Interview

Developer: DMA
Publisher: Take 2 Interactive
GTA 2 official page: http://www.gta2.com
Release Date: October 22, 1999

FiringSquad (motto: children trust us) recently had the chance to talk with some of the people involved with the creation of Grand Theft Auto 2, the eagerly awaited sequel to a hit game. What follows is the chat we had with Dan Houser (from the Rockstar games production team) and Gary J. Foreman (technical director of all three GTA games). After the interview, you'll find some exclusive eye candy awaiting you. Enjoy!

Firingsquad:

The last GTA had hardware mode but it really didn't seem to do much for the game visually compared to software mode. What sorts of 3D tweaks can we expect this time around?

Dan & Gary:

GTA2 utilises the texture and lighting effects of the latest video cards. There is no software version this time - it would be too slow. All Direct3D compatible video cards will be supported.

Firingsquad:

Based on the screenshots, GTA 2 gives you the same overhead perspective that GTA 1 did. How will the gameplay differ? What's new?

Dan & Gary:

While the basic game idea remains the same - a huge teaming city, you a member of the criminal classes, able to make money any way you want, a focus on trying to create police chases and so on - the way it has been executed is vastly different. GTA2 is all about gangs - you are not the only bad boy in town, there's a whole series of gangs carving up the city and it's criminal activities, you now interact with the gangs, earn their respect (by attacking other gangs, and doing jobs successfully for them), and avoid them when they hate you - this adds a whole new element to the gameplay - trying to manage relationships, and keep people happy (while planning their destruction when it suits you!), but everything else has been massively improved - the police are far more aggressive, and get support from the army, the FBI and swat teams in this, allowing for some spectacular firefights. There are loads of new weapons, including Molotov cocktails and oil slicks (along with the electric weapons featured) - this time, we can enough cars on screen and pedestrians moving around, especially on the PC version, to really make the city feel alive and busy, in the right places, and deserted and lonely in other places. Technically, the graphics, although retaining the core perspective (to replicate helicopter chase footage from LA and the UK), are vastly improved, with incredible real time lighting effects, amazing explosions and so on, while the audio is probably the most complex and complete people will have ever experienced in a video or computer game - it really is amazing. The AI is much better this time, with every citizen, criminal, mugger, car jacker (there's a lot about in this city), taxi driver and bus driver all having their own objectives, behaviour and ambitions.

The gameplay was good fun in the first game, but in this one it is literally insane at times, while several of the missions recreate classic scenes from movies, utilising new features to allow for roof top chases, for Mexican stand offs where you and your buddies in one gang attack another (or, if you're clever, you let them attack, while you watch, standing well out of the way), stealth based attacks on compounds, as silenced weapons, hearing and line of sight are now utilised, and articulated lorries, which you can use to smash road blocks...

The game is just far slicker and far more insane than the original.

Firingsquad:

Will GTA 2 support EAX or A3D positional audio?

Dan & Gary:

We use the Miles Sound System, so they are both supported.

Firingsquad:

Will you still be able to run over a line of hare-Krishnas?

Dan & Gary:

If you want to get your head staved in! The Hare Krishnas are running their own street gang, hell bent on destroying cars (after what happened to them in the first game) and all other technology, while promoting the cause of saffron and Karma by any means necessary.

Firingsquad:

What kinds of new weapons, if any, are in GTA2?

Dan & Gary:

Car mounted cannons, oil slicks, two kinds of electric weapons (allowing you to flash fry or slow roast your opponents), petrol bombs (Molotov cocktails) and hand grenades are the best new weapons, to go alongside the tanks, rocket launchers, machine guns and car bombs etc people already know...