The game takes place at an undisclosed time in the near future. Unlike the first game which featured three different cities, Grand Theft Auto 2 only features a single town, but it's divided in three districts which are unlocked one at a time: downtown, residential and industrial. Like in the original the player goes around answering phones to initiate various missions. The game uses an overhead camera in a 3D landscape and allows the player to freely explore the city and steal any vehicle the player sets his or her eyes on. To unlock new districts the player must reach a certain score which is done by committing crimes and finishing missions.