Review
Upon setting foot on the moon, legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong said of the event, "It's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." While a statement of this caliber is perhaps unfitting for a videogame, consider the impact Grand Theft Auto had on the gaming industry. It raised the eyebrows of senators and censors across the board -- never before had a game featured such vulgar language and "irresponsible" gameplay (stealing cars and killing gang members).
Now it has a sequel, and it is good.
Grand Theft Auto 2 features a believable gaming world allowing players to become immersed in the action; it is a world with foul street language, rival gang members, police officers thirsty for your arrest, mass carnage, and lots of cars to steal. The latter part of that statement has been made possible because of the continuous collapse of the city.
That's what happens when the government/police cannot control it's citizens, gangs control the streets as a means of anarchy. There are six gangs in all including Yazuka, the Rednecks, the Russians, Hare Krishnas, SRS, and the Loonies, not to mention a major corporation called Zaibatsu. This corporation isn't a normal gang, however; while it's a legitimate business, they ruthlessly pursue the complete domination of everything and everyone. With a city spiraling into the depths of chaos, the common criminal has never had so much opportunity.
Every criminal needs a fresh pair of wheels -- how else is he supposed to reach his destination? By walking? Of course not! After "acquiring" a vehicle to your liking, it is the player's mission to reach a payphone and receive a job from one of the six different gang leaders. By accepting and successfully completing missions, that gang will have more respect for you while other gangs will more than likely take it as an offense. Screwing around with certain gang members by not accepting their jobs isn't recommended. Respect is very important; without it, you'll be attacked when in that gang's territory and the opportunity for jobs will be non-existent.
Before you start worrying as to how you're going to juggle one gang's respect over another with seven to choose from, keep in mind that you'll only be dealing with three at a time. Only certain gangs will offer jobs at certain times, they never offer all at once. The gangs also hate each other in a circular fashion allowing the player to gain respect by accepting jobs and killing opposing gang members. Players can then accept a job with that rival gang and turn on the gang you just worked for. It's a bit like government politics!
Each job ranges from an easy, medium, to hard difficulty rating. Whereas one job may require minimal challenges (picking someone up and dropping them off at a certain location), others may involve a multitude of instructions. Needless to say, you'll need to pay close attention. If you fail the job, the gang will more than likely be ticked off rather than happy.
Because enemy gangs are constantly looking for your blood, you are provided with a few different weapons...but I swear officer, it was self-defense! The arsenal includes a variety of pistols, machine guns, rocket launchers, and Molotov Cocktails with a few additional goodies at your disposal. Keep in mind that ammunition is limited and scarce, so use your weapons wisely.
When the player assassinates any number of people, the Killing Frenzy kicks in. The Killing Frenzy is an edge-of-your-seat bloodfest in which the player has a set amount of time to kill or destroy as many people/objects as they can. Succession will throw the cops off your trail; they'll assume you've disappeared and quit looking for you. Fail and the cops will continue to look and eventually either arrest or kill you.
Speaking of cops, they'll more or less leave you alone until you've committed a crime. When they realize you're up to no good, a cop's head appears at the top of the screen; this icon means they're on alert and trying to find you. After locating you and your stolen vehicle, a car chase ensues with one of two potential outcomes: your arrest or outsmarting the police. Being arrested is as good as dying -- try to avoid it. Rarely can the cops be outrun through busy city streets; getting out of your vehicle can be a dangerous decision, but it is much easier to escape by foot.
Depending on how many laws you're breaking, the number of cop-head icons will increase. Get over four and they'll begin setting up heavy roadblocks on many different roads. While this can be fun at first, after a while it becomes irritating. When you've got a job to do, and no means in which to do it in, you must start over.
With this slight irritation, Grand Theft Auto 2 is a brilliant delight, offering gruesome pleasure in a new kind of way. Though it is rooted within the original's origins, it offers up a new dimension of gaming that can be appreciated by those looking for something different. It will not, however, be appreciated by the concerned parents of young children.
Graphics 
Since the action is observed from overhead, this doesn't allow for extensive detail of the characters involved in the story. Where the graphics do succeed is in adding a definitive difference between each gang's territory. From the colors to the types of buildings therein you can tell, consistently, where you are and where you will be, dependent on the direction you are headed. In addition, the cars each have their own look that sometimes mirrors that of a car in our real-life automotive industry. This little feature has a minor bit of appeal in and of itself.
Sound
The sound was so well done on certain missions it was the sound alone that had my heart racing. When the cops are on your tail and you can hear them on your scanner talking about your location and you are but a few blocks from completing the mission, I almost forgot that this was just a game. The radio feature that allows you to listen to several completely different stations while driving is a nice touch as well.
Enjoyment
Adding the ability to burp, fart and punch your way through mainstream society is one way to make a game interesting. With the heart-pounding action already inherent to completing certain jobs, this adds a boyish quality to the whole business that makes putting your controller down that much more difficult.
Replay Value
The mission vary from level to level and you need not play every single mission to advance to the next one. That being so you can play different missions every time you start over.
Documentation
The documentation is a smooth intro into the world of Grand Theft Auto 2 where respect is everything. Information about all the rival gangs punctuates your indoctrination into a city where crime is the most profitable industry and life is cheaper than ever.
