C.J. recklessly defied the law in his effort to own the streets of San Andreas in the most recent Grand Theft Auto release. Tommy monopolized and terrorized Vice City just a few years ago in GTA: Vice City. Producer Rockstar Games is now ready to introduce their newest title in the respected Grand Theft Auto franchise when GTA: IV hits shelves on April 29th for the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360.

Niko Bellic, the newest protagonist -- or villain, depending on the gamer's perception -- will serve as the game's main character. From stills and trailers released by Rockstar Games, Niko is a chiseled, middle-aged Russian man with a short buzz cut and an unkempt goatee. He is a recent immigrant to America and, despite the cheap track suit he sports during the trailers, Niko has the look of a hardened criminal. Niko's cousin Ramon lured him to the states with false promises of a lavish lifestyle when, in reality, Ramon only wished to enlist Niko's help in straightening out his dishevelled life. Every major crime boss in the Liberty City area has put a price on Ramon's head, and the game starts with Niko arriving in Liberty City under false pretenses. Ramon owns a struggling taxi service and, at the onset of the game, he serves as Niko's only connection.

From that point on, Niko makes more connections and engages in familiar activities to the GTA series, be it "borrowing" passing automobiles or "taking care of" problems for various "businessmen." The game boasts a slew of new features, however, to those who tire of the recurring themes in the GTA franchise. For starters, the tall buildings lining the busy streets of Liberty City are now entirely accessible, from the top floor to the bottom, adding an unprecendented amount of realism. Additionally, carjacking -- previously limited to swinging open a door and tossing the driver out -- has been extended to include the jacking of parked cars via shattering windows and hotwiring the steering mechanism. The online component, though still relatively mysterious to the public, is poised to make the beloved GTA series twice as enjoyable by opening the already massive landscape of Liberty City to include other gamers. Game modes that will be available online include Team Deathmatch, Team Mafiya Work, Team Car Jack City, Cops n' Crooks, and Turf War. Working cooperatively in an open world with no boundaries or limitations promises to revolutionize the capability of all video games, while allowing gamers to pit their gritty skills in the world of GTA against eachother.

Rockstar's GTA series has always had a knack for stirring up controversy, from the constant "Mature" rating of its games to the government-disputed "hot-cofee" patch in GTA: San Andreas. But GTA titles have always stirred up stellar reviews as well, and Grand Theft Auto: IV has the potential to capture all of the former appeal of the series while pushing the game-play to a fresh, ingenuitive tier of quality and playability. In fact, Xbox Magazine has rewarded the game with a score of 10 out of 10, citing the games' "...amazingly realistic world" and "...hugely entertaining multiplayer" as the reasons.