Grand Theft Auto IV preview-splosion!
So, an embargo up and expired today and, in a torrent of words and screenshots, we were inundated with previews of Grand Theft Auto IV. GamesRadar flips on the caps-lock key to call it their "most massive preview EVER"; IGN takes an "extended look at the near-final Liberty City"; Kikizo bills it as their "third GTA IV preview spectacular"; VideoGamer.com pitches us with "3,500+ words GTA4 preview + screens"; and lastly, Team Xbox politely avoids mentioning the size of their preview, though it still weighs in at a massive 2200 or so words.
Maybe we're just getting old, but we went straight for MTV News' far more palatable preview which, at 1500 words, was practically a lesson in concision. Sure, you don't get the fancy new screenshots or what have you, but you do get some new details on the game all presented on one beautifully long page. So what's new? How about a totally refined combat system that sounds more like the the elegant system used in Gears of War or Uncharted than the clunky mess reused for five Grand Theft Auto games. Also, just in case the sex and violence weren't going to be enough to get the game vilified in the mainstream media, they've added in the ability to get drunk which makes "walking and driving controls wobbly" and the camera shaky. Also, no more eating too much and getting fat (just like real life), and no more crazy outfits ("That's not the mood of this game," a Rockstar rep said), both perfectly reasonable limitations considering what appears to be a stronger emphasis on story and character.
While we didn't dig through the thousand upon thousands of words gathered in these half-dozen plus previews, we did assemble the links with the help of a tipster from RockstarWatch.net. Enjoy, and let us know if you spot anything we should all know about.
Read – Grand Theft Auto IV Details Unloaded ... [MTV News]
Read – GTA IV: A New Look [CVG]
Read – Grand Theft Auto IV UK Update [IGN]
Read – Grand Theft Auto IV - updated impressions [GamesRadar]
Read – Grand Theft Auto IV: Kikizo Preview 3 [Kikizo]
Read – GTA4 First Look [VideoGamer.com]
Read – Grand Theft Auto IV Preview [Team Xbox]
