Grand Theft Auto 4-GTA IV-Maps, Previews, Reviews, Videos, Screenshots, and Cheats

[jdmgoldcivic]

I just pre-ordered my copy, thanks for all the info

[Raider1one]

Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) is the latest magazine to review Grand Theft Auto IV, after being granted special access to play the game for several days last month. The review contains the same screenshots that were in OXM's review (plus a couple of new ones) and the final score given by OPM is also the same - an impressive 10 out of 10.
Here are some of the main points from the review worth mentioning (spoilers ahead):

• One of the reasons Niko goes to Liberty City is to track down the man who betrayed his old army unit.
• Cars no longer catch fire at the slightest provocation.
• There are several points at which you make life or death decisions between key cast members.
• Comedy clubs feature real comedians.
• "Michelle" is the first girl that Niko hooks up with.
• Dimitiri Rascalov is Mikhail Faustin's right hand man.
• "Other uses of the phone on missions include calling a target to make him come to the window and into Niko's sniper sight."
• There is a museum called the Libertonian museum, which features dinosaur fossils and exploding vases. Environments such as these have been created specifically for shootouts, so there's plenty of cover.
• The name of every radio station is revealed:
  • WKTT - We Know The Truth (right wing talk radio)
  • San Juan Sounds (latin)
  • Integrity 2.0 (speech, hosted by Lazlow)
  • Liberty City Hardcore (punk/hardcore)
  • Liberty Rock Radio 97.8 (classic rock)
  • The Vibe 98.8 (soul/R'n'B)
  • PLR - Public Liberty Radio (call-in speech)
  • The Classics 104.1 (old-skool hip-hop)
  • Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 (jazz)
  • Vladivostok FM (eastern european)
  • Radio Broker (alt rock)
  • Tuff Gong Radio (reggae/dub)
  • Electro Choc (dance)
  • Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 (dance hall)
  • IF99 - International Funk (funk)
  • The Beat 102.7 (contemporary hip-hop)
  • K109 The Studio (disco)
  • Fusion FM
  • The Journey (ambient/chillout)

[Chubz]

i cant wait to pick this game up. it will certainly give me something to do at night when I get home from work.

[Raider1one]

fom http://www.gtagaming.com/gtaiv

Grand Theft Auto IV is complete

Take Two Interactive just confirmed at the company's annual general meeting that Grand Theft Auto IV has gone gold. "Trucks are rolling next week and there will be a lot of them", the executive said, confirming that the game discs will be making their way to stores next week ahead of the game's release on April 29th.

[Crono139]

Just reserved a copy at work.

I can't wait.

[Raider1one]

[Raider1one]

Further GTA IV reviews have been released recently, with a lot more to come later this week. As expected, the game is continuing to get exceptionally high scores. Apart from a few new screenshots here and there, there's nothing we haven't read before, so here's just a brief overview of the latest scores:

• Empire Online: 5/5
• PSM3 (France): 20/20
• Jeux Vidéo Magazine (France): 166/200 (83%)

The last one is particularly detailed, with 40 separately rated categories. Keep your eyes open for additional reviews and let the community know if you find something in your favorite online or print publication.
In other news, GTA's art director Aaron Garbut was interviewed by Eurogamer, answering their questions about the GTA IV game design lifecycle. Starting with the early collecting of ideas and prototyping, the two-part interview touches on various interesting topics like character design and interaction:

"I think the level of detail the cut-scene guys have achieved is intense. They have the characters interacting with the world, which is hard enough, but they also have added a lot of feedback onto the world. [...] Things like pillows and mattresses bending or bouncing a little under the weight of characters sitting on it, phone cords dangling and following the phones movements, liquid moving around in glasses. It's pretty amazing."

We also learn some details about the engine's fancy new real-time lighting system:

"There are no hard limitations on the number of active dynamic lights around the player. The real-time shadows are working across every object and surface in the game with everything self-shadowing and casting onto everything else, there's ambient occlusion and emissive lighting on top of that. And then your standard next-gen shenanigans - light shafts, bloom, depth of field and motion blur, and of course it goes without saying everything's rendered with HDR."

Give it a read if you like; the interview will be continued with part two tomorrow. Or if you don't want to wait, there's a very similar 4-page interview over at IGN.

