Grand Theft Auto IV

[Flawless]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

It's the level of detail that first hits home when cruising around Liberty City, the freewheeling outside of mission constraints allowing GTA IV to fully stretch its legs and prove that this will be a sandbox without compare. We see a man raking a motorway embankment, while driving through more suburban areas someone tends to their lawn - little flourishes that engender the world with life beyond that seen in other similar titles. Police eye Niko suspiciously when he runs across the road, despite the Wanted status being at zero, their heads following his path down the street as they peer from inside their stationary car.

At one point, while taking a midnight stroll through Liberty City's quite breathtaking spin on Times Square, we spot a man hunched over the open bonnet of his car, quizzically looking at the broken motor. Being the helpful citizens that we are, we push him to one side and try to hotfoot it with his automobile, but naturally his concerns weren't just a superfluous animation as the car fails to start and we climb out with rose-blushed cheeks.

Nice

[callmetaternuts]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

Wow, that just sounds like such an awesome game. The general game isnt changing, which is what we are all used to, but with the added features and nuances and updates, this game is gonna pwn me.

I hope other developers are paying attention. you leave in the good stuff and tweak the other stuff and dump the crap.........

[myownsun]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

Not if ther DLC costs as much as the game itself.

Agreed

[Dipstick]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

Here was one of my favorite parts of the IGN preview:

"Relationships are now dynamic, so ignoring calls from cousin Roman when he is being pursued by violent loan sharks will irrevocably alter your relationship for the rest of your stay in Liberty City"

[Flawless]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

Grand Theft Auto IV IGN UK Roundtable

Martin: One thing I did like was how the dialogue seemed constantly fresh. During one mission I kept on failing, the chatter in the car on the way to the destination was different with each play-through.

Alex: Being able to take out a police chopper with a bazooza - hell, even a sniper rifle if you're good - is my idea of heaven. In fact I thought the effects on the whole were awesome. The explosions, the mist, sunrise and sunset... It's leaps and bounds ahead of everything else.

Alex: It was the same with Niko – there was a much greater physical presence about him. In fact it was actually a bit weird, controlling him for the first time.

Martin: He certainly had more weight than any previous GTA character.

Alex: It think that's all down to Euphoria, the engine that powers the physics. It's the thing that powers the drunk scene we saw last time in real-time. And although we didn't get to play it this time, it's still one of the most impressive things I've seen.

Martin: There was a really nice moment when I climbed into someone's garden, to see a couple of elderly folk sitting on a bench who were a little alarmed at seeing a thug in a tracksuit on their property.

Alex: Yeah, that was great, although they acted a little oddly when they moon-walked up onto the chairs...

Martin: That's GTA though - there were still guns floating in mid-air, a few animation glitches, but you can't have such a vast and believable city without sacrifices - and the code still isn't complete, obviously.

Alex: Considering everything has been done on such a grand scale I'm surprised there weren't more problems. It was all minor stuff really, which is pretty amazing considering how much stuff is being shifted around.

Martin: The city did seem so more alive than in other GTAs. In the Destruction for Beginners mission, when we got the lift up the side of the building, looking down at the streets from a height, it was amazing how alive the whole thing seemed.

Martin: I followed a girl who was having a conversation on her mobile about the affair she's having and her worries about contracting herpes.

Martin: The death scenes - they were beautiful. The rag-doll physics make such a difference, like when Niko rolls out of a car, or is fired into the air from his own bazooka blast.

Alex: Ah man, when he bailed from a car at full pelt - that really looked like it hurt.

Martin: And they also make some of the enemy deaths so much more grisly. We'd seen it last time, but the goon falling on the roof of the SUV still made me wince.

Alex: And when he smashes through the windscreen if he shunts another car at speed. Ouch.

Alex: I'd like to see you master the hot dog next time. Anyway, I guess the big question is, did playing it for the first time live up to your expectations?

Martin: It definitely left me with an appetite for more.

Alex: Absolutely. It's progressed so much since I first saw it. From what I've seen of other sandbox games, GTA is doing stuff most other games don't even come close to. No other game nails its characters so well, or the way they fit into the environment.

Martin: GTA is one of those games that won't reveal itself after only a couple of hours of play - what we saw was instantly familiar, but there were so many touches that keep coming back to me that suggest this game is going to be huge. And you're right, GTA is still the best sandbox.

