Grand Theft Auto is set in a huge city with three districts: downtown, residential, and industrial. The player must earn the respect of 7 different gangs as they demolish the town to make lots of cash. This game takes place in an undisclosed time in the near future.
The gameplay involves answering phones to initiate various missions, freely exploring the city, and stealing vehicles. To unlock new districts, the player must reach a certain score by committing crimes and finishing missions. However, this comes with risks: performing missions for one gang can decrease the player's reputation for another, and committing crimes will make the player wanted by the police.
The game features multiple criminal gangs, which means the player must choose allegiances. The player's actions also attract the attention of law enforcement, ranging from SWAT Teams to the army. New features include saving at the church when donating enough money and various side missions, such as becoming a taxi driver. The game also includes many new cars with attached weapons.
The GameBoy Color version allows the player to explore the city freely, while the PC version introduces time-of-day cycling for more moody lighting. In contrast, the PlayStation and Dreamcast versions are limited to playing at noon or dusk respectively.