Grand Theft Auto 2

Players begin a game with one character (six in the Game Boy Color version). Like its predecessor, the game focuses on players completing a series of levels, each requiring a set target score being achieved 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. == Development and release ==

Grand Theft Auto 2 was developed by DMA Design in Dundee under the lead programmer Keith Hamilton. The team initially considered calling the game ''Eh Stole E' Motur'' but later believed this name could hamper the game's international appeal. Grand Theft Auto 2 was released for the PlayStation and Windows on 22 October 1999. It was released for the Dreamcast on 1 May 2000 in North America and 20 May in Europe. A Game Boy Color version, developed by Tarantula Studios, was released in December 2000. ==GTA 2 – The Movie==

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. == Soundtrack ==

The game features a dynamic soundtrack with five radio stations available in each area, selected from a total of eleven. Players can switch between stations while driving most vehicles, allowing for a personalized listening experience. The "Head Radio" station, a staple in the Grand Theft Auto series, also appears in this installment. Each gang in the game operates its own radio station, but these broadcasts are limited to specific areas. Emergency vehicles—such as police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and tanks—do not play regular radio stations. Instead, players hear the emergency services' radio transmissions. The game continues the series' tradition of featuring exclusive music and advertisements. The soundtrack was curated by a team including Craig Conner, Stuart Ross, Paul Scargill, Colin Anderson, Bert Reid, and Moving Shadow. The menu song, "Short Change", was produced by the British band E-Z Rollers. The Game Boy Color version includes a sped-up rendition of "Back in Black" by AC/DC. The Character Selection theme is based on the classic Brazilian song "Chega de Saudade". ==Reception==

More than 1.2 million copies of the game were shipped to retailers worldwide upon release, expected to contribute over in gross revenue. Grand Theft Auto 2s computer version received a "Silver" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The game's PlayStation version received a "Platinum" sales award (300,000 or more units in the United Kingdom) from ELSPA. The game went on to sell about 2 million copies worldwide. Grand Theft Auto 2 was released to mixed reviews. IGNs Blevins called it "one of the best features" of the game. Tal Blevins called it "simple, but effective." Blake Fischer reviewed the Dreamcast version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that it is "A great idea that, for one reason or another, never really gets into a must-play game." The Game Boy Color version received negative reviews. Craig Harris of IGN wrote, "I appreciate the desire to try and move games from the higher platforms to the Game Boy Color, but jeez, Grand Theft Auto 2? The first one was bad enough. I will take this time to plead with Rockstar Games - just say no to GTA on GBA." ==Notes==