So, I haven't finished GTA IV, but here's how I'm finding it so far.

Well, it starts off showing a guy getting punished by a mistress. Kinda freaky, but whatever. After a while of conversation, sprinkled with the ever colourful accent of the "old country". Niko is a man who wants a new start in The Land Of Opporunity, and his cousin promises this, but, his cousin is a filthy liar. The first thing I noticed, is that Niko is a generally likeable guy. Previous entries in the GTA series have had us running around as Tommy Vercetti,the typical criminal. Unfortunately, due to the Hot Coffee controversy, I missed out on San Andreas, but what I did play of SA was not impressing.

Anyway, Liberty City is all new. The minute you walk out onto the street, it screams New York. It even comes with foul-mouthed New Yorkers. It rocks. So, I went to steal a car, and I am used to jumping in, and finding the keys in the ignition. But, the door was locked. This was expected. But what shocked me, was Niko smashed the window, and the game had me hitting the triggers, madly hot wiring the car. Unfortunately, the police saw me, and I was into a chase.

The driving in the game has also been revised. Instead of flying around corners at 110km/h, with no reprecussions, you will find yourself having to brake, lest you spin out and end up with your car in a wall. But, have no fear. For most cars, this is a simple thing, and will feel fluid with a bit of practice. Anywayz, the police are following me, and it seems about what you'd expect. Sirens, speed, wanted stars. But then in my mini-map, there's a flashing red and blue circle. This circle shows how far you have to go before you can escape the police. One star is easy. Two stars is kinda tough. And that's as high as I've gotten so far.

So, I get away, but my car is a wreck. Luckily, Niko is far more agile than his predecessors. He can climb, vault over small fences, swim, and other stuff. What makes this such a big leap, is how smooth it looks. Normally, GTA characters are essentially robots. Niko, though still retaining a slight robotic aura, moves much smoother, and it's just good, and makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.

You'll be hearing more once I've finished the game, so yeah, I highly suggest buying it now.

I love the Lego games. They're strange, often stupid, but have an undeniable charm you only really get when you actually play. SO far it's just been Star Wars, but Indiana Jones and Batman are on the way. What other movies/games would be awesome in Lego?

(these are not being sent to LucasArts or Traveller's Tales)