As GTA 6's release approaches, a retrospective examines the franchise's less celebrated 2D entries, particularly GTA 2. The article traces how early GTA titles took a lighter, more satirical approach to game design compared to the more serious direction the series adopted after transitioning to three dimensions. The protagonist Claude Speed and the game's deliberately ambiguous narrative setup exemplified a willingness to avoid heavy storytelling.

GTA 2 incorporated inventive systems and details that combined humour with gameplay—a faction-based respect mechanic that allowed for strategic choice, and churches serving as save points with witty transitions from 'JESUS SAVES' to 'U SAVE' depending on the player's cash reserves. The top-down perspective made combat deliberately challenging, reinforcing consequences for criminal actions. The author expresses scepticism that contemporary Rockstar Games will reconsider these design principles moving forward.