GTA IV

[Daft]

http://www.shopto.net//page.php?page=dettagli&codart=XB2GT01LE

 

Bargain!

[LukeLee]

i quite like most of the gta games, but gotta admit this one isn't standing out yet. It should be better graphically and they should give us some information on improvements they've made.

[Goron_3]

Anybody who says Crackdown has more replay value then GTA needs to put the Crack Down!

 

I actually 'lol'ed at that. Can't believe I didnt think of that first.

[nintendo_guy]

It is a minor jump, compared to say the models in Gears or even Crackdown. i'm not saying it's not an improvement, just not as significant and it should've been.

 

The characters? That's the minor jump?! You can't be serious. It's the CITY that I've been disappointed with. Compared to San Andreas or Vice City, Liberty City is not that much of a beauty. Why'd they decide to keep it?

[theguyfromspark]

They'd better improve the actual gameplay this time, if I have to replay the last 30 minutes of a mission because some tit decided to drive into me while i was walking on the pavement the game is going in the bin.

[Dante]

New infomation:

 

* McReary, the character we learned about in GamesTM, is a corrupt cop. He has "dirt on Niko's past." The mission they previewed is called "Call and Collect."

* Little Jacob (a caribbean arms dealer) is a good friend of Niko's cousin. When you buy weapons from him (which are kept in his trunk) you can scroll through them like you did in Ammu-Nation in the previous GTA games.

* Rotterdam Hill (the place where Niko agrees to meet Jacob) is in Alderney - the GTA IV equivalent of New Jersey.

* Niko kills Goldberg (the shady lawyer) because he owes a favour to somebody.

* Rockstar showed the sequence where he kills Goldberg twice. The first time he fell out of the window, the second time he merely crumpled on the floor.

* When purchasing clothes, you have to choose the items from the shelf individually.

* Determining which figures you need to kill requires perception - there are no arrowheads to direct you like in the previous games.

* Once you gain a wanted-level, the map flashes with circles of blue and red, with each circle representing the line of sight of the police chase. The circles differ in size depending on your wanted-level.

* The default camera view when driving rests around the left-hand side of the car above the road.

* Multiplayer is accessed via your mobile phone.

* The combat rests somewhere between Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War in terms of style, allowing you to roll, find protection and blind-fire from behind cover.

* Shooting different parts of the body has different impacts (e.g shoot a security guard in the foot at the top of the stairs, and he'll come tumbling down.)

* In GTA IV you have to develop relationships with other characters. Your relationship with Little Jacob, for example, is maintained through phone calls and loyalty. Developing good relationships with different characters can provide different rewards.

 

New scans

[Mikey]

Fuck it, I'm pre ordering it. Can't wait for this shit.

[Dante]

New Infomation:

 

- Star Junction is the GTA name for Times Square

 

- Little Jacob is a Caribbean arms dealer and an associate of Niko Bellic that helps him get armed with weaponry.

 

- Niko will have the ability to hail a taxi in the game.

 

- A place called Rotterdam Hill is mentioned in the preview.

 

- The trip skip feature can be used here to skip the long cab ride to the location.

 

- A law film called Goldberg, Ligner and Shyster is in the game.

 

- Niko enters an internet cafe and uploads his CV (curriculum vitæ), also known as a résumé, to get an interview with and to kill Goldberg. Niko goes to the Tw@ Cafe, a place that was originally in GTA III. The magazine says that "GTA IV's web is accessible from any computer in the game, and provides a hub for all sorts of interactivity within Liberty City. The extent of GTA IV's World Wide Web use is still being kept under wraps, but we're promised that it's huge, and very, very important."

 

- Niko receives a phone call after he sends his CV.

 

- A place called Castle Gardens is where Niko goes to see a person named McReary. The place is a "coast-side hangout overlooking The Statue of Happiness."

 

- Niko knows about where a man he has to kill is standing, but in order to make sure, he calls the man and sees who gets a phone out. He identifies the person and kills him.

 

- In terms of wanted level and police artificial intelligence, "any crime you commit will give you a wanted level." However, "instead of the cops just screaming to your position, the star rating you're 'awarded' translates to a visible search area on the radar. If you manage to escape the circular search area then your wanted level will flash and disappear. If you're spotted, though, the center of the circle changes to your position, and you have to start again."

