Sure, you've seen the trailers for Grand Theft Auto IV, and you've likely watched them more than once, dissecting them constantly in a futile attempt to theorize about what the game'll actually be like. Here's what we do know: the hero, Niko Bellic, has just come to Liberty City, seemingly to get a fresh start on life. We also know that it's bound to go horribly wrong. We also know that Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis was the first showcase of RAGE (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine), and it would show off what GTA IV could look like. Now, after a 45 minute-long demo last week, we've now got a much better idea of what the new Liberty City entails, and frankly, yes, it's looking as good as you think. In fact, it was so nice that Rockstar showed it to us twice; first to show it off, then to explain everything in-game.

The build that we saw is still a work in progress. Voiceovers are still being implemented, so much of the in-game content we saw was dependent on subtitles. Most of the music we heard is placeholder; at the moment, we're not sure if any of it will actually be in the final game. We also noticed subtle differences that spell out the leap from PS2-era games to now. For example, the pause menu looks dramatically different. Instead of the familiar font style from GTA III, this menu is far more minimal. Think if American Apparel's design team came up with an in-game pause menu, and you're getting there.


As a heads-up for hardcore fans, Liberty City's boroughs are getting new names. Algonquin is Manhattan, Broker is Brooklyn, Dukes is Queens, Bohan is the Bronx, and Alderney is New Jersey. We're still not sure how Rockstar North plans to prevent you from crossing over to another borough prematurely, but then, like everything else, it's still a work in progress. With that, our demo started up in Star Junction, which is the equivalent of Times Square. Niko is en route to meet Francis McReary, a crooked LCPD detective who, from what we can tell, is blackmailing him. As the main section of our demo, McReary wants him to go and infiltrate the law firm of Goldberg, Leiner, & Shyster. Of course, there's stuff that goes down along the way as well.

It's in these steps that you'll see the most dramatic differences in this GTA. Just as GTA III felt like a slice of New York pre-9/11, GTA IV feels like a return to the fake Big Apple in the world of today, with all of today's accoutrements. In Star Junction, Niko gets a call on his cell phone, which is in the lower-right corner of the screen. His cell phone is a lifeline of sorts. You won't need to hit pay phones or worry about pagers anymore. You'll be able to call your contacts as necessary. Instead of waiting, you'll be able to take the initiative on your own.

After the call, Niko heads out of Star Junction to get a gun. Oh, and he buys a hot dog. We don't know about pulling your car over and picking up ladies of the evening, but for now, we're sure that you'll regain health through food and rest. And by rest, we've been told that it's in the literal sense; you won't have an interface like Gears of War or Halo in which you can back away from a firefight to heal your wounds and jump right back in.