Grand Theft Auto IV [PS3]

''The thief is scheduled to meet McReary near a park at a lookout spot in order to exchange a suitcase of cash for a memory stick with some incriminating photos. Neither McReary nor Niko knows what the thief looks like, which is where a bit of investigative phone calling comes into play. Once Niko is at the spot and in position to see everyone in the area, he calls the thief's cell phone. Scanning the crowd and picking out someone who may be on the other end of the phone, Niko keeps him talking while he gets closer, then hangs up to see if his potential target follows suit. He does and confirms his identity, so Niko quickly pulls a gun and fires two shots into his face.

The first killing we witness in GTAIV is a brutal one, and it's quickly evident that the game's violence matches its more realistic look. Shots ring out from Niko's handgun like claps of thunder and startle everyone in the area. The thief's head kicks back oddly when hit as his body goes numb, quickly slouching to the ground. His death isn't as brutal as those that we'd seen in another recent Rockstar title, but it's certainly not as cartoony as what you would find in the last three GTA titles.

With people scattering everywhere, Niko grabs the evidence, puts away his weapon and heads off to find an escape. Jumping into the nearest vehicle, he speeds away as cops flock to the scene. Unlike previous GTA games where you simply must stay hidden for a bit to escape, you must now flee the scene and get outside of the cops' search radius.

Based on the severity of the crime(s), the police will search a circular area of a given radius. Every time you're spotted, the search area re-centers on your location and you have to go that much further to finally get away. Switching cars and such helps in that while you'll still have to exit the search zone in order to rid yourself of wanted stars (of which there still appear to be six), the cops will have a harder time recognizing you and you'll be more likely to drive past them.

Once free, Niko buys some time before his interview by picking up some new threads. Gone are a number of the expansive customization options from San Andreas, like the ability to gain and lose weight (that compromises the physics interactions) or wear a pink wig. Instead, your options here are more grounded in order to make Niko and the overall experience feel more realistic.

Inside a high-end men's clothing store called Perseus, Niko slips on a chocolate suit and some new shoes in order to pass for an up-and-coming, fire-talking lawyer. His phone goes off and alerts him that it's time for the interview, and he's off.

Ringing the front buzzer, Niko tells the secretary that he's there for his interview. After being buzzed in, he's escorted into Goldberg's office and sits down across from him on the other side of his desk. Our anti-hero calmly takes in the opening sections of the interview and lets things settle before standing up, brandishing his weapon and, surprisingly, impressing the lawyer with his "go get 'em" attitude. Though the interview seemed to be going well even after pulling a weapon, Niko isn't in need of a job and points his weapon at the lawyer and demands the evidence against McReary. After learning that it's right there on the edge of his desk, Niko fires off a couple shots into the lawyer's chest and sends him hurling through his office window.

Heading back towards the main lobby to get outside again, Niko quickly runs into a series of guards and must trade bullets for survival. Here's where we get a clear look at two new elements of combat for the series - the ability to freely aim and the cover system.''