2. Grand Theft Auto IV
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox
360
Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV was unfortunately delayed last summer about a month
after the game's all-too-brief preview at E3 2007 (which should have been a hint
of the news to come). The game's epic launch date was pushed back from October
to the following spring amid rumors about development issues for the PS3
platform. But the bright side is that, according to Rockstar Games, whatever
technical issues that plagued the game have now been fixed. And it's most likely
that GTA IV will be worth the wait. For one, the game boasts an all-new,
redesigned Liberty City that looks and feels like its real-life inspiration, New
York City. While the map is reportedly smaller than what Grand Theft Auto: San
Andreas offered, the GTA IV environment shines like none before it, with
gorgeous landmarks and authentic details. Even better, perhaps, is the newest
GTA title will be powered by the RAGE game engine, which provided the graphics
for Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis. In addition to the graphics upgrade,
GTA IV gets an additional coat of polish with NaturalMotion's Euphoria
technology (also used in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed) for 3D character
animation. The GTA series has been known for gameplay - and wanton violence -
much more so than its graphics, but it looks like GTA IV will change that. The
game's story follows a new character, Nikolai "Niko" Bellic, who has emigrated
from Eastern Europe to Liberty City at the behest of his cousin Roman in the
hopes of living the American Dream. It turns out that Roman is in deep trouble
with some shady characters, and Niko is forced to take action with the Liberty
City underworld. With new gameplay features, multiplayer modes, and enhanced
graphics, GTA IV could rival the current highlight of the series, Vice City.
Upside: Nobody does sandbox gameplay better than
Rockstar.
Downside: Let's hope whatever technical problems
that caused the delay have been corrected.
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