PlayStation · 1997
Grand Theft Auto
The first Grand Theft Auto is a top-down open-world crime game set across three cities on the PlayStation.
- Publisher
- Rockstar Games
- Format
- CD-ROM
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Released
- 1997
01
Overview
You control a character in an open-world city with police pursuit mechanics, stealing cars and completing missions to earn points. The game features three cities: Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. The PlayStation release uses a memory card for saved progress and plays from a fixed overhead view.
02
Why it matters
This was the first Grand Theft Auto and established the series' core loop of open-world crime, vehicle theft, and escalating police response. Its three cities became recurring settings in later 3D entries.
03
The physical edition
A typical complete copy includes the jewel case, game disc, and instruction manual; regional packaging may also include city maps. Some European editions came with an additional soundtrack CD, but that was a limited variant, not part of the standard package.
04
Playing it today
The game runs on original PlayStation hardware with a standard controller and memory card. It is a short, focused experience that plays as described, with no modern input remapping or emulation-specific setup needed on the console itself.