 

- "In GTA IV, every single street is named (as opposed to just the districts), and the police use this information to track down criminals. If you're spotted on Star Junction in a Comet, for example, you'll hear it on the police radio. Escape the police's line of sight, however, and the ball's suddenly in your court."

 

- A store called Perseus is a new clothing retailer in the GTA world that, in the preview, sold Niko a suit and shoes.

 

 

The mobile phone can be used to gain weapons. In the demo that GamesTM saw, Niko calls his associate Little Jacob, who is a caribbean arms dealer. No more Ammu-Nation it seems. After a brief chat with Jacob, he tells Niko to meet him in an alleyway in Rotterdam Hill, where he purchases the weapons from him.

 

Niko can use taxis to get around (presumably he can use the phone to call a taxi). The police are much more vigilant in GTA IV, and sometimes it is less hassle using a taxi than jacking someone's car. The trip-skip option is available for convenience.

 

In the demo, Niko recieves a call concerning "shady lawyer" Goldberg, of Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster (GLS). Niko can use the internet in GTA4. He heads over to an internet café called the "Tw@ Café," and hops onto a PC before surfing. He uploads his CV to the GLS website so he can get an interview - before killing Goldberg. He receives a phonecall confirming the time of his interview. The web is available from any computer in the game, and provides a hub for all sorts of interactivity within Liberty City.

 

Missions in GTA IV can be interrupted. The interview isn't until tomorrow, which means you can carry out other business until then. This suggests you can be do several missions at the same time, and missions can take place over several days, perhaps.

 

Next in the demo, Niko pays a visit to somebody called McReary, at Castle Gardens, a coast-side hangout overlooking the Statue of Hapiness. McReary has had a memory stick stolen from him which contains sensitive data, and he wants Niko to retrieve it for him. He takes another cab to the meeting point, where the target is standing amongst a crowd of people. The problem is he doesn't know which one it is, so he gives him a call to see which one picks up their phone. Niko shoots the target three times in the back of the head, before taking the memory stick and making a run for it. He gains a three-star wanted level as a result.

 

Committing crimes isn't as easy in GTA IV. You gain a wanted level for every crime you commit, aslong as there are witnesses present. Once you have gained a wanted level, a visible (circular) search area appears on the radar, and if you escape this area without being spotted, your wanted level will flash and disappear. If you are spotted, however, the search area's position changes, and centers on where you were last spotted. So unlike previous GTA games, the police don't always know where you are. They can't catch you unless they find you first. It was confirmed previously that in GTA IV every street will be named, and this is what cops use to communicate when they are tracking you down. There are no Pay N' Spray's to save you this time, unfortunately.

 

Before heading off to the interview, Niko goes to a menswear store called Perseus. After spending $2,000 on a new suit and shoes, his phone alarm sounds and he begins his journey to the GLS offices for his interview. He speaks to the receptionist from outside the building via intercom, before making his way into the building. He enters Goldeberg's office and puts a bullet in his head, which causes his secretary to trigger the alarm. Niko must beat security guards and police in order to get out of the building. Bullets rain down on him, and there's a police chopper waiting outside. It seems as though the more bullets he takes, the more damage he takes, and hence he becomes less able to fight. The damage is visible.

[Dante]

New scans

 

New info

 

- There will be no Ammu Nation shops anymore.

 

- The girl with the lollipop is called Lola. It seems that she is a prostitute, but no further information is given about her.

 

- If you take a cab you can mark any point on the map in order to arrive there. There are even special options: If you have have hunger, you will be driven to the next fast food restaurant. If you're hurt you'll be driven to the hospital.

 

- If the police searches you, you won't find a cab that will transport you.

 

- The camera is now positioned lower and more left when you sit in a car. According to Rockstar this gives a more realistic feeling. But there are still different camera settings.

 

- If you're in a mission, the map not only shows a symbol, but even a line with the best route.

 

- You can walk, run or sprint. Latter will make you exhausted after a while.

 

- In the mission where you have to kill the Lawyer Mr. Goldberg there is a dialogue between him and Niko (after Niko pulled out his gun). Goldberg says: "I don't fear guns. You know, guns don't kill people - Videogames kill people." (Hello Jack )

 

- The following shootout with the police is one of the best ever in a GTA-game according to the magazine. You have to cover and shoot while things fly through the room from the bullets. One policeman even fell down the escalator when they shoot him in the knee.

