I played the hell out of GTA 2, had a 3 disk box containing 1 2 and London. And only now I'm bring told it was set in the future!

Am I the only one who never realized it was supposed to be a futuristic city? To be honest my English wasn't that good at the time I played it, but that information never clicked with me.

It's some 20 years ago I played it but I don't remember it as being futuristic at all? Seemed like a normal city to me or what am I missing?

Weird article. GTA2 came out in 1999. That’s a long time ago. I doubt most of that team still works there. The idea that they had an issue making it somehow meaning that, over two decades later, the same issues will remain is an odd conclusion.

It’s just a weird comment, I get what he’s saying back then, but Saints Row had multiple games come out in pseudo-futuristic setting that were batshit crazy and fun to play, so obviously it can be done.

Lets be honest, we won’t see a futuristic GTA at this point because shark cards are a money-printing machine and Take Two will never approve anything like that because it would be too risky.

Three weeks into the future. One teeming city. Seven streets gangs. Unlimited criminal opportunity

-gta2 manual

blah blah you get idea

We probably won't see a GTA doing it anyway because Watch Dogs, Crackdown and Cyberpunk are already basically that.

GTA2 was good, it's just games journalists obsessed with a "3D full immersion VR future", that they felt threatened by every 2D games made once the first Voodoo cards left the factories. The reviews were not about the games, but endless whining about they losing their "fully realistic games" (past Medal of Honor, they usually envisioned a perfect recreation of Battle of Normandy) because a man made a theme park game with accurate roller coaster physics in assembly.

The 3D push was quite similar to the current AI push, but more successful. Imagine if Microsoft blocked games being released onto XBox if they don't have a certain amount of AI generated assets and/or "live generated content".

GTA 2 didn't connect not because it looked slightly different than GTA 1. This was the "transition to 3D" era and people gravitated towards such games, like Driver.

Funnily enough that's actually why it is my favourite GTA game (I haven't played 5 and I won't play 6), although nostalgia probably plays a big role too.

I also liked that it had a cold, clinical feel compared to the later GTAs. You are in "Anywhere City" and it feels like society has entered a permanent state of decline.

I also think the relatively lite cyberpunk and retro-futuristic elements added a bit of flair to the concept.

That being said, I can understand why they will never make a game like GTA2 again; bad market fit and the futurism of GTA2 is in many ways a product of the 90s/early 2000s.

gta2 is still my favourite of the series. the first game was so damn janky that i could barely play it but the second one is smooth as butter, and with the artstyle they chose it looks really unique.

At this rate we won't be seeing another GTA game after 6 until 2040 anyways

GTA2 was the best GTA.

I remember I had a Voodoo card at the time of GTA2. Playing the Glide version of that game (if you could get it working) was like being transported into the future. The resolution was higher, the framerate was higher and more smooth, the lighting effects were insane. Especially on a large CRT with vibrant colors that game looked absolutely amazing.

I am honestly surprised that so many people thought GTA2 was the best.

I understand that a significant portion of the Threadi demographic probably grew up on the first two games, but even wit that factor I wouldn't have thought it was that popular.

I actually really liked the weird scifish city of GTA2 a lot, it had surprisingly strange vibes.

It clearly wasn't the developers strength though, they are far better at making cities that are heavily inspired/woven together from chunks of real places.

In my opinion the game that captures GTA 2 vibes best is Skillshot City previously known as Gene Shift Auto.

Gameplay is fast and fun and it is a genuinely good free to play multiplayer game with fast rounds.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/308600/Skillshot_City/

GTA2 was the best, this is a true fact

I mean, the historical and geographical context of the newer entries definitely adds to the satire, but GTA2 wasn't a bad game at all. I def liked it more 1 and 3 at the time. Interesting that the dev team wasn't fond of it.

I liked the weapon mods to the vehicles - oil spills etc

Also the car crusher that gave out items and cash iirc

Bullshit I loved the hell out of that game. I definitely play a version just like it.

I loved the faction angle for GTA2 , alongside the improved controls. I want to make a game inspired off it as one of the creative projects I'm trying to work on.

I liked GTA2. Probably because it was the only one I played. I would love to play it today, but the tank controls are too horrible. Does anybody know of an analogue controller mod or something like that?

Just please put the random string of Elvis impersonators trolling the streets back in there

One of the districts in GTA2 is Funabashi, the name of a city to the west of Tokyo.

If you want to make a GTA set in the “future” that still resonates with people, set it somewhere in Japan.

Considering how often police chases and gang activity occur there, despite Japan’s extremely low crime rate, why not use Nagoya?

Good thing we have Cyberpunk 2077

I'll add to the chorus here saying I really liked GTA2. I dunno where he got the idea that gamers disliked it

People seem to like cyberpunk 2077 so maybe people still had hope for humanity when gta2 came out, it was just before its time.