Alex: And now the environment is probably the most important character in the game. Liberty City looks like a cool place to hang out, to explore.

[Flawless]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

TeamXbox

Tom ended up in a hand-to-hand fight with a loan shark named Dardan (more on the melee system in a sec). After giving Dardan a good pop on the schnozz, the bad guy stumbled backwards and his momentum took him through a big window (which was accompanied by our Rockstar host exclaiming, “Wow, he went out the window!” a welcome indication that it’s a rare, unscripted occurrence). After careening through the window, he landed on a lower, sloped roof, rolled down toward the edge and started falling off. In most situations, that would have been the end of it, and no one would be all that surprised by a pre-created death animation of the character dropping off the roofline to the water below. However, in this case (and, again, with a somewhat surprised reaction from our Rockstar guide), Dardan suddenly stuck his arm out and grabbed the edge, hanging there for a few seconds in an effort to save himself—before losing the battle with gravity and plummeting into the waves below.

[Nivek]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

YOU CAN HOT BOX IN THE GAME!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[Blzer]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

Halo what?

[J-Unit40]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

I've never been a fan of the GTA series, but I will own this game. Wow! Gaming is getting better as each month passes.

This game sounds amazing! And we haven't even heard about multi-player yet.

[NYG_Meth]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

I think this might end up being the highest-selling game of all time.

[eDotd]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

I feel bad for people who haven't made the leap to 360/PS3 yet.

[Flawless]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

Game of the forever

GTAIV Aussie Hands-on - The first 10 things you have to do in Liberty City

Despite the Rockstar rep's warnings that we were in a rough neighbourhood where many people were likely to be packing concealed weapons we wasted no time opening up a can of biffo on the first bloke to walk past.

Two ducking gut punches followed by a spinning snap-kick to the head was the first vicious counterattack we tried but our favourite had to be a horribly painful looking kick in the testicles, then a nose-shattering headbutt to finish the job. Kicking, and punching enemies while they're on the ground is both possible and effective. The meaty sound effects, the brutal attacks and the completely believable animations just felt right (get used to hearing that about GTAIV).

We got another unorthodox taste of the melee system during a street brawl with a biker. Basically we were in a car and we wanted his bike so we ploughed into the back of him, sending his body flying through the air, before it landed with a sickening thud on the road. As he was staggering to his feet we sprinted up and roughly threw him to the ground, before convincing him to stay down with a few solid kicks to the ribs.

While we'd like to take the credit for this slick takedown, we were actually trying to punch him but then discovered that the regular attack moves turn into shoves and other moves when you're not locked on to people. Genius.

After spending more time trying to evade the police than we'd like to admit, we managed to lose our tail spectacularly by using a set of stairs to launch us through the air (while barrel rolling) up onto a highway overpass, where we got our SUV to pull off a Tony Hawk-style grind along the guard rail, before hitting the road and swerving along on two wheels for a distance before finally slamming down onto all fours and speeding off. We totally intended it all. Maybe.

Driving down the sidewalk will see pedestrians cartwheeling over the bonnet, being knocked sideways to slide along the road or diving out of the way in endless new and hilarious ways. Euphoria also makes shootouts far more believable. Cap someone in the leg, for example, and you'll see their limb flung back as their body loses balance and topples over. Shoot them in the face and their head will snap back with great force, before their body crumples lifelessly to the ground. Euphoria makes all of the typical GTA sandbox-style antics you're used to seem fresh again.

[SageInfinite]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

The wait for this game has been killing me and its getting even worse with the new info. Anybody pre-order yet? I think I'm gonna try and get the special edition of whatever it is.

Any of you guys got this 1 pre-ordered or purchased already?

[NEW_ORLEANS]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

The wait for this game has been killing me and its getting even worse with the new info. Anybody pre-order yet? I think I'm gonna try and get the special edition of whatever it is.

Any of you guys got this 1 pre-ordered or purchased already?

Yeah my girlfriend pre=ordered mines for xmas and you know gamestop talked her into the special edition, but I got her to change it to the regular one.

[davin]

Re: Let's talk about... Grand Theft Auto 4

This is just one of those games that is just going to rock. Given the past couple GTA's, I really have no doubt this game will be amazing, that much of the hype will be justified. Euphoria sounds so kick ***.