The original Grand Theft Auto reaches its 30th anniversary this year, and a former programmer has built a working prototype of its driving physics. Patrick Kerr recreated the 1996 simulation to show how the game handled movement before modern engines existed. This matters because it offers a rare look at the technical compromises that defined early open-world gaming.
Browser prototype reveals original game's rigid body dynamics
Kerr wrote the prototype in JavaScript so it runs directly in a web browser without installation. The code mimics the original game's rigid body dynamics and approximate tire behavior models. It serves as a functional archive of a time when full physics engines were not yet standard in video games.
The recreation includes three distinct modes that mirror the original game's experimental physics. One mode behaves like a standard car, another resembles a spaceship, and the third acts like a sliding brick. These variations highlight the trial-and-error process the original developers used to find a feel that worked.
Kerr described his original approach as a fairly educated guess that did not strictly follow real-world physics. He noted that the simplified model seemed good enough for the game's purposes at the time. The new browser version preserves this specific design philosophy for modern audiences.
Source: IXBT
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