Previews// Grand Theft Auto IV - Latest Preview

Another interesting new aspect of the gameplay is the way in which Niko has to carefully manage his social relationships, with his vodka-loving cousin Roman and his many ‘business associates’. If you don’t return calls or check in for regular drinks or catch-ups, or even don't make it to the bar on time, then you risk offending your mates (much as in real life) and you are going to miss out on the big-money jobs.

Rockstar demonstrated this to me by showing me Niko and Roman going to a favourite bar for a few sharpeners. Hours later (in game time) the hapless pair stumble out, utterly hammered, slurring, with blurred vision – with the effect of being drunk on a gallon of cheap vodka uncannily re-created on screen and via the overly sensitive controls which make it difficult to even walk.

Niko then scoops Roman up off the floor, sweeps him into his jeep and takes off up the nearest entry ramp on to the highway. Conclusion reached here: driving while drunk is both hilariously difficult and not something you should try at home kids! (I predict the following Daily Mail headline, come release, “KILLER GAME PROMOTES DRUNK DRIVING”… feel free to add your own headline predictions in the forum!).

Onto the next mission – oh-so-cleverly entitled ‘deconstruction for beginners’. It’s the next day and Niko and his cousin are both nursing hangovers. Time to tune in to the smoooooth jazz channel as you head over to Algonquin to meet the a new ‘gangsta’ character. Playboy X is another undesirable with a need for a ruthless assassin. Playboy and Niko head over to a construction site, picking up a radio headset and some sniper rifles on the way.

It seems Playboy needs Niko to help take out some Mafia barons who are causing the docker’s unions to strike. And while, personally, I hate to cross a picket line, there is plenty of fun to be had running around the site picking off gangsters. The developers have clearly learned a lot from Gears Of War as you have to cleverly find cover and take out the enemy by blind-firing round corners or picking them off with accurate headshots. If in doubt, just lob a few grenades out there, or pull out the trusty rocket-launcher.

For the last mission I got to see today, Niko goes to see another ‘associate’ of his, called Ray. It seems Ray is keen to nick a truckload of heroin from some Triads and requires Niko’s help in jumping the gang. He wants to give the truck full of smack to his son, who is getting married – a touching, sentimental wedding present indeed! To follow the truck to the gang’s hideout, Niko nicks a more upmarket-looking car, which is kitted out with the latest GPS technology to help you find the fastest way to your destination (well, via roads at least).

Another gun, grenade and rocket-launcher fight ensues, which ends up with Niko chasing the last man standing, as he tries to drive the drugs away from the scene. Our man is having none of this and clings to the back of the truck, climbing over the top and jumping into the cab to despatch of the driver, Indiana Jones style. It’s exactly these hundreds of funny, perfectly executed setpieces that are going to have you talking about and returning to GTA IV again and again and again.

To finish up, Rockstar took me on a boat ride round Liberty City. Not literally, but they guide Niko into a monster speedboat and zip around the in-game versions of Alderney (New Jersey), Algonquin (Manhattan), Broker (Brooklyn), Dukes (Queens) and Bohan (the Bronx), stopping off to check out the ‘Statue of Happiness’ on the way round the bottom end of the map.

Liberty City is immense, it looks beautiful and bumping over the gentle waves of as we look out to the lights of downtown in the distance (the game is most striking at dusk) caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand to attention.

And that’s that. There’s clearly A lot more to be seen, and Rockstar, ever the tease, promises me as I leave that I’ll be making a few more trips over to their offices in the coming months, so SPOnG will of course bring you all the latest information as we get it.

Overall it’s nicely reassuring to see the game looking and playing so damn good. It's sounding better than ever too, though the soundtrack details are not going to be released until all the licensing is finalised. Suffice to say that I walked out of Rockstar’s office with a definite spring in my step. Three-quarters of an hour with what is clearly going to be the game of 2008 and those January blues just melt away.