I got this off the xbox forums









The newest issue of Game Informer features a 10-page world exclusive preview of Grand Theft Auto IV, which is fast becoming the most awaited multiplatform game of 2007. GTA fansite The GTA Network has procured an advance copy of this issue, and has so far posted these interesting tidbits of information:

• The main character's name is Niko Bellic, which alludes to a name of Serbian or Croatian origin and not Russian, as people had once assumed.
• The game allows you to call your contacts directly via cell phone as opposed to having to wait for calls as in previous GTA games.
• The entire game will take place strictly within the confines of Liberty City, meaning that there will be no chances to fly to other cities.
• Details regarding multiplayer modes have yet to be announced.
• All game details have so far been taken only from the Xbox 360 demo of the game.

more info

• The protagonist's name is Niko Bellic - an Eastern European immigrant who has come to Liberty City to live the "American Dream."
• The GTA 4 equivalent of the Statue of Liberty is called the Statue of Happiness, and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is known as BOABO (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass).
• In Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar have recreated 4 of the 5 boroughs in New York, as well as part of New Jersey. Broker is the GTA IV equivalent of Brooklyn, Manhattan is now called Algonquin, Queens is now Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan, and New Jersey is Alderney. The map is smaller than San Andreas, but considerably more detailed. No countryside or desert, we are led to believe.
• Pedestrians are far more realistic in GTAIV than in previous GTA games - they sit on benches, smoke cigarettes, read books and generally act like any real pedestrian would in the middle of a street.
• The screenshots in the preview are not representative of the final quality of the graphics, Rockstar insist. The game will only look better as the release draws closer..
• Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed to be living a wonderful life there with two beautiful women, fifteen sports cars, and lots of money etc, but he was infact telling a lie in order to hide his own failures. Roman is the only person you know in Liberty City at the beginning of the game, and he becomes one of your major connections at the start. Niko is a tough character whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him - he needs Niko's support. They are constantly bickering.
• The demo (which was played on Xbox 360) begins with Bellic standing inside of the taxi depot, which Roman operates in the borough of Broker in a converted industrial garage. Roman works at a cluttered desk in a shabby environment, and at this point the graphical improvements are extremely evident. Bellic walks to a brownstone house in Broker, where he pushes open the door and pulls out his pistol - the house however, is not occupied.
• As Bellic walks, you can feel the weight behind each step he makes. Variations in the terrain cause realistic changes in the walking animation. The physics have also improved and character movements are more realistic.
• Multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto 4 is set to be announced, though Rockstar are remaining tight-lipped about what it involves...
• You can use a cellphone to call your contacts.
• Apparently there are no planes because there is only one city in the game.
• You have a lot of choice over what you want to do. You still have to take orders from people during missions, but you can also choose how you want to spend your time, e.g "I want to hang out with him, or her... I want to go see this guy 'cause he always has something to do..."
• The story unfolds in a number of different ways. R* is giving people more freedom, more choice and more sense of control over their destiny - the structure of the storyline is quite different to previous games.

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Can't wait for this game...love the GTA series!!!

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The main character's name is Niko Bellic, which alludes to a name of Serbian or Croatian origin and not Russian, as people had once assumed.

loads of people were saying he's Iraqi

Bellic is the guy in Prison Break... he doesn't look like a Serb or a Croat!!

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I hope some of it's false. Smaller than San Andreas and no planes

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i didnt really like the size of SA. It felt like there was too much dead space. Whenever I went for a ramble and crashed my car/bike/plane/helicopter then I had to walk for ages just to get to a road before having to find a car(easier said than done sometimes) Also I HATED CJ! He was such a ***** compared to Tommy Vercetti. I hope they can carry out their promises of a more detailed city because I wasnt exactly impressed with the third city in SA. It felt like they done loads of work on the first city, quite a bit on the second but just didnt really try wih the third.

Anyway bring on October!

I just put in for the race car or the jet pack

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Totally agree fitz0... SA did seem a bit TOO big... especially when you don't have a "go to" function to jump to a particular area of the maps!!

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not every game is like oblivion eh?

Yeah San Andreas was way too big, im glad they have made it smaller.