GTA IV briefing in Game Informer, multiplayer and more

by James Ransom-Wiley @ on Apr 11th 2007 11:35AM

Game Informer gets the scoop on GTAIV in the May issue (not on "newsstands" yet), getting a peek at the Xbox 360 work-in-progress running on a debug unit. So, what's new besides what we saw in the trailer? Lots.

Setting: re-created Liberty City (better mirrors real-world NYC; smaller "geographical mass" than San Andreas, but more densely populated)

MetLife building = "Getalife"
Statue of Liberty = "Statue of Happiness"
DUMBO = "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass
Area includes an adaptation of four of NYC's boroughs (no love for Staten Island), and a section of Jersey:

Manhattan = "Algonquin" (The Lenape did speak an Algonquin language from which our word "Manhattan" is derived)
Brooklyn = "Broker"
Queens = "Dukes" (a duke ranks just below a prince)
Bronx = "Bohan"
New Jersey = "Alderney" (also named for one of the British Channel Islands -- or a breed of cattle)

Main character: Niko Bellic; "Eastern European" ('cause who really keeps track of the countries over there?)

Lured to Liberty by cousin Roman's suspicious emails (Roman claims to be living the America Dream: 2 women, 4 hot tubs, and 15 sports cars); Roman actually operates a rundown taxi depot in Broker and has gotten himself into a "load of trouble"
NEWS FLASH: "Many of Niko's activities revolve around being a criminal"

Miscellaneous:

NPCs: lots of "non-American" characters, varied behaviors (e.g., shopping, drinking, smoking, chirping, hurrying, or just maxing on the stoop), "context sensitive," and dependent on environment; more freaks: "angry yuppies" and "lunatics"
Dynamic storyline: "A big part of the game is delivering story in new ways and allowing the player to plot their [sic] own destiny"; less of a sense of being a slave to NPCs' demands; communication is also dynamic (in person, by celly, etc.)
No planes; but motorbikes
Improved physics; characters' movements are influenced by weight and variations in physical terrain
Emphasis on night and day lighting
Seamless loading after initial boot (even between indoor and outdoor environments)
No details about targeting system -- but Rockstar claims to have found the new "sweet spot"
Voice casting will not focus on big-name stars; soundtrack will reflect 2007
Crime experts and ex-police have helped Rockstar create a realistic contemporary criminal atmosphere (i.e., it's not the 80s or 90s anymore; crime and crime-fighting have evolved)
Multiplayer confirmed; not MMO
Both Xbox 360 and PS3 version will 'likely' be identical; Xbox 360 version will include exclusive episodic content (what about PS3?)