Preview: Grand Theft Auto IV (Page 2 of 5)
On a Mission...
The first thing Rockstar wanted to show us was a quick visit with Brucie, the steroid-pumping shirtless guy from the "Move Up, Ladies" trailer. Brucie works as a mechanic with some shady deals on the side. After an interaction between the two, Brucie asks Niko to kill an informant named Lyle Rivas, before Lyle has a chance to testify against him in court. Niko shrugs off the part about killing if the price is right. We're beginning to see how cold and ruthless Niko Bellic actually is.
Niko first needs to steal a police car. Easy enough, but it issues a wanted level of one star. Inside the police car, Niko has full access to the police database where he can search, via keypad, for Lyle Rivas. The police scanner immediately locates Rivas in the Broker burrow and marks a waypoint on the map that dynamically guides the player to the next objective. Note that some high-end cars will have talking GPS.
Rockets are now fueled by the RAGE physics engine and will skip off the ground like flat stones in a pond if fired at extreme obtuse angles.
When Niko rolls up on Rivas, he is taking a piss surrounded by a handful of cronies. Niko takes out the loose change one by one and Rivas takes off running. He gets in a car and now it's time to chase him down. The Rockstar rep then showcased the new free-aim targeting mode while driving, which allows Niko to fire in any direction around the car (not just right and left drive, as was the old "drive-by" mechanic).
He begins weaving in and out of oncoming traffic and popping out the window to takes shots at Rivas whenever he can. It's a long chase, but thanks to the new B-button camera function, players can orient the camera to stay focused on moving targets (or switch between more cinematic camera angles when not in combat).
As the chase leads onto the Broker Bridge, Niko finally gets close to Rivas and, "Bam!" All of a sudden Niko's ride ignites, and a massive explosion vaults Niko out of his ride...and he lives! (Apparently unlike past GTA games, you can survive a car explosion in GTA IV). After a short foot chase on the bridge, Niko utilizes the new targeting system to make quick work of Rivas.
A new targeting system is just one piece of GTA IV's impressive new combat.
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