Grand Theft Auto IV

Also known as: GTA IV, GTA 4, Grand Theft Auto 4

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Grand Theft Auto IV: screen blast and first impressions

Brand new screens and eyes-on preview

Words: George Walter, GamesRadar UK

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The GTA IV demo we've just sat through is possibly the most theatrical and well rehearsed we've ever experienced. Speaking later with fellow game journalists who have witnessed the same spectacle, it appears each character movement, pause in the action and camera position has been reproduced identically for each showing of the game.

There's a reason for this. Not positioning the camera in a particular way would have exposed unfinished textures and scenery. Not something you want to be drawing attention to in a game demo. The result of this smoke and mirrors is that every word of GTA IV coverage generated both in game mags and websites has come from an identical, carefully managed walkthrough played, in case you’re interested, on an Xbox 360.

Through this intriguing first look, Rockstar has hammered home a very clear message - this is not the GTA we knew before. It's even more adult (if that's possible), deals with serious issues, has a less 'cartoonified' art direction and a cityscape that looks and feels more naturalistic then we've seen in any next-gen console game to date. Furthermore, central character Niko Bellic's gait is now that of a human, not a caricature. You can see this in the way his head moves when he walks, that he climbs steps rather than gliding up them, that his hands grip objects and weapons. It's a world (and about 2,500 miles) away from GTA 's last major outing in San Andreas.