It’s actually kinda wild looking back at the pixelated, top-down chaos of the original Grand Theft Auto 1997. Most people today think of the franchise as this massive, cinematic titan—a world of motion capture and billion-dollar budgets—but in '97, it was basically just a jagged, bird's-eye view of a stolen car drifting into a crowd of "Elvis" impersonators.
It was ugly. It was difficult. Honestly, it was a miracle it even got released.
Developed by DMA Design (who we now know as Rockstar North) and published by BMG Interactive, the game didn't just appear out of thin air as a masterpiece. It was the result of a messy development cycle that nearly saw the project scrapped entirely. If you weren't there in the late nineties, it's hard to explain how controversial this thing was. Before the "Hot Coffee" scandals or the courtroom dramas of the 2000s, there was just this grainy PC game that let you run over pedestrians for "Gouranga!" bonuses.
The Race 'n' Chase Disaster That Almost Killed the Franchise
Believe it or not, the game wasn't even supposed to be "GTA" at first. The working title was Race 'n' Chase. The original concept was way more structured—you were supposed to play as either a cop or a criminal.
But there was a problem. The game was boring.
The developers at DMA Design found that the most fun part of the playtesting wasn't the actual missions or the structured racing. It was the bugs. Specifically, there was a glitch where the police AI became hyper-aggressive. Instead of just pulling you over, they would try to ram you off the road with terrifying precision. Gary Penn, who was a producer on the project, has famously discussed how the game was almost cancelled because it was unstable and the "fun factor" just wasn't there. It was only when they leaned into the chaos of the police chases that Grand Theft Auto 1997 started to find its soul.
They scrapped the "play as a cop" idea. They kept the crazy AI. They leaned into the delinquency.
What the Map Actually Looked Like
If you play the modern games, you know Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas as distinct, massive states. In the 1997 original, all three were packed into one disc. You started in Liberty City, moved to San Andreas, and finished in Vice City.
- Liberty City: Modeled after New York. Gritty, grey, and full of tight corners.
- San Andreas: A weird hybrid of San Francisco and LA.
- Vice City: Bright colors, palm trees, and the first hint of that Miami vibe.
The transition between levels was brutal. You didn't just "go" to the next city. You had to hit a specific score threshold—literally millions of points—by stealing cars, completing phone booth missions, and causing general mayhem. If you died too many times, it was game over. No mid-mission checkpoints. No auto-saves. Just raw, frustrating 90s difficulty.
The Sound of 1997: More Than Just Background Noise
One thing Grand Theft Auto 1997 got right immediately was the radio. Even with limited tech, DMA Design understood that driving needs a soundtrack. Since they couldn't afford a massive library of licensed Top 40 hits back then, the staff actually wrote and performed a lot of the music themselves.
It was a DIY masterpiece.
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You had "The Fix" playing techno, "Head Radio" doing pop-rock, and "It's Unleashed" for the alt-rock fans. It felt like a real city because the music changed depending on the car you stole. Get into a pickup truck? You’re probably hearing country. Grab a sports car? It’s high-octane electronic music. This small detail became the DNA of the entire series.
Max Clifford and the Genius of Fake Outrage
How do you sell a top-down game that looks a bit dated even for 1997 standards? You make people afraid of it.
The late Max Clifford was hired to handle the PR for the game, and his strategy was brilliant in a deeply cynical way. He didn't focus on the gameplay. Instead, he intentionally leaked stories to the British press about how "dangerous" and "immoral" the game was. He wanted politicians to get angry. He wanted the Daily Mail to write pearl-clutching headlines.
It worked perfectly.
The House of Lords actually debated the game. Lord Campbell of Croy famously raised concerns about its impact on the youth. This "outrage" was free marketing. By the time the game hit shelves, every kid in the UK and the US wanted it simply because they were told they shouldn't have it. This wasn't just a game release; it was a counter-culture moment.
