[update] New details emerge on GTA IV

Fellow c-blogger Kryptinite beat me to part of what I was going to post, so I�ll just summarize his post by saying that Rockstar sent out an email this morning confirming that the official release date for Grand Theft Auto IV has been set for Tuesday, April 29, 2008. In other words, we�ll all be able to get our grubby paws on the game in 96 days, or just under 14 weeks. I still haven�t decided whether or not I�ll be picking up the tricked-out special edition, which will retail for a 50% premium over the cost of the game itself (for those of you who are mathematically challenged, that�s $90 as opposed to $60). I�m not sure that I�d ever use the safe deposit box � though I suppose that a duffel bag is always useful, and that an art book would be a nice collectible to show off. What sayeth you, Dtoiders?


The safe deposit box and duffel bag just seem extraneous and excessive, don�t they?

I also wanted to alert you all to some new coverage of the game, courtesy of IGN. Along with ten new screenshots, a three-page preview of a new build of the game was posted yesterday. Yes, I said yesterday, but I�m sure there are plenty of you who haven�t seen it yet, so don�t bother posting �old news is old� in the comments. Written up by Chris Roper, the feature discussed footage of the game that was demoed to IGN (apparently, the game was running on a 360). I won�t bore you guys with copypasta; instead, I�ll just give you the gist of the updated look at the game. According to the article, three different missions were shown: �Search and Delete�, �Deconstruction for Beginners�, and �Truck Hustle�. Lastly, Roper got a look at a portion of another mission that sounded somewhat similar to �Boomshine Saigon� from GTA: Vice City.


Flaming group sex under the Brooklyn Bridge? I�m so there.

The first mission was a �find and take out one guy� excursion; the second had Niko cajole a group of union leaders into resuming work; and the last one required stealing a truck. Roper wrote that the game �looks to be just about done,� and in line with that, he mentioned that framerate issues from prior builds were nowhere to be seen. Also, the full missions were shown, so Rockstar didn�t pick select footage to display to IGN. Roper commented repeatedly on the NaturalMotion physics engine and the lack of canned animations in the game. He also had a chance to see the overhauled combat system in action: Niko took cover, as did his enemies; and to me, the new targeting system that he detailed sounds a lot like the one in the True Crime games. Overall, I was very impressed with what Roper talked about in the preview, and it really served to whet my appetite for the game (I was already going to buy it as soon as it came out anyway, but I just get more excited with more information on it). Check out the full preview over at IGN, and let me know what you guys think by hitting up the comments below.

Update: I didn�t notice this before, but IGN UK put up its own preview of the new build of the game, penned by Martin Robinson. Check it out for a different take.