Grand Theft Auto 4
So, apparently there is this game due out on the 29th about stealing cars and shooting people that folk are getting excited about.
That’s right, Grand Theft Auto 4 is due to hit and run on Xbox 360 and PS3 in just under 12 days time and it’s already causing a bit of a frenzy.
I’m really excited about it too, I must admit. Some of the new elements sound interesting, like the in-game Internet (used for research, e-mail and um, dating), the new approach to missions (using your mobile as your main source of activities) and in-particular, the multi-player aspects.
Now, having played a bit of multi-player San Andreas (using the fan-made GTA:MP) and having a lot of fun, I’m hugely excited to see what Rockstar themselves can do with it. We know there are around 16 game modes, none of which are restricted by area (although you can restrict power-ups/weapons to specific regions) so you are free to go anywhere in the city.
The most obvious “new” things in GTA4 are the gorgeous new graphics and the Euphoria animation/physics system. The graphics are obviously a HUGE leap from San Andreas and the game as a whole looks to have a much realistic feel and appearance. But it looks like it’s the Euphoria system that will affect how the game feels the most. Euphoria is basically an AI driven reactionary animation system. it creates reactionary animations on the fly giving a much more individual and unique feel to the characters in the game.
A couple of examples given in the previews online are braking sharply near a pedestrian, only for the pedestrian to react and drop whatever they were carrying, falling downstairs is another example, where the tumbling of a character down a flight of stairs looks so much more natural and realistic than rag-doll physics ever has.
I’m sure Rockstar will have the open-world sandbox “fun” intact too, just as they did way back in the original GTA, they managed to keep that feel throughout all 5 main GTA games so far (not counting the “Stories” spin-offs/prequels).
It’s looking VERY promising and with the ability to keep an eye on how you compare with everyone else playing via Rockstar’s Social Club, it should keep many people busy for weeks/months/years.
Tags: GTA 4, GTAIV, Rockstar
