Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is a top-down action game where the player controls an aspiring criminal across three distinct urban environments. These cities, modeled after New York, San Francisco, and Miami, are large, interconnected spaces that can be freely navigated.

Progression is tied to achieving a target score within each city. Points are accumulated through various unlawful acts, from vehicular theft and causing traffic collisions to more serious crimes. The most significant score increases come from undertaking specific missions, which are received by interacting with phones or marked vehicles. These assignments range from disposing of stolen cars to aiding in robberies or performing assassinations. Successfully completing a mission not only grants a large point bonus but also increases a score multiplier, making subsequent crimes more valuable.

Criminal activity attracts police attention, represented by a wanted level that escalates with witnessed offenses. Low-level pursuits may involve a single patrol car, while higher levels trigger coordinated squads, roadblocks, and lethal force. Evasion is possible by visiting a respray shop for a new paint job and plates, though this service deducts money from the player's score. The player has multiple lives, and being arrested or killed results in the loss of weapons and armor and a reduction of the score multiplier, but not game over.

The game world contains scattered crates that provide items such as weapons, armor, extra lives, police bribes to clear a wanted level, and cards that prevent equipment loss upon arrest. A wide variety of vehicles, each with unique handling, can be commandeered. The camera perspective zooms out dynamically when driving at speed to provide a broader view of the action.