controls and score-based progression.
- The game’s retro-futuristic setting, Anywhere City, diverges from the original's contemporary vibe, creating an identity clash that initially alienated some players, including the reviewer.
- Despite technical improvements and a livelier world with gang activity, GTA 2’s stylized vehicles and city design lack the charm and realism of its predecessor and subsequent GTA titles.
- GTA 2 arrived just before the rise of fully 3D open-world driving games like Driver, making it feel slightly outdated; while appreciated more in hindsight, it does not evoke strong enthusiasm compared to other series entries.