[Raider1one]

GTA IV Special Edition arrives in stores


A major question which I had about the forthcoming release of Grand Theft Auto IV was "How will the Special Edition be packaged?". Today an employee of an Australian retail store has answered that question for me and the many others who were curious.

The game, soundtrack CD, art book, keyring and bag will all be stuffed very tightly inside the lock box, which itself will then be inside an outer cardboard box which features different artwork to the standard edition of the game. Check out all of the images below:

[Raider1one]

GTA IV arrives with some gamers

Earlier today an authentic video of Grand Theft Auto IV appeared on YouTube, which featured the entire GTA IV intro, along with some gameplay footage. While the video was swiftly removed from the site, those who caught a glimpse got an early look at how the game performs on PlayStation 3.

Of note was the seemingly long load time, with a wait of over one minute being something which players will have to become accustomed to each time the start this version of the game.

The source of the game appears to be an Australian retailer which has dispatched online orders early. Additionally, the full PAL version of the game has now leaked to the internet, according to Kotaku.

Rockstar has not commented on any of the leaks, but is actively requesting that YouTube removes videos from its website. Whether they intend to continue doing this for the next six days remains a mystery.




PS3 version of GTA IV outselling Xbox 360 by 3-to-1

Games industry publication MCV recently interviewed a number of key players in the UK retail industry. The most significant revelation came from head of games at ASDA (a subsidiary of Wal Mart), Duncan Cross. He claims that "the PS3 version is selling three times that of 360" on its website, where they have been collecting preorders for some time.

ASDA's retail outlets do not allow customers to reserve games, making them one of the most likely places to have available stock on launch day. A Comet representative is also echoing the PS3 success story, so it seems that the easiest format to find this game on may end up being Xbox 360.

In other retail news today, Sony sent out a press release officially confirming the GTA IV + PS3 bundle, which will indeed go on sale across Europe on Tuesday for €439/£319.99.

[Raider1one]

Amazon adds GTA IV music


Good news, music fans. You can now enjoy a sample of the music featured in Grand Theft Auto IV courtesy of Amazon, which has begun adding tracks from the game to its MP3 service. You can't buy the music yet, but shortened versions are available for streaming now on the site.

The complete track listing of the album, (which appears to be the same as the CD included with the Special Edition of the game) is:

Soviet Connection (Theme from GTA IV) by Michael Hunter
Dirty New Yorker by Mobb Deep (feat. Havoc & Prodigy)
No Sex for Ben by The Rapture
No Fraid A by Munga
Where's My Money by Busta Rhymes
I Want You by C.J.
Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh
Stand Up Jamrock by Bob Marley & The Wailers and Damian Marley
Liberty City: The Invasion by Seryoga
Vagabond by Greenskeepers
On a Journey by Electrik Funk
Nickname by Qadir
Holy Thursday by David Axelrod
War is Necessary by Nas
Zombie by Fela Kuti
5:23 (Maiden Voyage) by Global Communication

Album links:
The Music of Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV Soundtrack (Retroactive)
Liberty City Invasion

[Raider1one]

from ign.com

The moment Niko arrives in Liberty City he is met by his cousin, Roman. This crucial relationship is just one of many you will develop while playing GTA IV. These friendships -- either with the rough and tumble men of the city or its lovely ladies -- evolve initially through the story. But it's your decision whether or not to pursue these friendships beyond the story missions. You and Packie McCreary can have a cold association with one another, but money will still ultimately bring you together. But should you go the extra mile and make Packie your confidant, you'll reap the benefits.

Friendships begin with Niko's cell phone. This handy tool, which is the thread woven through all aspects of GTA IV, is your primary contact point for buddies, girlfriends and lovers. While roaming the city -- and even on missions -- potential pals will text or call asking if you want to hang out. They may suggest a place to go or leave it up to you to decide. Roman likes strip clubs, Michelle likes to bowl and Packie is a born pool shark.


Niko and Little Jacob roll out.

Pick them up in a car, taxi, bus or helicopter and head off to one of Liberty City's many entertainment hot spots. Taking someone to a place they enjoy is going to strengthen your bond. There aren't many places that will turn a person sour to you (unless you take the wrong girl to a strip club), but you do get an added boost taking friends to the right spots. You can check out the embarrassingly low-brow cabaret or see a comedy act if you like being entertained or choose from a variety of mini-game activities. And if all else fails, remember that everyone loves to drink.

