The sequence was also filled with some cool pre-scripted events; in one case, Rivas' car sideswiped a cargo truck hauling barrels, which immediately started tumbling onto the road in front of Niko. There was also a flatbed truck carrying logs, and we were told that if Niko had shot the chains holding them together, they would have spilled out to devastating effect.

That brings us to another feature that's new (and long-overdue) for GTA IV: Niko can smash out the windows while he's driving and aim out the window. We're talking free aim and the ability to shoot forward, not just the awkward drive-bys you could pull off in previous games. After blasting away at Rivas with a pistol (and tearing right through a tollbooth), Niko busted out a submachine gun and riddled his enemy's car with lead, resulting in a huge explosion in the middle of a bridge. We're told that if Rivas' car had been crippled but not destroyed, he would have gotten out and fled on foot. Which is what Niko had to do, vaulting over the side of the freeway and tearing ass through a park when the real cops finally showed up.

MC: So after he finds Rivas, what did you think of the car chase?
CB: The car chase was when I first began to get truly excited. Everything they've shown us so far has been very staged and finally, here, was some unchecked speed and unpredictable sandbox shenanigans
MC: I thought that everything looked really solid - no texture issues, minimal pop-up...
MR: I liked the sense of speed a lot, what with the increased motion blur when you start going really fast. The car still looked kind of hard to control, though, but we won't be able to judge that until we get our hands on it.
CB: Veering around corners, rolling over motorcycles, smashing into other cars with an impressive crunch of metal and shatter of glass…
MC: And shooting forwards. That's going to help.
CB: Yeah, I was very happy to see that
MR: Yeah, that's something that was long overdue.
CB: A fun touch was Niko smashing out his side windows with his elbow in order to shoot forward. I guess, in every other GTA game, they were just rolling down the windows?
MC: I think CJ rolled with the windows down...
CB: I'm imagining Tommy Vercetti furiously turning the window lever. No power windows in 1986.
MC: Plenty of power ballads, though.
MR: Yeah. Too bad we can't talk about those yet. What'd you guys think of the chase camera?
MC: I thought it looked sweet. I dunno how often I'd use it, but still.
CB: And its purpose, during chases at least, was just to keep both your car and the target car on screen at the same time. It seemed pretty subtle... no wildly veering tilts or nauseatingly sudden pans. Though I question how helpful it would be without a huge widescreen TV like the one we saw it on.
MR: I can already imagine how it'll be useful; think of all those times you got spun around while chasing, and then had to quickly reorient yourself before the target gets away. This'll save the step of figuring out which direction to turn.
CB: That explosion was effin' beautiful.
MC: Agreed. There's plenty more oooooo in the boom this time.