[Cube]

If you have have hunger

 

One reason not to buy the game.

 

- If you're in a mission, the map not only shows a symbol, but even a line with the best route.

 

One of the few good things was finding out the best route yourself....I'd rather find my own way to a dot than just follow a line.

[Slaggis]

You get hungry like in the last one? Argh! That sucks. GTA is not meant to be an effing sim is it?

[AshMat]

Hunger mgiht be a bit of a bad thing, but i like the idea of the best route to take you pacles. Also the cab system sounds good.

[Slaggis]

I just saw in one of those earlier scans it said "the driving model has been altered to give the cars more weight".

 

Nooooooooooo! That was the best thing about GTA, the arcade driving, totally unrealistic.

 

Damn rockstar.

[Guest Stefkov]

- You can walk, run or sprint. Latter will make you exhausted after a while.

In gta 3 when you pressed the sprint button you looked exhausted. But if you kept tapping it you wouldn't look it.

I hope they stick the flying cheat back in, and the tanks. Shooting backwards from a tank with the flying cheat is the best flight experience I've had in a game.

[Dante]

GTA IV Preview on IGN

 

After waiting for years for the true sequel to one of the most influential games of the past decade, Grand Theft Auto III, we finally got a taste of the future about two months ago. Rockstar Games headed towards the West Coast (a.k.a. the Best Coast) with a very special parcel in tow - a build of Grand Theft Auto IV. While what we saw then was certainly impressive, the presentation parlayed to us was nothing short of a teaser. We never even saw a gun.

 

This time though, things were different. Rockstar recently gave us a double-dipped walkthrough of about 45 minutes of play time, once without commentary or explanation so that we could just take it all in, and then a second time with a full presentation to clue us in to all of the details. Though we've all played countless hours of the GTAIII trilogy, this second time through was necessary simply because of the amount of stuff thrown in here.

 

Our demo began with Niko Bellic standing at the ready in Star Junction, Rockstar's version of Times Square. The area is filled with neon signs and glowing billboards which blanket buildings that stretch toward the sky. People scurry everywhere, doing whatever it is they do between jobs, drinks and sleep in Star Junction.

 

 

We predict sightseeing will take up many, many hours of our play time.

After looking around a bit to allow us to take in the rather impressive sights, Niko takes a short stroll over to a nearby hot dog vendor, hands over some cash and chows down on a dog. With his stomach full, he whistles for a cab, hops in and takes a ride.

 

Indeed, as immersive and open as past cities in the Grand Theft Auto games have been, none are more alive, realistic and seemingly involving than the Liberty City you'll find in GTAIV. Pedestrians perform all manners of activities while walking around. From smoking to reading to eating to dialing phones while not paying attention to where they're going, they seem much more alive than ever before.

 

Cabs aren't only for use after failed missions but can be hailed at any time by whistling. If one is nearby and without a passenger, he may pull over and pick you up. After you've taken a seat and told him where to go, be it a mission point or any place you've chosen on the map, you can sit in the back and watch the city go by. A quick press of a button will skip the journey and get you right to your destination, but there's something calming about sitting in the back of a cab in virtual traffic.

 

While cruising the streets you'll notice that not only every major section but every street in the game has its own name. While this may wind up helping the directionally-talented figure out how to get from place-to-place more easily, it also gives life to the city and brings about a feeling of history and time to Liberty City. In other words, the idea is to make sure it doesn't seem like the city only exists when you turn the game on.

 

While an engaging and immersive city certainly helps draw you in and keep you hooked, a Grand Theft Auto game wouldn't be the same without a healthy dose of violence...

 

The two missions we witnessed were centered around a character named Francis McReary, a corrupt cop who winds up with some rather incriminating evidence pointed his way. But what government worker would be worth their salt without dirt on someone else? Alas, our poor Niko is talked into taking on a few missions to make sure McReary stays clear of his business - "You look out for me, and I won't look out for you", as McReary puts it with a smug look on his face.

 

 

As often as you'll use your cell, it's a good thing there aren't phone bills in GTAIV.

