Grand Theft Auto is an action-adventure game with an isometric view, the first installment of the Grand Theft Auto series.

Location and plot

The game takes place in 3 different cities, each one resembling real-life counterparts such as Miami, New York City and San Francisco. The world of the game is only restricted by traveling from one city to another, while the cities themselves are free to explore. The plot is expressed in the form of various missions, where the playable character receives general instructions through a phone call, or otherwise.

Gameplay

Each mission in the game has a set goal of in-game points, awarded for successful completion of mission’s requirements, and sometimes causing mayhem for the sake of it. Completion of these missions allows the player to move on to more difficult tasks, and eventually, another chapter in other cities. The player often has to steal vehicles, sell them for profit, perform roadkills and escape the police, as the number of attempts for each mission is limited.

Graphics and reception

The game features a simplistic style for graphics, sacrificing different animations and sprites in favor of just being fun to play. At the time of release, in late 1997-1998, Grand Theft Auto offered unique arcade gameplay with an open world, where players could do anything they wanted, which, of course, was the key to overwhelming success of the game.