Grand Theft Auto IV: First Thoughts

For the latest instalment in the epic crime series the player once again returns to Liberty City but developers Rockstar have managed to mix the familiar with freshness to create the video game experience of the year.

This time out GTA follows Niko Bellic, a Serbian war veteran who comes to the United States in search of the 'American Dream', only to find his cousin has lied about the wealth that was promised to be awaiting him. This is mirrored in the look and feel of the opening gambits of the game which take in the dark and dingy ghettos of Liberty City, mostly under darkness or the gathering storm clouds emphasising how far Niko finds himself from the bright lights of Time Square, figuratively and literally.

The opening missions follow the formula of games gone past by introducing the player to the control system and the characters around him. Combat has been further enhanced to allow greater freedom in laying the smackdown on the residents of Liberty City, but the key area of change is Niko's phone - which reinvents the way in which you can interact with those around you.

Using the phone, a list of options are made available to Niko, such as calling any of the contacts made during the game so far and commands such as "meet me here," etc. Niko can also call 911 to deal with the emergency services, for good (shopping a crim) and bad reasons (pranks to distract them from your tail). Also dialling in numbers found around the city uncovers easter eggs that the game is famous for as well unlocking various cheats that are available.

The car handling has also been redone, but this is one area where the tweaks are unwelcome, with the cars feeling too sensitive to me and especially in the dark lighting of the earlier missions, driving is chore - though I expect this to less of a problem as the game progresses, much like as in GTA 3 where the lighting improves as you unlock the map, get better cars are available and you improve your skills.

As for the map itself, this is the Liberty City of GTA 3 in all but name as the city has been totally revamped in size to become a more faithful representation of NYC. The developers claim the map is almost as large as San Andreas, but when you take into account the amount of desert and dead space that was on show there, you realise the sheer amount of city there will be to explore as you get into the game.

I have only just uncovered the tip of the iceberg of what this game has to offer and with the range of radio and now TV stations on offer the title almost becomes Warcraft-like in its depth. Unlike many of the big hitters available these days, GTA does seem to push the envelope each time it comes out and this feels like one of the first game that feels like it couldn't be done without a PS3 or 360 and therefore marks the start of the next gen in my eyes.