Yesterday Rockstar Australia invited AusGamers down to watch a controlled demo of Grand Theft Auto 4 in action. Sporting the latest build from Rockstar North, we were shown many of the game's overall improvements as well as a touch of the mission types, open-world game design and sheer style of what GTA IV is going to be all about.

Alongside some new screens released today (which can be viewed by clicking here), you can jump into our in-depth hands-off impressions of what is already poised to be the biggest title of 2008.

Update: Rockstar have revealed GTA IV's release date in Australia finally. Get down to your local game store and pre-order your copy for the 29th of April 2008.

Already this is a no-brainer for biggest release of the year

ROTY?

Fallout 3 = biggest release of the year imo

Damn right, Fallout 3 > GTA4.

Fall-what? Surely you jest

Im looking foward to this, and prototype a whole bunch

f*** those screens looks awesome.
much more promising than what I got from the first teaser video.

That looks sexier than trog with a bandana.

i anticipate fallout 3 much more then this, but i know ill enjoy gta4,

Anyone else not really caring about this game? Its like Unreal Tournament 200x games for me, release after release after release. Theres already 10 or so GTA games.

Warhammer Online is also competing for biggest release of the year.

last edited by sif greazy at 20:19:41 24/Jan/08

Fall-what? Surely you jest

ffffffff

http://www.artshole.co.uk/arts/artists/ella/Paul Day/anger.jpg

last edited by Pharcyde at 20:49:37 24/Jan/08

Steve you have an amazing talent of turning opinions and feelings towards games.

At first I wasn't too exited about GTA4, but now I am quite interested.

Starcraft 2 is meant to be October 08

Anyone else not really caring about this game? Its like Unreal Tournament 200x games for me, release after release after release. Theres already 10 or so GTA games.

Uh, what?

First up, I'll admit I'm biased. I didn't enjoy an Unreal game until UT2004 and even then I only gave it a couple of weeks. I've always had the same complaints about them and I'm continually vindicated every year when they release a new version and the exact same thing happens - light initial interest, never achieves critical mass, never takes off.

But, I've enjoyed the hell out of every GTA game since (and including) GTA3. Well, there's only really been two (Vice City and San Andreas) but I'm continually impressed each version by how much extra stuff they've managed to cram in.

I think SA was really hitting the limits of the PS2 hardware (and hence the limits of what they could do with it) so I'm really hanging to see what they can do with the new version. GTA3 defined the "sandbox" style of game and I'm really surprised more games haven't been following in its footsteps - there's certainly been a few though.

Fallout 3 will hopefully be a great game and will be pretty popular within communities like this one but you are on crack if you think it will be anywhere near as big a release as GTA IV. GTA will be a huge release.

Really good crack too.

International Release Date: April 29, good read there Steve, the Euphoria system sounds great to be finally implemented :)

From IGNs preview with Euphoria:

"In one mission, you need to chase down a truck, leap on and then scale it bit by bit. All of this is complicated by Niko's Euphoria-enabled skeletal system that makes him susceptible to inertia and momentum. As the truck turns corners, you need to counterbalance him – otherwise, he'll fly over the edge and cling for dear life. Make it all the way to the front and Niko will swing in feet-first through the side window and swiftly remove the driver from his seat. Not only is it tense, but it adds the same kind of tangible accomplishment at the end as scaling a complex environment in a platformer. Plus, watching the driver thud and splatter on the pavement is perversely entertaining."

http://i28.tinypic.com/taiw3l.gif

Sounds good.

I think it goes without saying that SSBB will be GOTF (game of the forever).

Hot damn that euphoria system sounds brilliant. Always wondered if/when something like this would come along. If this actualy works the way it is supposed to then I can see it becoming a norm in every game soon.