Official PlayStation Magazine UK: Grand Theft Auto IV Details

Okay, we have some more details of Grand Theft Auto IV from the 14-page preview in the Official PlayStation Magazine of the UK. You know the drill, lets get straight to the breakdown.

• Francis McReary has criminal relatives.
• Stay on the right side of Bruce's attitude and he'll eventually let you use his chopper.
• Niko's contacts will call him 24/7, either to offer work or just wanting to:
• Meet up and go play pool, darts or bowling.
• Go to comedy or strip clubs.
• If it's business , then smuggling contraband to the docks.
• Betrayal is never far away.
• Just get drunk. Niko and Roman go into an ex-pat bar called Comrades and the screen goes black. Niko and Roman stagger out slurrig their words and laughing.
• Getting into the car while drunk is a task and a half, the camera lurches and the controls become hobbled.
• If Niko's gets capped, the screen will go black and white, he wakes up at the nearest hospital , wallet lighter but without losing his weapons.
• Hold L1 and Niko smashes out the driver's side window with his 9mm, then a crosshair appears, enabling Niko to shoot forwards.
• If you fail a mission, you don't have to drive back to the start , instead, your contact will text your mobile asking if you want to try again.
• Car passengers will suggest listening to the radio rather than talking.
• A Satellite Navigation system has been confirmed. A coloured line appears on the mini-map guiding Niko to his next objective or a waypoint that you've set on the main map screen. Make a wrong turn and it reacts quickly, redrawing the route without any fuss.
• Fancier cars even have a voice on the satellite navigation to read out the directions for you.
• Missions now auto-save when completed.
• Bonus features include Little Jacob letting giving you cut-price weaponry.
• Other Bonus features include Roman letting you use his taxi service.
• Playboy X has a penthouse loft in North Alderney.
• Brucie's past includes military service and time in prison.
• Playboy X's mentor is called Dwayne and he is fresh out of prison.
• Niko's mobile can also play music.
• Hold L2 Button to snap to the nearest bit of cover.
• Square Button handles blocking attacks.
• Pull the pins out of grenades with L2 Button.
• Press R2 to drop grenades out of vehicle windows.
• One of Niko's targets is called Lyle Rivas, he is at 99 Long Road.
• You can punch the address into the GPS and it calculates it for you.
• The magazine re-confirms that there are 18 radio stations in Grand Theft Auto IV.

[New GTA IV Preview, OPM UK - April 2008]