People usually think of Grand Theft Auto as a cinematic, 3D masterpiece about heist movies and satire. They think of Trevor Philips or CJ or the massive, sprawling maps of Los Santos. But the original Grand Theft Auto wasn't that. Not even close. Back in 1997, it was a top-down, pixelated mess of a game that almost didn't happen because the developers thought it was boring. Seriously. It was called Race'n'Chase during development, and the team at DMA Design—now Rockstar North—basically felt like they were making a dud.
It was flat. It was difficult to control. Honestly, the only reason it became a hit was a glitch.
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The Glitch That Created a Genre
You have to understand the mid-90s gaming scene. Everything was trying to be "Extreme!" or "3D!" while the original Grand Theft Auto looked like a digital blueprint. In the early builds of Race'n'Chase, you could play as either the cops or the criminals. The goal was simple: drive from point A to point B. It was stale. Then, the AI for the police cars broke. Instead of trying to pull you over or block your path, the police cars started trying to ram you off the road with terrifying, suicidal aggression.
They weren't "arresting" you; they were hunting you.
The testers loved it. They stopped playing the missions and just started baiting the cops into chases. David Jones, the founder of DMA Design, realized that the fun wasn't in the racing—it was in the chaos. This pivot changed gaming history. If that specific pathfinding bug hadn't occurred, we probably wouldn't have the $8 billion franchise we see today. It’s wild to think that the most successful entertainment property in history started as a programming error.
Forget the Story, Focus on the Carnage
If you go back and play the original Grand Theft Auto now, you'll notice something immediately. There is almost no plot. You aren't a deep character with a tragic backstory. You’re just a nameless protagonist working for various syndicates in Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. Yes, even in 1997, all three iconic cities were already there.
You got your missions through payphones. The ringing sound would echo through the streets, and you’d have to scramble to answer it.
How the Score System Actually Worked
Most modern players don't realize that the first game was entirely based on points. You didn't "beat" the game by finishing a story; you beat it by hitting a specific dollar amount.
- You earned money by doing missions.
- You earned money by blowing up cars.
- You even earned money by running over "elvises"—groups of Elvis impersonators walking in a line.
But here’s the kicker: your "Multiplier" was everything. If you did a mission, your multiplier went up. If you died, it went down. This meant that the stakes were actually higher in 1997 than they are in GTA V. In the modern games, if you die, you just lose a little cash and respawn. In the original Grand Theft Auto, dying could mean your score multiplier reset, making it nearly impossible to reach the millions of dollars required to unlock the next city. It was brutal. It was arcade-hard.
The Controversy That Was (Mostly) Fake
We all know GTA is the king of controversy. But with the first game, the outrage was partially a marketing stunt. Max Clifford, a legendary (and often ethically questionable) publicist, was hired by the publishers, BMG Interactive. Clifford’s job wasn't to tell people the game was fun. It was to tell parents and politicians that the game was dangerous.
He planted stories in the British tabloids. He stoked the flames of "video game violence" before the game was even on shelves.
The House of Lords actually debated the game. It was banned in Brazil and parts of Korea. But in the UK and the US, all that pearl-clutching did exactly what Clifford wanted: it made every teenager on the planet want to buy it. It became a "forbidden fruit."
The irony? Compared to modern standards, the violence in the original Grand Theft Auto is tiny. You’re looking at it from a bird's-eye view. People are just little groups of red pixels when they die. But back then, the idea of being the "bad guy" was revolutionary. You weren't the hero saving the world; you were a lowlife stealing a "Squad car" and running from the law.
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Technical Limitations and the Top-Down View
Why was it top-down? It wasn't just an artistic choice. It was a hardware necessity. The PC and PlayStation 1 hardware of the time struggled to render a fully 3D city with multiple moving vehicles and pedestrians. By using a top-down "engine," DMA Design could cram way more "life" into the city.
The camera was dynamic, though. When you drove fast, the view would zoom out so you could see the road ahead. When you slowed down, it would zoom in tight on your character. It was dizzying for some, but it gave a sense of speed that other games lacked.
The Sound of the Streets
One thing the original Grand Theft Auto got right from day one was the music. Since the game was on a CD-ROM, the developers could put actual high-quality audio tracks on the disc. When you got into a car, the "radio" would play. These weren't licensed songs like Radio Ga Ga yet; they were original tracks written by the DMA internal team (like Craig Conner and Stuart Ross). They covered everything from hip-hop to heavy metal and techno.
It made the world feel lived-in. You weren't just driving in silence; you were part of a culture.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Map
There’s a common misconception that the first game was small. It really wasn't. While the graphics were simple, the maps for Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City were massive for 1997. You could drive for minutes in one direction without hitting a loading screen. That was a huge technical feat.
However, the cities were incredibly confusing. Without a GPS or an in-game mini-map (you only had a small arrow pointing toward your objective), you had to actually learn the streets. You had to remember where the "Pay 'n' Spray" was to lose your wanted level. If you got lost during a timed mission, you were toast.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why anyone should care about a chunky, 29-year-old game. It's simple: the DNA of the original Grand Theft Auto is still the blueprint for the entire "Open World" genre. Before this game, most titles were linear. You went from Level 1 to Level 2.
GTA told you: "Here is a city. Do whatever you want."
That freedom was intoxicating. It influenced everything from Spider-Man to Cyberpunk 2077. The idea that the player's agency is more important than the developer's script started here.
Also, it's worth noting the "London 1969" expansion pack. It was the first "Mission Pack" released on the PlayStation, and it remains the only time the series has left the United States. It featured "Mods" and "Rockers," and you drove on the left side of the road. It proved that the GTA formula could work in any setting, a lesson Rockstar has used to keep the series fresh for decades.
How to Experience It Today
If you want to go back to where it all began, don't expect a smooth ride. The controls use what we call "Tank Controls"—you press up to move forward in the direction you're facing, rather than just moving the stick where you want to go. It’s frustrating at first.
- PC Versions: You can find the original version on various abandonware sites, though getting it to run on Windows 11 or 12 requires some patches (look for the "SilentPatch").
- PlayStation: If you have an old PS1 or PS2, the original disc still holds up, though the frame rate is significantly lower than the PC version.
- Emulation: This is honestly the most stable way to play it now, allowing you to add save states—which you will need because, again, this game is hard.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're a fan of the modern series, do yourself a favor and watch a "Longplay" of the first level of the 1997 original. You'll see the origins of the "Wanted Level" stars, the hidden packages, and the dark humor. To really understand the leap the industry took, try to play for at least thirty minutes without using a guide. You'll quickly realize how much we rely on modern "hand-holding" in games. Once you've felt the frustration of getting lost in the 2D streets of Liberty City, you'll have a much deeper appreciation for the technical wizardry that goes into the modern sequels. The original Grand Theft Auto wasn't a perfect game, but it was a perfect experiment.