Crime, mayhem and Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto 2

****

PC

Rockstar

$99.95, R18
Review: Peter Eley

Grand Theft Auto 2 glorifies robbery, carjacking and general mayhem. The aim is to carve out a niche as a respected gang member.

It's one of only a few games to carry an R18 rating, although this seems based more on the general anti-authority theme than the content. In terms of explicit violence, there are much worse games carrying less severe ratings.

It also taps a dark seam of humour which sometimes makes it hard to take crime seriously.

For example, the Hare Krishnas are one of the seven featured gangs. Their thing is to steal guns and cars, only to have them melted down in a quest for world peace.

Also, the manual stresses that crime doesn't pay - if you get caught. "If you are killed as a consequence of your immoral actions, you'll be taken to hospital where your body will be identified by no one."

Grand Theft Auto 2 isn't too different from the first version, although it has more depth and better graphics.

Required: Pentium 200, 32MB Ram, Direct 3D graphics card.