GTA: IV Trailer

You couldn't consider yourself a gamer and not be aware that the first trailer for GTA: IV was going to be released today. Grand Theft Auto is one of the largest and most successful franchises in gaming. I have to say that the trailer, while short, is impressive. If all of the images are generated in game as is being claimed then Rockstar have literally taken the next step with large, open scale, sandbox games.

The lighting and detail of the city are unbelievable. With all of the turmoil surrounding Take Two and Rockstar currently I reckon this trailer is going to create a buzz in the gaming community. What would interest me is to see how they will do things differently this time. The Grand Theft Auto franchise is well established. Rockstar have developed the series and created new and interesting environments each time, however, what will be new in this one. I can't believe the images in the trailer are coming from a console. I think it is the first time that I have actually been in disbelief at the quality of the images. Gears of War is awesome and the Unreal 3 engine of the highest quality, but if Grand Theft Auto: IV is a world larger than San Andreas with the quality of visuals seen in the trailer then I think that gaming may have just reached the next level.

I wonder how the hardware differences on both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 will affect the game? The 360 with twice as much RAM may benefit over the PS3. While it has a seven cell processor it is still a relatively unknown device for developers. It seems that Rockstar don't have the same problems with the PS3 as do Valve and id. Considering all of the talk surrounding the development of Stalker and its subsequent release last week it looks like GTA: IV may steal its thunder.

The irony of it is that Grand Theft Auto has never been known for its graphics. Liberty City as it is shown in the trailer is one of amazing realism. It is almost a shame that the game will be taken up with crime related activities. It looks like a place where you could settle down and live for a while. It looks almost idyllic, as though you don't want to disrupt the easy rhythm of day to day life.

Let's see whether Rockstar can fill the new Liberty City with something new. Something which will revive the franchise and create an awesome game in the process.