We've heard a little bit in the past about how getting missions will be structured differently this time around; instead of just following a linear progression through the story, you'll need to meet people, hang out with them and cultivate a relationship before they'll trust you. Sometimes that trust yields missions; other times, it'll yield cool stuff, like access to high-grade guns. But the latest demo was the first time we've seen the kinds of things you'll need to do to cultivate these relationships.

Basically, it works like the dating system in GTA: San Andreas. You'll either get a call from, or call one of Niko's contacts on his cell - in this case his beloved fat cousin, Roman - arrange to hang out with them and go to pick them up. Then, you'll pick a hangout from several on the map; the ones we saw consisted of one pool hall and a slew of martini-glass icons, representing bars. You won't see what happens in the bars, but it's apparently pretty insane, because the aftermath involves trying to steer Niko while he's falling-down drunk. It's pretty funny to watch Niko's awkward attempts at walking here, which involve nervous backwards jogging, exaggerated stomping and a lot of falling down and nearly passing out, all procedurally generated by the game, and all while your surroundings are viewed in a blurry haze.

Yeah, it's pretty funny - until you realize that you're trying to get Niko behind the wheel of his car, at which point it becomes slightly terrifying. To Rockstar's credit, though, driving drunk in GTA IV is scary and a little nauseating. The camera bobs wildly around, the blur effects intensify and it was obvious that the Rockstar rep running the demo was having trouble keeping the car on the road. Assuming you can get Roman home in one piece, however, the drink will wear off, things will return to normal and your friendship will have gotten a little stronger.

MC: That was proper hilarious.
MR: Hell yes it was. Does anyone think it looked disturbingly like the dates in San Andreas?
CB: I'm assuming the dates in GTA IV will be pretty much the same as this Roman date... only, you know, with girls.
MC: But like so much of the other 'similar' bits, Rockstar has really built on the idea. The whole 'relationships' thing in GTA IV really interests me. It definitely seems like it'll be more beneficial to the player to complete them as well.
CB: How do you think the controls were different during those drunken moments? I think the game was reversing them randomly... so that up was suddenly down and right was suddenly left.
MC: I think the more severe the stick movement, the more likely Niko would stagger, stumble and fall asswards.
CB: I'm surprised at how much effort and detail was put into something so insignificant. I've never seen such realistically drunk characters in a videogame.
MR: Yeah - realistic to the point where I was actually a little nervous about him getting behind the wheel.
MC: It really captured that rising crescendo of drunken obliteration. The shit they were talking and their feeble efforts at keeping upright. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen in a game. I was nearly crying. Seriously.
MR: When he got behind the wheel, one of our editors actually had to look away; the blurring and wobbly camera were making him sick.
CB: Mikel and I immediately thought "Rockstar's gonna catch so much shit over this." First Hot Coffee, now drunk driving. Personally, I think it makes driving drunk look absolutely terrifying... but how many parents will just hear about it and assume the point of the whole game is to get drunk and manslaughter innocent pedestrians (with baby strollers)?
MR: I think what's most striking about the drunkenness and other bits like it is that in previous GTAs, you had these rules the game operated by, and everything you did fit into those rules. Here, however, the game dramatically changes the way you'll play just for this one sequence (and others like it, of course) - and that shows a lot of attention to detail that didn't really come through in the earlier games.
MC: It's that attention to detail that is going to blow people's minds when they play it.