Joystiq [Xbox]

The lucky ducks over at IGN (and many others) somehow scored a visit to Rockstar's studios recently to get some hands time with an updated build of this Spring's blockbuster. And, well, let's just get to it. This, friends, is Grand Theft Auto IV.

After their 90 minute GTAIV hands-on preview, IGN came away gushing over the game's graphics, lushiously dynamic weather effects and put to rest their worries of a jumpy frame rate. To them, this is the next-gen GTA experience they've dreamt about. Some interesting tidbits we extracted from their preview were little things, including the addition of auto-saves, every street having a name, how much the physics engine has improved and the fact that Rockstar has kept true to the GTA formula. Other more gameplay focused additions are mentioned like the fact that the combat system will feature a Gears of War inspired cover system (complete with blind firing) and the importance of Niko's cell phone in the game (you can even call 911). The preview should get you excited for GTAIV and should put to rest any worries you may have had about Rockstar's commitment to the franchise. Simply put, GTAIV sounds amazing and we can't wait to give it a spin for ourselves.

[Thanks, DaveC and Xenocidic]