Grand Theft Auto IV Preview

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Game Features Improved Gameplay, Graphics

Mar 29, 2008 Jonathan Coley

On April 29th, Rockstar will release Grand Theft Auto IV for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, along with a Special Edition of the game containing an artbook and soundtrack.

One of the most violent and controversial video games series in recent years has undoubtedly been Rockstar's own Grand Theft Auto series. On April 29th, 2008, Rockstar plans to ratchet up the violence and mayhem with Grand Theft Auto IV on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Setting and Storyline

As in Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto III, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Grand Theft Auto IV will be set in Liberty City, a fictional city that is a cross between New York City and New Jersey. But though the city has appeared in previous games, the city has been completely reinvented for Grand Theft Auto IV, and is so big that it will take over an hour to get from one side of the city to the other.

The game stars Niko Bellik, an Eastern European whose cousin Roman boasts about his beautiful mansions, cars and women in America and convinces Niko to make the journey over. However, when Niko arrives, he discovers that Roman is actually a lowly taxi driver in dire need of help. Unable to achieve the American dream by conventional means, Niko resorts to car jacking, gun fighting and bank robbing to make money and live the "good life" in America.

Improved Gameplay

Rockstar is hoping that a variety of improvements to the gameplay will make the Grand Theft Auto experience a fresh one for series veterans. In Grand Theft Auto IV, gamers can now pull off such actions as climbing telephone poles, calling women for dates, or getting drunk (which will cause the camera to become blurry and bounce around).

For the sake of realism, instead of players being able to steal cars by simply opening a car's door and driving off, gamers must now break the car's glass and hotwire the car to drive off. And the game's gunfighting system has been reworked to feel more like such games as Gears of War.

Improved Graphics and Sound

Grand Theft Auto IV will be the first GTA game to use Rockstar's new RAGE game engine, which was previously used in Rockstar's Table Tennis game. Gamers will now notice specific details like potholes on the streets and rough terrain that affects the way players walk. Motions overall will be more fluid, and there will now be zero loading screens during the game.

Grand Theft Auto's "radio stations" that play as gamers drive around the city - which have always been a highlight in the GTA games - will include the right-wing talk radio station WKTT (We Know The Truth), disco station K109 - The Studio, and Eastern European music station Vladivostok FM, along with fifteen others.

Outlook

The Grand Theft Auto series has consistently been both one of the best-selling game series and one of the highest rated game series on the market -- not an easy feat to achieve. And as long as Grand Theft Auto IV succeeds in keeping things fresh and interesting upon its release on April 29th, all signs point to another improved and fun Grand Theft Auto experience with Grand Theft Auto IV.

While Rockstar will be releasing the normal Grand Theft Auto IV game for $60, it will also release a $90 Special Edition of game on the same day. The Special Edition version will contain an artbook, soundtrack, keychain, and duffle bag, all contained in a specially designed safety deposit box. Those gamers operating on a budget may be interested in Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Live Community Games program instead.

On a final note, though, parents -- this isn't a game for kids. Grand Theft Auto IV is rated M for "Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Blood, Intense Violence."

The copyright of the article Grand Theft Auto IV Preview in Video & Online Games is owned by Jonathan Coley. Permission to republish Grand Theft Auto IV Preview in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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