Going out on the town can reveal new insight into some of the city's non-playable characters. On the ride to a joint, you might hear some offhanded comments about Niko or elements of the storyline. You might learn a bit more about your new friend. And this continues even after the single-player story is complete, as important characters open up to Niko and comment on the climactic events that conclude his adventures in Liberty City. These pieces of information are not crucial to missions and won't give you a leg up in the city. It's just great conversation. Think back to the conversations in Gears of War. Now imagine if the dialogue was actually interesting. That's kind of what GTA IV is like -- great action mixed with equally good conversation.


Your friends have many attractive traits, like an affinity to firearms and a willingness to commit crimes.

The best way to loosen someone's tongue is to buy them a drink. How drunk you end up is dependant on who you take. Dwayne isn't going to get you hammered, but Kate will have you falling all over yourself. There's nothing quite like stumbling onto the street while your date shouts to the world how she's hanging out with a murderer. Drunk driving can be a challenge as the camera tilts and the controls stiffen. And if you pass a cop while drunk, you earn a one-star wanted rating. You want a challenge? Take Little Jacob drinking and then take him home on a motorcycle. Or better yet, take a helicopter when you decide to toss a few down. Drunk flying is far more interesting than drunk driving. Just don't be shocked when you accidentally crash your chopper into the Algonquin Bridge and kill your date. Cheer up -- maybe she has a cute sister with looser morals.

It's easy enough to boost your friendship rating, but perhaps even easier to let that friendship slip. Ignore your friends or constantly reject their offers to hang out and your rating is going to drop quickly. Friends don't become enemies, but they won't feel any need to give Niko extra assistance. And you may want this kind of help.

When someone feels a bond with Niko, their special ability becomes available. Whip out your phone, select a friend's name, and you'll see an option to call in a favor. You can't call unlimited favors -- often it's a once or twice a day kind of thing -- but even the occasional assist can mean the difference between freedom and 20-to-life.

Roman can be called for free rides via his taxi service. That sounds like a minor thing, but as you get deeper into the story and your missions begin spanning the entire city, you may find the quickest way to get to a contact is via a cab. And the cost of those rides does add up. Unless, of course, you're getting them for free. Packie gives you car bombs. This special package can be placed in the trunk of a car and remotely detonated via phone. Little Jacob gives you a favorable discount on weapons and armor. Michelle gives you sex. If you can't see the benefit in this, perhaps you should spend less time playing videogames and more time trying to meet some ladies.


Packie has a dirty mouth and a hot sister.

While at first your circle of friends and lovers is tied to the story, eventually you will be able to date a wider range of people. One of the best ways to find a date is by using an online dating service. Love-Meet is the Match.com of Liberty City. It's here that you'll find some of the city's best (but mostly worst) ladies. If a girl is willing to date Niko, she'll let you know a time to pick her up and give hints on what to wear and what she likes to do. Play your cards right and you may get lucky. And you might also get laid.

The women who befriend you may also have special abilities to offer so long as you can maintain their relationship. This may be harder than it sounds. Carmen is a little minx you can meet online. She's a nurse and a dirty, dirty girl. But she's also possessive and has a jealous streak. She'll call and text constantly. And when you do answer, she'll let you know how grateful she is that you found a moment to stop "#$%@ing your other whores" so you could pick up the phone. So why keep her at all? Because Carmen is a nurse and her special ability is a health boost. Imagine ducking behind cover during a fight, being down to just a sliver of health, and making one quick call to get healed.


Some of the criminals in Liberty City have a taste for the finer things in life.

The good news is that, as in real life, you can date multiple women at the same time. Just know that the more women you date, the more "cuddle calls" you'll be receiving. While we've yet to have two girlfriends intersect, it seems like a frightening inevitability.

GTA IV's friendship system borrows elements from San Andreas, but keeps it fairly low maintenance. Friends aren't meant to be a nuisance and aren't required to beat the game. But it sure is nice to know you can rely on your lawyer girlfriend to rescind your wanted level with a simple phone call. The biggest benefit from strengthening relationships, though, is the dialogue you'll hear. And once you get sucked into GTA IV's story, you'll likely want to get as much as you can from every character while they're still breathing.