Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Genre: Action
Release: April 29, 2008
Players: Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Rating: RP (Rating pending)
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Gallery: Grand Theft Auto IV

There are certain games that when a new installment is on the horizon, the general gaming community gets whipped into a frenzy. Of course there are your Marios and Halos, but there is no real series that gets the gears of controversy turning quite like Grand Theft Auto.

With Grand Theft Auto IV slated for an April 29th release, information and screenshots from Rockstar have started to flow from the floodgates at an increasing rate. To get one thing clear, this game has absolutely nothing to do with the last couple of games. Just as they did with GTA III and its new engine, GTA IV and its RAGE engine have ushered in a new storyline with completely new characters and completely revamped styles of gameplay.

Thanks to the releases of blockbuster titles at the end of 2007, much of the information regarding GTA IV seems to have flown under the radar. The question from all of this is, however, will Rockstar deliver? Or will it be another "murder simulator" with prettier graphics?

What they've shown us:

From what the public has seen so far, there doesn't seem to be too many glaring differences between GTA IV and the other games in the series. Although there has been a change in location (albeit it's still Liberty City) and much better graphics than its previous counterparts, GTA IV looks to be a little bit of more of the same; although to be fair, there hasn't been any actual gameplay footage to showcase what makes this one different.

The only information we have been able to get a hold of has been through the three trailers that Rockstar released, each one focusing on a specific aspect of the game. The first trailer, titled “Things Will Be Different” was released on March 29, 2007 and interest in the game seemed to bring the entire internet to its knees, bringing down Rockstar's servers and other gaming sites along with it. As the first trailer, it served as an introduction to the new protagonist Nikolai Bellic, an Eastern European man who came to the U.S. looking for a better life. The biggest shock with the trailer, however, is the locations highlighted in it. Although the city itself is called Liberty City, there are key areas within the city that look almost identical to landmarks in New York City, including Times Square and the Brooklyn Bridge.

That trailer was followed by another titled “Looking for That Special Someone.” Released on June 28, 2007, this trailer shows a little bit more action, with Niko hanging from a helicopter skid and getting in firefights with gang members. Damage effects, the new combat's cover system and the upgraded police force were shown in full effect, with some references to the other games.

The third and final trailer shown was entitled “Move Up, Ladies.” While the previous two trailers had story elements in them, this trailer has a lot of story in it, showing Niko's arrival into Liberty City and his meeting with his cousin, Roman. Ultimately, after seeing Niko with some ladies and getting attacked by a gang, Niko and Roman are seen being interrogated and Niko's ultimate salvation is offered to him by joining the gang and doing work for them, thus bringing to light a major part of Grand Theft Auto IV's story.