Grand Theft Auto IV [X360]

Except it's notably different. A red and blue search radius flashes on the mini-map, indicating the area in which the police will attempt to hunt us down. Line of sight plays a major role now; if the cops can see you, they know what you're up to, even sharing info by broadcasting your activities over the radio. Pull over and switch cars in sight of a cop and you'll hear the disheartening "suspect last seen on Maple Street driving a white Comet." While it's been confirmed that the handy Pay 'N Spray shops from the other games will appear in GTA IV, they won't be nearly as easy to find, so to lose the cops, you'll have to get out of sight and make it outside the search radius intact. Niko manages that by driving off the side of a bridge and hauling tailpipe down a remote hillside road.

Shortly thereafter, his phone reminds him of his interview with that law firm, so he heads down to Perseus, a local upscale clothing store, to get some appropriate threads. Unlike San Andreas, you won't be customizing your character with a giant rainbow afro or bulking up at the gym. Clothing is still essential to the gameplay, however, so Niko buys a nice brown suit and matching shoes for his showdown with the problematic attorney.

Eventually Niko reaches the swanky law firm and is led by the receptionist to his fake interview, all handled seamlessly with no load times. After a short sit down with the mark, Niko gets to the point by whipping out his nine, prompting the lawyer to reveal Rockstar's playful sense of humor by uttering the line "Guns don't kill people, video games do." A doff of the cap to Jack Thompson? Who knows, but it's impossible to ignore the smirk on the developers' faces as Niko resolves the issue with a nice shot to the chest -- right in the middle of a law firm, no less, leading to another firefight.

This time, Niko has to fight his way out of the building, a prime opportunity to show off Rockstar's upgraded RAGE engine. Incorporating Natural Motion's "Euphoria" technology, GTA IV's physics are as good as any we've seen in a console game, particularly when it comes to character weight. A guard gets shot in the leg and starts to limp; a bullet in the belly pushes him backwards for a tumble down a staircase. The overused rag-doll effect seen in most action games in which characters flop around like weightless blow-up dolls has been jettisoned in favor of eerily realistic reactions.

One of the few big knocks on the GTA franchise is its problematic targeting system. GTA IV features an auto-aim function that looks more intuitive and intelligent than before. A blind fire system lets Niko trade bullets while tucked safely behind any object in the game. Taking a page from first-person shooter, he can also lean around corners. Both of these abilities come in handy as he makes his way through the building and out into the waiting arms of a gaggle of cop cars. This three-star Wanted level proves too much to overcome; after a lengthy shootout our star lies motionless in the middle of the road, snuffed out by a hail of bullets.

That ends the demo, but plenty of questions remain. How is death handled? How does the melee system work? And what's all this about multiplayer through a cell phone? Our inquiries are met with the classic Rockstar roadblock -- no comment at this time -- but expect to hear more as we inch closer to the October 16 release date.