As you may have read in our most recent preview of Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar's upcoming open-world actioner is looking quite polished, and has gameplay to match. While GameSpot UK's last preview delved into some of the mission specifics you can expect to find when the game ships globally at the end of April, we here at GameSpot AU have decided to add some more grist to the GTA IV mill by taking you on a tour of what the world of Liberty City generally feels and plays like.

　　Cinematic car views--awesome, but tough to drive in.

　　From an extended hands-on play session of the 360 version of the game at Rockstar's Sydney offices, there's probably one word which springs to mind when trying to describe the feel of the next-gen Liberty City: convincing. And when we say convincing, we don't mean photo-quality graphics--we mean detail. Rockstar is, of course, no stranger to scope and size when it comes to their open worlds, but what they've done in GTA IV is pack a tremendous amount of extra detail not seen in previous entries in the series. From realistic road and building textures that subtly change depending on surfaces and lighting to graffiti being found in the most tucked-away corner of a narrow alleyway, the new Liberty City looks how you'd imagine a videogame representation of a big city should be.

　　That detail extends down into the characters which populate the world. While we've seen games with sharper models (cut-scenes featuring close-ups of character faces in GTA IV aren't the game's prettiest moments), what Liberty's residents do have is top-notch animation. Facial expressions are particularly impressive. Coupled with an over-the-top script (a staple of the series which seem to get funnier with each new game), GTA IV's expressive characters add an impressive level of immersiveness during the game's many cut scenes.

　　Much has been made previously about the game's use of Natural Motion's Euphoria engine, which lends even more physics-based movement to in-game characters. Euphoria in essence gets rid of canned animations, instead imbuing each character with a simulated skeletal structure, muscle structure, and central nervous system which reacts on the fly to differing physical situations. This has resulted in more realistic movements from the cast of GTA IV which--in theory--should be unique every time. When we first got our hands on the controls for GTA IV, the first thing we did was take central character Niko on a slow walk through the streets, bumping into passers-by to see how they would react. Initially, Niko would use his hands to gently push aside pedestrians in his way, but as we picked up speed and broke into a jog, the people we bumped into all showcased different reactions to the event. Some would stumble, others would fall, and no two incidents looked exactly the same. Niko himself is a top example of Euphoria in action--he leans his body when running in the direction of his turn, and he takes a few steps to come to a full stop after halting from a full sprint. While most of the effects of the use of Euphoria are quite subtle, one not-so-subtle thing we tried out was car surfing. At one busy intersection, we made Niko climb to the roof of a stationary car. As the car slowly started to drive away, Niko was clearly seen shifting his weight from foot to foot in order to keep balanced. When the car put on a sudden burst of acceleration, Niko flew off the vehicle backwards, rolling a few times on the road before stopping in a heap.

　　Combat is much more refined in GTA IV.

　　Of course, being an insane car-surfing pedestrian isn't what the Grand Theft Auto series is all about, so we also made sure we got some quality time with the driving and combat sections of the game. Driving controls in the new Liberty City are as easy as it's always been in GTA games, with each different type of vehicle exhibiting a unique feel. New to the series are some new cinematic viewing angles, which players can initiate while in a moving car to give driving a snazzier look. These can include camera angles from low down on the vehicle's left side, a wide view from down the street, and more. Be warned, however--driving controls do not change with the new viewing angle, which meant that we found it extremely difficult to even drive in a straight line when we hit the cinematic button.

　　Combat mechanics are what have received the biggest overhaul from previous GTA games, with a new cover mechanic implemented and a refined targeting system put in place. Niko can take cover behind any suitable piece of the environment with the press of a button, and can also run from cover to cover (should those two pieces of cover be close enough to one another, that is). The mysterious Russian can also blind-fire quite effectively from behind cover by simply placing the targeting reticule (using the left analog stick) over the intended target. The right analog stick is used to flick from enemy to enemy, but small movements on the stick will instead move the reticule around a target's body. And yes, this does make headshots somewhat easier, but by no means a breeze. The overall effect of these changes is generally more enjoyable gunplay, and is certainly the most fun we've had while shooting in a GTA game. Cover adds a tactical element which makes firefights more exciting, while body targeting is a great way to show off an enemy's Euphoria-induced reactions to your hot lead.

　　Niko's not just handy with a piece though. GTA IV's main character is also an adept hand-to-hand fighter. Like in other GTAs, a dust-up is initiated by simply targeting an opponent with no weapons in your hands. There are two punch buttons and one kick, which can be used to string together a variety of different combos. Niko also has a block button to deflect blows. As befitting his murky past, Niko features some sweet counterattacks, which are initiated by pressing block as an opponent swings and then quickly pressing one of the punch buttons. During our session, we randomly picked fights with the innocent citizens to see their different reactions. Some would cower, plenty fought back, and we found ourselves in one particularly precarious spot with one combatant. This Liberty City denizen--dressed in his finest wide-lapelled white suit--proved to be quite the pugilist, deflecting our blows and pummeling poor Niko in the process. We decided to stop playing fair and selected our pistol to finish things off. But as soon as we pulled out a gun, our opponent quickly pulled out a shotgun and perforated Niko's lungs.

　　We'll have much more on GTA IV before its April release. Stay tuned to GameSpot.