Niko has two targets, each with their own handfuls of evidence. One is a high-priced lawyer from the firm of Goldberg, Ligner and Shyster; the other, a blackmailing thief. In order to get into the law firm, Niko heads to the closest Internet cafe, hops online and submits a slightly-exaggerated resume in order to land a one-on-one interview.

 

Indeed, the Internet is accessible all over Liberty City, and you'll be able to get online at any working computer that you find. While you're contained within the realm of the game's Internet (you can't surf IGN in other words), you'll be able to browse various sites at your leisure, send email, use online dating services and more (we'll get back to the dating part in a bit).

 

Once Niko has his resume sent off it'll usually take a couple days to hear from the office for a one-on-one, but for demo purposes Goldberg's secretary calls back almost immediately and an interview time is set. Instead of simply sitting around a waiting for time to pass, Niko turns his attention to target numero dos, the blackmailing thief.

 

The thief is scheduled to meet McReary near a park at a lookout spot in order to exchange a suitcase of cash for a memory stick with some incriminating photos. Neither McReary nor Niko knows what the thief looks like, which is where a bit of investigative phone calling comes into play. Once Niko is at the spot and in position to see everyone in the area, he calls the thief's cell phone. Scanning the crowd and picking out someone who may be on the other end of the phone, Niko keeps him talking while he gets closer, then hangs up to see if his potential target follows suit. He does and confirms his identity, so Niko quickly pulls a gun and fires two shots into his face.

 

The first killing we witness in GTAIV is a brutal one, and it's quickly evident that the game's violence matches its more realistic look. Shots ring out from Niko's handgun like claps of thunder and startle everyone in the area. The thief's head kicks back oddly when hit as his body goes numb, quickly slouching to the ground. His death isn't as brutal as those that we'd seen in another recent Rockstar title, but it's certainly not as cartoony as what you would find in the last three GTA titles.

 

 

Whoever was holding the camera is now dead.

With people scattering everywhere, Niko grabs the evidence, puts away his weapon and heads off to find an escape. Jumping into the nearest vehicle, he speeds away as cops flock to the scene. Unlike previous GTA games where you simply must stay hidden for a bit to escape, you must now flee the scene and get outside of the cops' search radius.

 

Based on the severity of the crime(s), the police will search a circular area of a given radius. Every time you're spotted, the search area re-centers on your location and you have to go that much further to finally get away. Switching cars and such helps in that while you'll still have to exit the search zone in order to rid yourself of wanted stars (of which there still appears to be six), the cops will have a harder time recognizing you and you'll be more likely to drive past them.

 

Once free, Niko buys some time before his interview by picking up some new threads. Gone are a number of the expansive customization options from San Andreas, like the ability to gain and lose weight (that compromises the physics interactions) or wear a pink wig. Instead, your options here are more grounded in order to make Niko and the overall experience feel more realistic.

 

Inside a high-end men's clothing store called Perseus, Niko slips on a chocolate suit and some new shoes in order to pass for an up-and-coming, fire-talking lawyer. His phone goes off and alerts him that it's time for the interview, and he's off.

 

 

Welcome to the new Liberty City.

Ringing the front buzzer, Niko tells the secretary that he's there for his interview. After being buzzed in, he's escorted into Goldberg's office and sits down across from him on the other side of his desk. Our anti-hero calmly takes in the opening sections of the interview and lets things settle before standing up, brandishing his weapon and, surprisingly, impressing the lawyer with his "go get 'em" attitude. Though the interview seemed to be going well even after pulling a weapon, Niko isn't in need of a job and points his weapon at the lawyer and demands the evidence against McReary. After learning that it's right there on the edge of his desk, Niko fires off a couple shots into the lawyer's chest and sends him hurling through his office window.

 

Heading back towards the main lobby to get outside again, Niko quickly runs into a series of guards and must trade bullets for survival. Here's where we get clear looks at two new elements of combat for the series - the ability to freely aim and the cover system.

 

While you're still able to use a lock-on targeting system in some manner (which Rockstar is waiting until later to fully unveil), free-aiming will allow you to shoot anywhere your heart desires, much like you might find in a third-person shooter such as Max Payne. While it should certainly cut down on problems like having the game aim at inappropriate targets or swinging the camera wildly, it also allows you to hone in shots at people who are taking cover but are still partially visible. Unlike the free-aim weapons of GTAs in the past, such as the sniper rifle or rocket launcher, you're still in a third-person view and, from the looks of it, are able to move and aim simultaneously.

