Grand Theft Auto IV demo dissected

Mikel: Yeah. Assuming that actually ends up working the way it did in the demo, all the time, this is going to be incredible. I also liked the context-sensitive nature of the phone call - "I need to see you. Meet me at the docks in five minutes." Or something like that. But Niko knew he was at the docks, and he told the guy to meet him there.

I'm always skeptical when I see awesome stuff like this in a controlled demo; will it be this way when we play it? If I'm on a certain street, will Niko call a contact and say he's at 53rd and 3rd? If he will, then little touches like that will make the experience more immersive than ever.

Eric: Yep. I also dig like that it was Niko making the call rather than the other way around. That implies the game might be even more free-form than usual.

Okay, let's sum it up: far grittier and more realistic than ever before, with a smaller, yet more detailed city and improved everything. With that in mind, what would it take to keep you from playing this thing? I'm thinking it would take a sperm whale covered in rubber cement falling out of the sky and landing on me. Twice.

Mikel: I'm going to go with being torn apart by wild dogs. Or carjacked and shot by wild dogs, thereby giving me some sort of horrible fear complex about urban crime, and also dogs.

Charlie: Nothing. Death, maybe? Nah... not even that. If the game delivers on half of what it promises, I will be consumed by it. Happily.

Mikel: Agreed. I don't like to kiss a game's ass before I even get to touch it, but what I've seen so far makes me really want to play it. October can't get here soon enough.