Even before the Race 'n' Chase stage of GTA's formative development, there was a plan that would have fundamentally changed the make-up of Grant Theft Auto entirely, and probably cost a massive chunk of popularity. Everyone knows villains and naughtiness are invariably more appealing than being good and wholesome, and anti-heroes and flat-out villains are generally loved with a stronger passion than heroes. That's just science, and it's why GTA's licensed criminality is so enduringly popular. But, back in the early days, even before the game had a name, the plan was to flip the divide, and have the main character playing a cop chasing criminals in an open world setting. Fun, yes, and rewarding for the soul, but not as popular as a criminal running away, as the development team quickly recognised. Now, a good vs bad dynamic would work for a Batman like GTA game, but it's far more appealing to be the bad guy in GTA than the idea of being on the right side of the law.