 

The ability to take cover is brand-new to the genre and looks to change shootouts entirely. Instead of running around wildly while firing off clip after clip, taking cover means that you can calm down, wait for an opening and take more opportune shots. We're told that you'll be able to take cover behind anything that would make sense, though most of these objects won't last long as most cover is destructible and can be chipped away with bullets.

 

The new gunplay mechanics are big and obvious changes, but the franchise has a whole lot of small tweaks and additions to be found as well. In fact, it looks like every element of the franchise has been reworked in some fashion. For example, you'll no longer be able to stroll into your local Ammunation to pick up weapons and ammo. Instead, once you've befriended him you'll call up a guns dealer by the name of Little Jacob and purchase weapons from him out of the trunk of his car. This is both more realistic and a big time saver as you won't have to drive half-way across the map just to load up on weapons before a big mission.

 

 

Guns are a fashion statement in Liberty City.

Speaking of calling people, your phone is an important part of the overall experience as it not only allows you to call people for missions instead of having to go and meet them like an errand boy, but it also lets you check your email, keep a list of contacts, take pictures with its camera and remind you of events via its calendar, like your interview at the law firm.

 

Calling people won't be used solely for getting missions. Relationships will play a part in your progression, like who you'll work with and who will be able to help you out (like Little Jacob). You can choose to use an online dating service to find a lady friend, or hang out at the local pool hall to pick up some new buddies. Rockstar is being a little cryptic on how deep this relationship system goes for the moment, but it's clear that it's a very important part of the overall experience.

 

A number of other small, but important tweaks, are to be found. Food and rest will be your sole means of health recovery this time around as heart containers are a thing of the past (link to the past?). The map and its functionality is a work-in-progress, but it currently features GPS tracking that shows you not only your destination but the quickest route to get there.

 

And lastly, the camera has been tightened a fair bit. The default on-foot camera is a little closer to you and lower than before, giving you a bigger and more expansive view of the environment. Likewise, the driving camera is much closer and lower, though it's also set off to the left side a little bit in order to allow you to see straight ahead a little more. Whether or not the view will impact your overall or especially right-side vision at all remains to be seen, but other camera options will always be at your disposal if you don't like it.

 

The one last piece of the game that we've seen (or rather, heard) is the soundtrack. Unfortunately, licensing is still in progress so none of the music that we've heard can be confirmed as final, but what's in there now is very, very good. If it's indicative of what we'll see in the final game, expect to find a soundtrack that's a little more off-the-wall than previous games, but one that seems to fit the atmosphere and mood of its surroundings better. So though it might not wind up having the most hits, if the final track list is anything like what we've heard, it could wind up being the best yet.

 

 

Where we're going, we don't need roads.

Chris Roper's Impressions

After having finally seen actual, core gameplay from Grand Theft Auto IV, I can safely say that it looks like Rockstar is delivering on my hopes. There are enough changes to things like travel, mission structure and, most importantly, the action that should make it worthy of the moniker jump from III to IV. Will all of these things work perfectly? I have no idea. But I know Rockstar is trying its damnedest, and most every new addition it's added to the series in the past has worked wonderfully, so I have confidence it'll be the same here.

 

The cover system is certainly a nice edition, and hopefully it winds up controlling well. It was a little hard to tell from the demo just how well it worked, but it could prove to really heighten the battles in the game. The shootout that we saw as Niko exited the law firm reminded me a little bit of the shootout in Heat, which is saying a lot.

 

The world looks fantastic, and I can't wait to hop in a car or on a bike and just drive around and see the sites. As much as I want to jump into the game and get the story progressing so that I can gain access to better weapons and whatnot, I'm going to have a hard time keeping myself from just exploring for hours on end like a tourist. I just hope there are as many insane stunt jumps as we've seen in the previous games.

 

My only concern at this point is how well the game will wind up running when it's finished. Rockstar has always tried to push consoles to their maximum with every release, and it looks to very much be doing so again with Grand Theft Auto IV. The demo ran well when Niko was alone and wandering, but during shootouts it slowed down quite a bit. The Rockstar reps on hand seemed confident that everything would be fine in the end, and I really, really doubt the company would release anything that wasn't as polished as possible, so hopefully everything will run smooth and peachy when we have it in our hands.

