It's hard to believe that the top-down crime simulator that started the entire Grand Theft Auto franchise came out way back in 1997. What's even more difficult to imagine is that the game responsible for everything related to GTA (including this site) is near-impossible to play on modern platforms. It's been essentially unplayable on modern computers for years. Not because it doesn't exist on Steam, either.

It technically does, you just can't buy it, and even if you could it wouldn't work properly. Rockstar Games pulled it from sale over a decade ago and never looked back, while the sequel is nowhere to be seen. Of course, we're talking about the platform that is the home of emulation, media preservation and modding - so it was up to fans to do what Rockstar would not, and they've come through big time.

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Created by modder LukeStorm, the emulated version called GTA Ready2Play packages the entire game into a portable, plug-and-play experience that runs flawlessly on modern Windows systems, as well as the Steam Deck. No installation hassles, no compatibility tweaks, no pulling your hair out trying to get 1997-era DirectDraw to cooperate with Windows 11. Just double-click and play.

LukeStorm considers the project essentially complete now. Future updates will only come if there's a genuine need for additional compatibility fixes or stability improvements.

Rockstar used to offer GTA as a free download through their Rockstar Classics service alongside Grand Theft Auto 2 and Wild Metal. That service quietly disappeared years ago with no explanation. The game is still listed on Steam, but clicking the store page reveals no purchase option. As a result, fans desperate for nostalgia have been stuck with unreliable emulators, half-working modifications, and forum threads full of contradictory advice.

Perhaps it's this conundrum that led to LukeStorm being the unlikely savior of retro GTA fans. What started as a personal project became something so much bigger. Apparently, the modder simply wanted to play the Windows version of GTA without dealing with classic installation procedures or compatibility headaches. For a long time, they weren't even sure if they'd release it publicly.

The mod came with its fair share of challenges. The game had audio crashes that needed fixing. Menu sounds would disappear completely when players skipped the intro. The old DirectDraw graphics system was completely incompatible with modern Windows. Each problem required careful attention to solve without breaking something else in the process.

LukeStorm didn't work alone. Another modder named FunkyFr3sh stepped in to help update the DirectDraw wrapper. Together, they tackled issue after issue, creating patches and fixes that preserved the original experience while making it actually playable. Thanks to their collaboration, now the Ready2Play package includes everything fans could want.

The base game is there in its full glory, alongside both expansion packs, Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961. Players can choose from multiple language options, enable widescreen support for modern monitors, and toggle various enhancements through a custom launcher that looks professionally made. Every fix and improvement comes with a toggle to turn on or off, allowing purists to experience the game exactly as it was in 1997 if they choose.

This success story stands in stark contrast to Rockstar's official GTA remasters attempts. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition launched in November 2021 to widespread criticism for its graphical downgrades, bugs, and missing features. It took months of patches to make the remaster even functional, and many fans still consider the original versions superior. Meanwhile, Rockstar has shown zero interest in officially re-releasing the 1997 original, despite the franchise having sold over 465 million copies globally and GTA V alone becoming the second-best-selling video game of all time.

A game from 1997, abandoned by its publisher and left to die in obsolescence, lives again thanks to the passion of one modder who simply wanted to play it without hassle.

Ultimately, Ready2Play succeeds by doing one thing perfectly: making an old game work exactly as it should on new hardware. No unnecessary bells and whistles, no controversial changes that miss the original's charm, just pure compatibility and convenience. It's what Rockstar could have done officially years ago but chose not to. For anyone who remembers the thrill of those first overhead car chases and pixelated crime sprees through Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas in their original top-down forms, or for newcomers curious about where the Grand Theft Auto phenomenon began, the wait is finally over.

The original GTA is back, it works perfectly, and it's ready to play. At least, until Take-Two Interactive decides that it wants to take down this mod because, why not, right?