As you might be able to tell from our previews over the last few months, GameSpy's more than a little excited for Grand Theft Auto IV. The game promises to be a mega-hit both critically and commercially, with many early players even going so far as to call it "The Game of the Generation." While it's a bit too early for us to really divulge what we think of the game (be sure to check out our full review on Sunday morning!), we figured now would be as good a time as any to tell you about some of our favorite features in the game. While there's no denying that Grand Theft Auto IV is similar to the previous games in the series, there are plenty of new features that make this the best GTA to date. So, without further ado, let's check them out!

Taxi Cabs

It may not sound like a very big thing, but the ability to grab a taxi is one of the biggest innovations in the history of the series. Why, you ask? Well, remember all those times when you had to spend 10 or 15 minutes driving across the city to get to a mission? Now you can make the trip in just a few moments by hopping in a cab and paying a few extra dollars to skip to your destination.


Mission Replays

One of the biggest complaints people had about the previous games concerned the mission structure, specifically what happened when you failed one. With a few exceptions, failing a mission would force the player to backtrack all the way to the original locale. Now, all you've got to do to replay a mission is bring up your trusty cell phone and open your text messages to find a handy "Replay Mission" option. Along with the taxi cabs, this bodes well for casual fans who were frustrated by the previous games.

Waypoints

Although we're not about to suggest that Saints Row is better than any Grand Theft Auto games, THQ's urban sandbox title did bring one nifty feature to the proverbial table. The ability to set a waypoint on the world map made it a lot easier to get from point A to point B in the most efficient manner possible. Now GTA has followed suit. The game even has GPS speech in some vehicles for particularly clueless drivers.


Targeting

As was the case with previous Grand Theft Auto games, you'll once again be able to lock-on to your enemies during combat. However, Grand Theft Auto IV will feature a greater amount of control than the other titles, allowing players to fine-tune their aim with the right analog stick. This will allow you to take enemies down quickly with a headshot or cripple them with a bullet to the knee.