 

We have less than three months before we find out first-hand, and I can't wait.

 

Hil's Impressions

Grand Theft Auto fans are in for a shock. This is not your typical GTA game. It's not over-the-top and it's no filled with sly movie references. That isn't to say GTA IV won't have moments of the ridiculous. During our demo, we saw that Rockstar's sense of humor remained intact, despite having a game more grounded in reality. In the span of an hour, I must have laughed at least a half dozen times. But more impressive, was that I actually gasped in shock.

 

And what was it that could get an old, jaded GTA player like myself to be surprised? Believe it or not, it was when Niko pulled out a pistol in public and shot a guy in the face. No, his head didn't explode as if Gallagher had smashed into a watermelon. That single act was jarring. And that kind of reaction is exactly what Rockstar wants. What was one a casual public killing suddenly has some weight to it. Much of that is due to the fact that the replica of New York Rockstar has created is as real and as believable a city as any I have ever seen in a videogame.

 

 

Road rage at its finest.

There are potholes on the street, weed poking up between the cracks in the sidewalk, and pedestrians that don't look like cardboard cut-outs. The buildings have age to them. That's one thing many who recreate New York (even if it is given a different name) fail to get right. This is an old city outside of the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan. The streets and buildings of New York have a history to them. And Rockstar has -- at least from what I've seen so far -- managed to infuse that sense of age into Liberty City.

 

The special attention paid to the physics also adds to that sense of reality. Niko has some weight to him. He shifts as he walks. He appears much more substantial than CJ or past GTA stars. And that cars, wow, the cars have suspension. You can see the weight distribution shift to one side on a turn. It's impressive little details like this that really brought Liberty City to life for me. For the first time, I can see a GTA game as something other than a giant arcade world.

 

Of course, it wouldn't be Grand Theft Auto without some violence and the threat of the police. All of the realism I spoke about works to create new tension in combat. Niko can take true cover behind pretty much anything. And the moment I saw him blindfire, I knew GTA IV would give me things no other Rockstar game has. The final fight to escape the cops is intense. And yes, there's still lots of bullets, tons of death, and plenty of mayhem. But it seems a more visceral experience. It's almost like past GTA's kept you pulled back from the violence, as if you were some puppeteer controlling the action. Now it's as if Rockstar has brought us to the ground level and ever time Niko's gun fires, we're the one's pulling the trigger.

 

 

Always watch your back. Except when people are in front of you.

One thing Rockstar did not show, was the possibility of a rooftop escape. Fences and other obstacles can be climbed. So conceivably, you could run into a back alley and try to find an unexpected avenue for escape. The new line-of-sight system sounds promising, but it's definitely something we need to see more of (and to fiddle around with) to see if it truly pays off.

 

I won't lie, I got bored halfway through GTA: San Andreas and gave up. From what I've seen of GTA IV, it has a better balance between action, story, and exploration. Will that make it the best GTA yet? I'd imagine that will require several dozen hours of hands-on time to determine. In other words, I'll find out October 16, just like the rest of you. But after seeing the extended demo of GTA IV, that's a date now circled on my calendar.

 

Matt Wales' UK Take

Hello there, loyal IGN reader. I have a shocking secret I wish to impart on your visual ears: I don't particularly like the Grand Theft Auto series. Call me funny, but I've never yearned to be a scheming crime lord. Cars are merely a convenient means of getting from place to place in my world and endlessly bouncing around a juddering, blurry shoebox style city never really screamed fun. Likewise, my capacity for entirely broken fighting mechanics is limited at best. Sure, I can appreciate Rockstar's searing sense of humour that positively crackles through the GTA series - and I've always wanted to run someone over with a golf cart - but beyond that, well, I've always found the whole thing a bit tedious.

 

So, imagine my surprise when Rockstar unveiled its first Philip Glass underscored GTA IV trailer and the sheer majesty of its revitalized Liberty City absolutely blew me away. Here's a series I've managed to muster up something approximating casual disinterest for over the last couple of years and, suddenly, I'd quite happily beat my grandmother to death if someone told me there was a finished copy of the game hidden in her colostomy bag. Of course, a cannily edited slideshow of pretty vistas only takes you so far so, it was with some degree of trepidation that I attended Rockstar's most recent GTA IV gameplay demo.

