GTA 4 page updated

[Calavera]

Looks like your standard GTA game on steroids.

[Specially Cork]

Looks like your standard GTA game on steroids.

Which is great.

[Cid Highwind]

Am i the only one that is not that impressed by them latest images??.

It looks pretty damn good for a large free roaming game world that is GTA. The only thing I'm disappointed with is that they jumped the BBB bandwagon... Bloom Blur 'n Brown, which pretty much sums up "next gen graphics" these days. Unless you have a NASA computer expect the game to look like arse and extremely dark, because you won't be able to flick on the light switch (HDR) without an extreme loss in performance. Just have a look at Colin McRae Dirt and how it looks on PCs that don't come with a GF8800GTX.

[Cid Highwind]

It's probably just a matter of time though. Even if it's only in early 2009.

[Specially Cork]

New gameplay info from GamesTM magazine. Sounds amazing. They're really shaking things up.

The August issue of GamesTM (a multi-format games magazine based in the UK) contains a world exclusive first look at the new gameplay in Grand Theft Auto IV. Here's a brief run-down on some of the new stuff mentioned:

* The demo begins in Grand Theft Auto IV's equivalent of Times Square: Star Junction. There aren't many pedestrians present at this time, but this is most likely due to the early nature of the code.

* 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 actually visible this time.

[ace]

In the demo, Niko recieves a call concerning "shady lawyer" Goldberg

Was that the name of the lawyer from GTA:VC?

Missions in GTA IV can be interrupted. The interview isn't until tomorrow, which means you can carry out other business until then.

Shenmue? Hopefully there will be an advance time option like in Shenmue 2 for those times when you just want to get on with the mission.

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.

AMAZING. I especially love the visible search area idea. These changes alone have piqued my interest more than the graphics or any other feature so far. I also really like that the police won't be on your ass immediately as they were in past incarnations of GTA.

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.

...

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 actually visible this time.

Hopefully the game plays as cinematically as it sounds.

[Calavera]

I hope there will be a PC version.

[Specially Cork]

Delayed til 2008

http://uk.gamespot.com/ps3/action/grand ... index.html

The overcrowded monkey house that was the 2007 holiday release season lost one of its 800-pound gorillas today. Without warning, this afternoon Take-Two Interactive stunning the game industry by announcing it was delaying Grand Theft Auto IV to the second quarter of its 2008 fiscal year, which begins on January 1, 2008.

I guess it will put a big dent in Holiday 07 sales, especially for Sony, but considering how long ago they set the date, and a very slow-moving hype machine its probably to be expected. They're just not ready.

[Lunchbox]

Its a bittersweet delay really. No GTA4 until next year, but now I've got more time to play the other amazing games coming in the fall.

[Specially Cork]

April 2008 is down as "the earliest". I can easily see a full year delay.

At least TakeTwo allowed a delay, I could easily see them rushing the game to release unfinished. It's dissapointing overall, but it frees up a holiday season for other stuff, means I don't have to worry about buying into nextgen just yet, and should mean a better game in the end.

[mrandyk]

And I guess it will be 2008 before I want to buy a 360 when the biggest reason I want one gets delayed until next year. Guess I will go all out on the wii this year since there are a bunch of great games coming out.

[ace]

Well. GTA IV is being released in about a month's time. When the first trailers came out, I was a little apprehensive and of course disappointed that I would be shut out from playing the game as I didn't have a PS3 or an Xnox 360.

However, my interest has risen lately and now I am eagerly waiting for GTA IV to be released. I just bought a used 360 so I would be ready to go.

I'm not even a the biggest GTA fan, but this game has me flat out excited. Everything I've heard about it so far has been positive. And if previews and video clips are any indication, the scope of this game will be much larger, despite being in a smaller setting than GT: SA.

[Code-Red]

I'm no where near as excited as most. If I play it, cool, if not, whatever.

I was more eager to make the jump from 2D Top-down to GTA3 on PS2.

[Veggita2099]

The only thing that has me concerned is they might make it too complicated to do things that was simple in previous game (such as stealing a car for instance). I have the game reserved though and plan to buy it.

[Calavera]

I'm no where near as excited as most. If I play it, cool, if not, whatever.

I was more eager to make the jump from 2D Top-down to GTA3 on PS2.

I'm just as excited as you. They'd have to really do some awesome shit to make it as big of a jump as GTA3 was.