GTA IV: Not out now

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Grand Theft Auto should have been out today. It isn't

June 28, 2007 - Looking for that Special Someone
As the fires of our anticipation waned ever so slightly, Rockstar ignited yet more excitement with GTA IV's second trailer. With a lot more action, a lot more Nico and a lot more exposition, we were getting tantilisingly close to finding out what this Grand Theft Auto adventure was all about.

The gameplay shown off included Nico's much-lauded walking animation, high-powered gun battles with police, Nico's mobilephoneand a sheen of realism that enhanced the impact of every frame. IfGTA IV reallylooks and plays this good, we pondered, our real lives are effectively doomed.

July 18, 2007 - A Closer Look
By now, we were gagging for another chance to get personal with Grand Theft Auto IV, and Rockstar duly satisfied with a huge gameplay demo. It begins by showing offthe mobile phone-based interaction, as Nico sets up a meeting with his friendly local arms-dealer.

What gets us leaping around, though, is a tiny detail - Nico hailing a taxi and riding as a passenger, directing his cabbie using a popup map. We barely recover from this shock before our first real mission experience unfolds before our eyes, Nico carrying out a string of hits.

The action we see is incredibly dynamic, involving the in-game Internet, a job interview, a murder in a crowd, the Resi 4-style gun controls, some violent police response and a sticky end for our man. In short, we're amazed.

August 2, 2007 - Delay Disappointment
Ack! That's it for the next-gen revolution, as Rockstar announce GTA IV is delayed until February next year at the earliest. GamesRadar towers quickly becomes a pit of sorrow.

October 16, 2007 - Multiplayer?
Just a few days before the game was originally due to hit the shops, and a US website hints that Rockstar is aiming to provide 16-player online multiplayer, and hope to open the whole of Liberty City for deathmatch action. GamesRadar towers quickly becomes a well of happiness.

Until today, obviously, when we realise we should have been playing Grand Theft Auto IV right now. Cue the sad face.

Ben_Richardson

Ben Richardson is a former Staff Writer for Official PlayStation 2 magazine and a former Content Editor of GamesRadar+. In the years since Ben left GR, he has worked as a columnist, communications officer, charity coach, and podcast host – but we still look back to his news stories from time to time, they are a window into a different era of video games.