Loads of new GTAIV details rounded up

With scans of the latest Game Informer hitting the net earlier today, our paymasters at Joystiq have uncovered lots of juicy details about Grand Theft Auto IV. There are so many details, in fact, that it would be impossible to enumerate them without the aid of a bulleted list. Lucky for everyone, we have such a function handy for just this kind of situation. Many of these bits were copied directly from Joystiq because we're lazy to preserve clarity. So, here we go.

Setting: re-created Liberty City which is a much better representation of the real life New York city. The game area is technically smaller than San Andreas, but it is also denser.

• MetLife building = "Getalife"
• Statue of Liberty = "Statue of Happiness"
• DUMBO = "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass
• Area includes an adaptation of four of NYC's boroughs (no love for Staten Island), and a section of Jersey:
• Manhattan = "Algonquin" (The Lenape did speak an Algonquin language from which our word "Manhattan" is derived)
• Brooklyn = "Broker"
• Queens = "Dukes" (a duke ranks just below a prince)
• Bronx = "Bohan"
• New Jersey = "Alderney" (also named for one of the British Channel Islands -- or a breed of cattle)

Main character: Niko Bellic; "Eastern European" (non-specific country, in keeping with the GTA theme we'll call it Communislovakia)

• Niko is called to America by his cousin Roman, who claims to be living the American dream with 2 women, 4 hot tubs, and 15 sports cars. In reality, Roman runs a taxi depot in Broker and is in serious trouble.
• "Many of Niko's activities revolve around being a criminal" (Really? Wow.)
  

Miscellaneous:

• NPCs: lots of "non-American" characters, varied behaviors (e.g., shopping, drinking, smoking, chirping, hurrying, or just maxing on the stoop), "context sensitive," and dependent on environment; more freaks: "angry yuppies" and "lunatics"
• Dynamic storyline: "A big part of the game is delivering story in new ways and allowing the player to plot their [sic] own destiny"; less of a sense of being a slave to NPCs' demands; communication is also dynamic (in person, by celly, etc.)
• No planes; but motorbikes
• Improved physics; characters' movements are influenced by weight and variations in physical terrain
• Emphasis on night and day lighting
• Seamless loading after initial boot (even between indoor and outdoor environments)
• No details about targeting system -- but Rockstar claims to have found the new "sweet spot"
• Voice casting will not focus on big-name stars; soundtrack will reflect 2007
• Crime experts and ex-police have helped Rockstar create a realistic contemporary criminal atmosphere (i.e., it's not the 80s or 90s anymore; crime and crime-fighting have evolved)
• Multiplayer confirmed; not MMO
• Both Xbox 360 and PS3 version will 'likely' be identical; Xbox 360 version will include exclusive episodic content (what about PS3?)

So there you have it folks. Drink it in. We can only assume this is the tip of the iceberg and that we'll be hearing plenty more before the game's release. Hit the "read" link for the full rundown.