Rockstar is a developer that has always been good at keeping their secrets intact. In the familiar shrouds of chaos and controversy, it’s only in the last few days that concrete information has been trickling out about the multiplayer. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories first tinkered with some real multiplayer action, but you could only get it on the PSP version. Now with the advent of high-speed internet connections and powerful ‘next-gen’ consoles, Rockstar look to have built on their foundations for their latest venture. While there are a heap of them, we got to check out three of the game’s multiplayer modes.
The first mode we played was Deathmatch. Unfortunately, there were only six of us but we were informed that up to 16 players will be able to take part online. As you'd expect the Deathmatch setup was relatively standard, but being GTA, it had it's own twists. The controls are virtually the same as the single player, so you can aim, lock-on (only on cops and other enemies) and use cover. Don't forget, you are roaming around an open city, and there are vehicles at your disposal. So the options for causing death in deathmatch are rather extensive. Finally, each time that you kill someone you earn money but you can also pick up their dropped loot. Final scores are based on this and a few dollars more can make a difference.
GTA Deathmatch: Providing new ways to get owned.
The second mode we played was GTA Race. This mode has been very highly commended so far but the appeal was not so profound on us. You drive around and through checkpoints, but the twist is that you can interfere with other racers in a variety of ways. This includes setting up road blocks and firing rockets at the leader. While there were certainly opportunities for a lot of shenanigans, the balance of such a mode in competitive multiplayer was a little concerning, especially over a large course. A reasonably skilled driver in a good car could establish a lead for themselves very quickly and it seemed to be hard to reel them in on the huge map we played. Furthermore, what incentive does a player who is completely out of contention have to blow up the leader, if the one coming second will be the one to benefit? Apparently we were short on time and didn't get to see the other map, so we hold on our judgement for now.
The third and most interesting mode was Cops N' Crooks. Basically, co-operative teams of up to eight players each would play as either Cops or Crooks. The Cop's objective is hit the Crooks boss, and the boss is the only marker on their radars. The Crook's objective is to avoid the Cops, while protecting the boss until they can get to their getaway point, which in turn is the only marker on their radar. Each team took turns at being Cops and Crooks, to keep a balance. This mode was the most enjoyable, hectic and random from our play time, as each side could start really close together or really far apart.
One aspect that was very impressive overall was the number of options that were available to players. To add to the numerous modes, you've got a plethora of choices for each of these modes. You could choose from having the whole of Liberty City at your disposal, or just a small portion. You could also choose to have the spawn points close or far apart. Then there are options surrounding weapon selection and car categories (if necessary) and so forth. You can even choose the colour of you car.
This could be you soon.
There were very few if any prominent issues to come out of our play time. While not necessarily a fault, the multiplayer seemed to discourage a few of the new mechanics due to it's hectic and random nature. In particular, it didn't seem too well suited to the cover mechanics which otherwise worked very well. Furthermore, players shouldn't come into the game expecting perfect controls. They felt a little behind the pace of the game, but that being said, they're still seem like an improvement over past efforts and demanded a different kind of precision. Finally, we weren't told how recent this build was, but the presentation wasn't as strikingly proficient as the single player. Still we wouldn't be surprised if there was a need for some concessions, particularly with a game of this size.
With the masses of single player options, Grand Theft Auto IV didn't even need a multiplayer mode. However, the developers have gone the extra mile to provide just about everything including the kitchen sink into an already massive game. Some of the standard modes mightn't end up much more than a minor distraction, and a couple may fall by the wayside, but we're really excited for unique modes like Cops N' Crooks. One thing is for certain though - there will be no shortage of things to do in Grand Theft Auto IV.
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