While the demo is simply a short tour of one small area of the fictional Liberty City with no missions or combat, small hints of the revitalised core GTA gameplay are revealed. Niko is shown entering a house in Broker (based on Brooklyn) and there's not a single pause for loading. That's a new and important development only possible with the power PS3 and Xbox 360 offer. In the house he draws a weapon and backs up against a wall before cautiously entering the front room, showing off the enhanced detail found in the new interiors. Then Nikomakes his waythrough a kitchen and out the back into the alley behind the house where a group of hobos are warming their hands around a fire in an oil drum.
Later we see him steal a car. Gone is the repeated animation of him comically yanking the door open of what would most likely be a locked car. Now Niko is seen breaking the window, reaching in and flicking the lock it before driving off. Rockstar mention that Niko may also be required to hotwire the car in some situations. In addition, the driving model has been much improved. You know how in previous GTA's cars always seemed overly exaggerated in handling, making it difficult to keep them in one piece for longer than a few minutes? Now vehicles handle far more authentically allowing for precise control at slow speeds.
While there'll almost certainly a redesigned HUD and the all important map, essential in a city the size of New York (supposedly the same scale as San Andreas), Rockstar still hasn't decided whether all the lurid markers will appear in GTA IV. A possible solution might be, for example, giving doors you can enter a slightly different shade of colour. It's a better option than sticking a big pink arrow over them, which would feel distinctly at odds with the gritty, muted palette. In our view, not compromising player navigation is most important, but it would seem an injustice to sully themajestic vision of Liberty City with garish, flashing screen furniture.
