GTA IV briefing in Game Informer, multiplayer and more

Posted Apr 11th 2007 11:35AM by James Ransom-Wiley
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Online

Game Informer gets the scoop on GTAIV in the May issue (not on "newsstands" yet), getting a peek at the Xbox 360 work-in-progress running on a debug unit. So, what's new besides what we saw in the trailer? Lots.

Setting: re-created Liberty City (better mirrors real-world NYC; smaller "geographical mass" than San Andreas, but more densely populated)

* MetLife building = "Getalife"
* Statue of Liberty = "Statue of Happiness"
* DUMBO = "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass
* Area includes an adaptation of four of NYC's boroughs (no love for Staten Island), and a section of Jersey:
o Manhattan = "Algonquin" (The Lenape did speak an Algonquin language from which our word "Manhattan" is derived)
o Brooklyn = "Broker"
o Queens = "Dukes" (a duke ranks just below a prince)
o Bronx = "Bohan"
o New Jersey = "Alderney" (also named for one of the British Channel Islands -- or a breed of cattle)

Main character: Niko Bellic; "Eastern European" ('cause who really keeps track of the countries over there?)

* Lured to Liberty by cousin Roman's suspicious emails (Roman claims to be living the America Dream: 2 women, 4 hot tubs, and 15 sports cars); Roman actually operates a rundown taxi depot in Broker and has gotten himself into a "load of trouble"
* NEWS FLASH: "Many of Niko's activities revolve around being a criminal"

Miscellaneous:

* NPCs: lots of "non-American" characters, varied behaviors (e.g., shopping, drinking, smoking, chirping, hurrying, or just maxing on the stoop), "context sensitive," and dependent on environment; more freaks: "angry yuppies" and "lunatics"
* Dynamic storyline: "A big part of the game is delivering story in new ways and allowing the player to plot their [sic] own destiny"; less of a sense of being a slave to NPCs' demands; communication is also dynamic (in person, by celly, etc.)
* No planes; but motorbikes
* Improved physics; characters' movements are influenced by weight and variations in physical terrain
* Emphasis on night and day lighting
* Seamless loading after initial boot (even between indoor and outdoor environments)
* No details about targeting system -- but Rockstar claims to have found the new "sweet spot"
* Voice casting will not focus on big-name stars; soundtrack will reflect 2007
* Crime experts and ex-police have helped Rockstar create a realistic contemporary criminal atmosphere (i.e., it's not the 80s or 90s anymore; crime and crime-fighting have evolved)
* Multiplayer confirmed; not MMO
* Both Xbox 360 and PS3 version will 'likely' be identical; Xbox 360 version will include exclusive episodic content (what about PS3?)

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yay, sounds like the NPCs won't be completely dull like in the other GTA games.

And what...no planes or boats?

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I like the ideas of the NPC not controlling your actions. I'm sad abput no planes but hopefully they will replace it with something else.

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im not upset about planes, because i never used them anyway, but i do like the fact that there will be some type of multiplayer.

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Read this two days ago at the IGN Boards but it's good info anyways.

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GONE

aawwww, no planes....

ah well, it'll be awesome anyways.

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