Following the somewhat muted unveiling of Grand Theft Auto IV's official packaging, game developer Rockstar Games has released the third official trailer for their long-awaited blockbuster. For most games that's hardly newsworthy, but then again, most games aren't as massive, controversial and, well, newsworthy as GTA IV.
Clocking in at a hefty two minutes, it's nearly twice as long as the last trailer, which you might remember as the one that nearly crippled the Internet, bringing down the game's official site and almost every alternate download source. That behemoth lent insight into the overall look and feel of Liberty City; this one, however, focuses much more on protagonist Niko Bellic by showing off the game's dialogue and story through gorgeous cut scenes and absurdly lifelike animations.
At least that's what you take home after one viewing. If the response to the last trailer is any indication, the gaming community will treat this lengthier video as it would a frog in science class, poring over every detail in an effort to glean new insight into the dozens of as yet unannounced features. Two minutes of new GTA IV footage is like two hours to the millions of dedicated fans.
They've certainly been patient. After nearly ruining everyone's Christmas by delaying GTA IV until next year (the exact ship date is still unknown), Rockstar suffered a bout of deja vu when their controversial action game Manhunt 2 was banned in several countries due to excessive violence. GTA IV will also likely meet some resistance, though the franchise's high pedigree and tremendous pop culture impact pretty much guarantees success at retail.
Will this new trailer help their cause? Check it out and you decide.
Clocking in at a hefty two minutes, it's nearly twice as long as the last trailer, which you might remember as the one that nearly crippled the Internet, bringing down the game's official site and almost every alternate download source. That behemoth lent insight into the overall look and feel of Liberty City; this one, however, focuses much more on protagonist Niko Bellic by showing off the game's dialogue and story through gorgeous cut scenes and absurdly lifelike animations.
At least that's what you take home after one viewing. If the response to the last trailer is any indication, the gaming community will treat this lengthier video as it would a frog in science class, poring over every detail in an effort to glean new insight into the dozens of as yet unannounced features. Two minutes of new GTA IV footage is like two hours to the millions of dedicated fans.
They've certainly been patient. After nearly ruining everyone's Christmas by delaying GTA IV until next year (the exact ship date is still unknown), Rockstar suffered a bout of deja vu when their controversial action game Manhunt 2 was banned in several countries due to excessive violence. GTA IV will also likely meet some resistance, though the franchise's high pedigree and tremendous pop culture impact pretty much guarantees success at retail.
Will this new trailer help their cause? Check it out and you decide.