The Mechanics of Mayhem
- Top-Down Perspective: Unlike the 3D worlds we have now, the camera stayed high in the sky. It zoomed out as you drove faster, which was actually a pretty clever way to handle technical limitations.
- The Phone Booths: Missions didn't come from cinematic cutscenes. You walked up to a ringing public phone, and a text box told you who to kill or what to steal.
- The Kill Frenzy: Picking up a specific icon turned the game into a timed slaughter-fest. It was pure arcade energy.
- The Tank: Yes, even in the first game, the ultimate goal was finding the tank and becoming invincible.
Why 1997 Matters in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about a game that looks like a collection of moving squares. It’s because Grand Theft Auto 1997 was the first truly "open" world that didn't feel like a RPG. It wasn't about stats or leveling up a character's "strength." It was about a systemic playground.
The game didn't care how you finished a mission. You could follow the instructions, or you could accidentally blow up your target with a stray rocket launcher shot from three blocks away. That "systemic" gameplay—where different AI behaviors (cops, pedestrians, fire trucks) interact in unpredictable ways—is exactly what makes GTA VI or Red Dead Redemption 2 feel alive today.
It’s the same engine, just with better paint.
The Legacy of DMA Design
DMA Design eventually became Rockstar North, but the spirit of that original team—David Jones, Mike Dailly, and the others—is still visible. They were rebels. They were trying to see how much they could get away with on a PC or a PlayStation 1.
The original PC version was actually superior to the PS1 port, mostly because of the resolution. On a PC, you could actually see the road ahead of you. On the PS1, the "zoom" was so tight that you’d often slam into a wall before you even knew it was there. It was a punishing experience that demanded perfection.
Common Misconceptions About the Original
People often think the first GTA was a massive 3D world like Driver or Gran Turismo. It wasn't. It was strictly 2D.
Another big myth is that it was the first "violent" game. It wasn't even close—Doom and Mortal Kombat had already paved that road. What made GTA different was the context of the violence. It wasn't about killing demons or ninjas; it was about stealing a sedan and running over a guy named Bubba. It felt "real" in a way that made people uncomfortable.
The game also had a weird sense of humor that most people forget. It wasn't just "edgy" for the sake of it. There were parody ads and satirical takes on American culture that felt very British, which makes sense given the developers were based in Dundee, Scotland.
How to Experience it Today
If you want to play Grand Theft Auto 1997 now, it's a bit of a trek. It’s not officially on modern digital storefronts like Steam or the PlayStation Store in its original form (usually due to licensing or technical hurdles). However, the "Rockstar Classics" version was free for years, and there are plenty of community patches that make it run on modern Windows 11 systems.
Honestly? It's still fun.
The controls are "tank controls," meaning you rotate with the left and right keys and move forward with the up key. It feels clunky for about ten minutes until your brain rewires itself. Once you get the hang of it, the thrill of a five-star (or "five-head") police chase is surprisingly similar to the modern games.
Actionable Steps for Retrogaming Fans
If you’re looking to dive back into the 1997 chaos, here is how to do it right:
- Seek out the PC Version: Avoid the PS1 port if you can. The frame rate and resolution on the PC version make the high-speed driving actually playable.
- Look for the GTA Fixer: There are fan-made wrappers (like those found on GTAForums) that allow the game to run in widescreen without stretching the pixels.
- Don't ignore the manual: The original game came with a physical map and a "tourist guide" to the cities. If you’re playing a digital copy, find a PDF of the manual online. The lore and the jokes in those pages are half the fun.
- Try the London 1969 Expansion: If you finish the main game, find the London 1969 pack. It’s the only time the series has ever left the US, and it’s gloriously weird.
Grand Theft Auto 1997 wasn't a perfect game, but it was a perfect idea. It traded graphical fidelity for absolute freedom, and in doing so, it changed the trajectory of the entire entertainment industry. We’re still living in the world that DMA Design built in a small office in Scotland nearly thirty years ago.