 

 

Niko prepares for another shootout.

How to say: first impressions weren't exactly stellar. But that's because I'm both cynical and entirely superficial. Let's get this out of the way now because it's the least fair criticism I have to make. Visually, GTA IV's a shocker at the moment - sluggish, spasmodic frame rates, horrendous pop-up and bland interiors all brought back uncomfortable memories of Rockstar's previous insistence on pushing its PS2 engine much harder than it should feasibly be pushed. That said, when stationary, the game looks absolutely beautiful, with massive amounts of detail, impeccable modeling and some simply gorgeous lighting effects and texturing - all amounting to degrees of life we've yet seen in a videogame. Admittedly though, any technical complaints are pretty mute at this point in development - the demo build we saw is weeks old by now and Rockstar is adamant that engine wrinkles will be completely ironed out come release.

 

Trouble is, there's such promise instilled in GTA IV that you simply don't want to consider the possibility that presentation flaws might serve to bring you out of the experience. For instance, Rockstar's refined combat engine looks to lay the more awkward aspects of previous titles to rest for good - which is no bad thing considering how crucial fighting's always been to the GTA universe. Not only does the use and abuse of cover make its long-overdue debut, but neat touches like the ability to duck behind a desk, firing blindly over the top with your pistol, finally seem to be bringing the action element of GTA into the realms of the sort of Hollywood spectacle the series has always strived for.

 

Similarly, the refined Wanted system makes for a far more sensible, and strategic, form of retribution for your crimes. No longer are police chases a ridiculous lunge for the nearest paintshop - instead, observation is key as you play a dangerous game of cat and mouse, listening out for police officers announcing their whereabouts on the city streets and staying firmly out of their line of sight, lest your new position is radioed ahead, placing you right back in the fray.

 

 

Signs, signs, everywhere signs.

That said, these are all much-needed refinements for perennially wonky aspects of the series and we're hardly going to congratulate Rockstar on achieving something that should have been fixed a long time ago. Instead, what've really made me stand up and take notice of GTA IV are the features Rockstar is only hinting at right now, but which have the potential to make for a completely new experience. We know that relationships will play a big role in the game and simple touches like when you choose to answer your phone will make all the difference - for instance, when it comes to the jobs your given and your standing in people's eyes. Likewise, with a much more freeform missions structure - enabling you to participate in numerous jobs at once - it's possible your choices will have a genuine impact on the world. For instance, what happens if you choose to skip your interview appointment in favour of something else? Where does the story go if you let McReary's blackmailer off the hook instead of shooting him in the face?

 

Part of my general GTA malaise comes from the nagging sense that Rockstar has been too happy resting on its laurels when it came to its colossus franchise behemoth. However, for all the questions still left unanswered, the sheer ambition and potential embodied in Grand Theft Auto IV has gotten me more excited about the series than I've been since it exchanged sprites for polygons. Here's hoping it can deliver.

 

Screenshots

[killer kirby]

Man that detail has reeeeeeally made me just start saving up for a 360

[Dante]

Take-Two is reducing its fiscal 2007 guidance primarily to reflect the movement of the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2008, due to additional development time required to complete the title. The title is now planned for release in the Company’s second quarter of fiscal 2008.

[Hero-of-Time]

Fuck off

 

This best not be true?!

 

Indeed it looks like it is and I say its a smart move by them. There are many big titles coming this way for the end of the year and doing this will give GTA a clear run when its released and surely giving them more time to develop the game is a good thing.

[Caris]

Sony must be loving this.

[Dante]

Fuck off

 

This best not be true?!

 

Its true Hobbzino.

Check out Take 2 release games plan.

[immy]

wtf this is crap

[Caris]

i have to say this will really help Sony this fall. And if GTA is coming Q2 0'8 for the 360 Metal Gear will be around the same time for the PS3.

[immy]

i have to say this will really help Sony this fall. And if GTA is coming Q2 0'8 for the 360 Metal Gear will be around the same time for the PS3.

 

How is it going to help sony, surely it's a big a loss for them as microsoft. Spring is gonna be awesome for ps3 though

[Caris]

Because it will help drive console sales.

[Dante]

What games are coming out around nov - dec?