Sounds fun, eh? And indeed it is: besides the usual Grand Theft-style excitement, GTA2 also maintains a sense of story and strategy than the previous versions lacked. As you rise up through the ranks level by level and try to wrest control of the city, the jobs you find yourself on (bank heists, drugs smuggling, extreme terrorism) get more difficult, and you also get to find out just who's running the show...

You're provided with some decent firepower for your work, of course - flame-throwers and rocket launchers are just a couple of the goodies on offer. As for the game's engine, that seems pretty much unchanged, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Though just a bit slower, the collision detection, handling, sound effects and the remarkably detailed and genuinely interactive city all work beautifully well. In fact, it's a joy to joy ride in GTA2.

You could argue that it's not a particularly innovative game. Maybe, but it's still a jolly good laugh. Carefully crafted, big and sprawling and, more to the point, fun and exciting, GTA2 retains the best qualities of its predecessors, and its new gang warfare element improves upon and expands upon the original idea, giving the gameplay a little more depth. Those of you who have somehow managed to avoid the others in the series should definitely consider a purchase. For those who already have 'form', GTA2 offers enough havoc to make the possibility of coming out of retirement just one more time a serious option. Beware though: things have changed a bit since 'the old days'...