Features// Pocket Plays GTA IV Multi-Player

Burping my way through my first can I got settled – heels off, headset on – and we said hello to the Rockstars who’d be taking us under their wings for the first few games, David and Craig, as their gamertags declare them. We haven’t met them yet, but only Craig has a soft Australian accent. David's accent I find harder to place, but I’m guessing it’s London.

We’re playing on 360s and are shocked to hear later that it is not a LAN set up, but online. The lack of lag’s amazing! Team Deathmatch starting in Algonquin, the Rockstars all take the time to show off their creations, including RPGs, the heightened strategic options like crouched firing and blind firing with manual aim, quick fire out of cover, all culminating in one of the enemy zooming overhead with a helicopter, making us all trail after him, Pied Piper-style, unsuccessfully trying to commandeer it.

And I’m in love. From the moment I hop into a car with David, smash a window with my elbow and hang half-way out firing at the others whilst the usual fantastic selection of tunes burn into our eardrums.

My pre-game warnings that I suck at GTA were met with “Hax!” and “Hustled!” when I get second, then first place for kills – although our minder reminds us that MotherofMoles (who seemed to take the brunt of my killing for some reason) and the rest had pointedly been firing above our heads and seeing how close they could get without killing us. Congratulation blushes out of the way, we all agree that the controls are fine – easy to pick up and to me, coming straight from CoD4, quite natural.

I’ve been given a copy of the button layout, but I haven’t seen anyone look at it yet. I am reminded about the strategy options that the devs have put so much work into. There is also pointed mention that said options also make targeting more accurate. I promise to be a bit less Rambo and a bit more Snake next time.

There were only eight of us online and because it was a Deathmatch we were looking to keep each other in a fairly small zone all the time. In later games, like Team Mafiya and the racing, a much larger section would be played. With up to 16 players capable of getting in one online game the bigger maps will be loads of fun to play in, especially once everyone gets to know them so well they can replicate them in sand on the beach when missing the game too much while on holiday.

The team at Rockstar have obviously put loads of attention into the game world, each area feels condensed and detailed. It didn’t take long before we were using the varying heights by scaling stairs into roof-level car parks or hiding behind bushes and down alleyways to get a vantage point on respawn areas. I certainly, used this to pop foes like I was shooting cans off a fence.

It turns out I have no concept of fair play when it comes to Deathmatch. There were certain features I didn’t find – but the superfans are going to love them! Not to give too many spoilers, I’ll whet your mouths with just one: even hard-to-reach fire escapes (as are popular in New York-based comedy sketches and action films eternally) are reachable by jumping off the roof of a handy car - these platforms give you jism-worthy sniping platforms.

I was told about a few of the extra options that can be used to customise even a simple Deathmatch. These include having the same weapon for everyone (like baseball bats or random weapons being assigned at the start); friendly fire being on/off; or having the police attempting to arrest the filthy deviants who disturb their peaceful bribe negotiations. There is also the option to turn off the enemy blips on the radar, but I’m relieved we didn’t attempt this when I was just getting to know my way about.