ALDERNEY - "Industrial wasteland meets suburban hell."

If Algonquin is the privileged child of the Liberty City family, then Alderney is most definitely the retarded younger brother -- an endless sea of run-down homes peppered with phallus-like smokestacks thrusting into the sickly clouds above. Simply put? Nobody wants to live in Alderney, and those that are unfortunate enough to live in the district desperately want to get out.

DUKES - "Like the suburbs, only worse."

The closest thing to sanity that could possibly be found in Liberty City, complete with overpriced condominiums and unavailable parking. You may even be tempted to refer to the district as "comfortable". Diverse and densely populated, Dukes is home to both the Francis International Airport and Steinway Beer Garden.

BROKER - "Churches, hipsters and housing projects."

The region of Broker is rich in American history, and equally rich in Eastern European immigrants. As of late, the district has also taken to "sprucing up" its ragged image through the restoration of older, run-down neighbourhoods. Don't let Carney Island fool you, though; Broker is just as rough-and-tumble as any other Liberty City district.

Main Features - GAMEPLAY

Niko can use a mobile phone to recieve calls and phone his contacts in order to arrange missions. He can also use it to call taxis and purchase weapons. The options presented on the phone's LCD are Phonebook, Messages, Organizer, and Camera. The phone can also be used to access multiplayer.

Pedestrians perform realistic actions. They smoke cigarettes, read books and newspapers, drop litter, talk on mobile phones, walk in and out of buildings, and generally act like any normal pedestrian in a real city would.

Mobile phones are a big part of Grand Theft Auto IV's gameplay. GTA IV features fifteen multiplayer modes, which can be accessed through the mobile phone. Multiplayer supports up to sixteen players, and the game modes include Deathmatch, Mafiya Work, Cops n' Crooks and Free Mode.

It is possible to surf the internet in GTA4 via internet cafés. It is available from any computer in the game, and provides a hub for all sorts of interactivity within Liberty City. There are over 100 in-game internet websites.

In GTA IV, you will gain a police wanted level for any crime that you commit, providing there are witnesses present. The police can only chase you if they know where you are, and they need to see you to know where you are. If you escape the search area marked on the radar without being spotted, your wanted level will disappear.

In terms of scale, GTA IV is about the same size as GTA: San Andreas, but the map size is considerably smaller. This is mainly due to the fact there is no desert or countryside in Liberty City. Liberty City in GTA4 is the biggest single city that R* have ever created.

GTA4 contains fifteen multiplayer modes, supporting up to 16 players. In GTA IV, the line between on- and off-mission has been blurred, and the story is less linear. It is also possible to do more than one mission at a time. For example, some missions take place over several days and may involve waiting for phonecalls or attending interviews, and you are free to carry out other business during the waiting period.
The story can be told in a number of different ways. Rockstar are trying to give people greater freedom and sense of control over their destiny. You now have a lot more choice in what you want to do.

Niko has the ability to climb and descend telephone poles, and exterior fire escapes.

Every street in Liberty City contains a street sign with a name on it.
Cars feature GPS navigation systems, which identify the best routes to take during missions, and highlight them on the radar.

Developing relationships with characters is an important aspect of the gameplay. Maintaining good relationships will provide different rewards to Niko. Niko can socialise with other characters in order to maintain a good relationship, for example they can go bowling together, they can go to the cabaret, go to comedy clubs, and go drinking together.

GTA IV - Now Available!

Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA IV. GTA4. Whatever you want to call it, the facts remain the same: Rockstar's latest entry into the Grand Theft Auto family is a total success, walking away with perfect (and slightly-below-perfect) scores across the board. And if you don't believe the scores, guess what? You can now play the game! Folks in the UK, Europe and Australia can now rush out and pick up Grand Theft Auto IV from their local retailers, and North American residents will be able to do the same in a few hours from now. (This means, of course, that you can finally stop picking through all of the little preview details and enjoy the Grand Theft Auto IV experience for yourself.)

While everyone else is taking a break from the daily grind to prep themselves for GTA IV, we here at the GTA Network are going into overdrive. We're going to jump right into post-launch mode as soon as we get our own grubby little fingers on the game, ensuring that we continue to deliver the best quality of Grand Theft Auto IV content that you can find. (We're also hard at work on wrapping up our GTA4.NET redesign, so you have that to look forward to as well.)

While we understand that you may want to keep yourself away from the sites and forums for a while -- spoilers are no fun, after all -- don't forget to check back in with us for in-depth Grand Theft Auto IV coverage in the weeks, and months, to come. The game may be out, but we're just getting started!

So, on behalf of all of the staff of the GTA Network, I'd like to offer our sincerest thanks to all of you for checking in with us on a (very) regular basis. Thanks to Rockstar Games, as well, for raising the bar (yet again!) when it comes to the complete gaming experience.

With all of that said and done -- we'll see you in Liberty City. Cheers!

UPDATE: Residents of North America are starting to swarm to their nearest gaming retailer to pick up their copies of Grand Theft Auto IV. I hit up the local Future Shop here in Kingston, Ontario at approximately 10:00pm -- a solid two hours before the midnight release -- to ensure that I had a spot in line. To my great surprise, not only was I the first one in line, but I was joined by some friends from college as well as a few individuals who had discovered GTA4.NET earlier in the day. A big shout to Hammy, as per his request, for recognizing the Rockstar satchel and actually knowing who I was. (Yes, Hammy, I am from Kingston!)

Cheers to everyone, and I hope you enjoy the game. As for me? I'll be preoccupied for the next few hours... or days. See you in game!