The biggest console game of the year is coming to PC next month, and along with improved visuals and expanded multiplayer modes it's bringing with it one particularly exciting feature; a full-on, easy to use video editor.
When the GTA IV PC arrives on December 3, you'll be able to hit F2 (or Back on an Xbox 360 controller for Windows) to automatically save the last 30 to 40 seconds of gameplay, depending on how intense the action was. You can do this as many times as you like for, potentially, a feature film's worth of GTA IV gameplay.
Then booting up the video editor you can cut and tweak the footage using a video timeline, various filters, camera angles and special effects.
Gameplay of Niko walking down a street gunning down cops for example, can be viewed from all angles via a free-flying camera, switched into slow motion and then chopped up in to several scenes. You could attach the camera to one of the cops getting nailed, or cleverly free-cam-follow a rocket as it exits your RPG and impacts a chopper.
It's all very reminiscent of Lionhead's excellent and underrated The Movies, and we can see the GTA community going absolutely mental with the Machinima when it comes out.
Rockstar's handed us four videos - made entirely with the GTA IV PC video editor - to show you what you the sort of stuff you can come achieve with the editor. Somehow though, we've got a feeling the community edits will be much, much smarter...
Grand Theft Auto IV
Official trailer
1:49'Liberty' PC video
Grand Theft Auto IV
Official trailer
1:49'Liberty' PC video
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Liberty is the video we're all going to make first; cars five feet off the ground, exploding coppers and lots of slow-motion as people point guns at each other. Rockstar probably had to play quite a bit to capture some of these scenes...
Grand Theft Auto IV
Official trailer
1:43'Niko vs. Niko' PC video
Grand Theft Auto IV
Official trailer
1:43'Niko vs. Niko' PC video
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Niko vs. Niko is an expanded effort on the 'guns and explosions' fair we'll all make first, except here Rockstar's spliced together some single-player scenes to assemble some sort of story.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Official trailer
2:17'Gutterballs' PC video
Grand Theft Auto IV
Official trailer
2:17'Gutterballs' PC video
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Gutterballs shows how, with a bit of clever editing, your movies don't all have to be about Niko Belic and shooting at cops. We particularly like the clever camera use in this one - especially the shot between the lass's legs. Ahem... just watch it.
... and finally, Rockstar couldn't resist knocking up a video full of masturbation jokes. This is our favourite, and again, very clever editing to keep the focus away from that Belic bloke.
The saying "the best comes to those who wait" does not just apply to Guinness! Although I thought this would never come out on PC, I am so glad the PC is getting a properly polished version with extras. It doesn't matter that we have had to wait extra months for it, the PC gamers deserve this. Although I will have to do an upgrade to make this game worthwhile, I don't care, as this game will just be EPIC on the PC. 360 and PS3 users will be crying no doubt!!!
GTA 4 looks quite nice and everything, these add on features are quite cool and will help add to the replay value, except for those who are bored with it (or will be on PC)...
Sega's PlayStation 3 exclusive "Yakuza 3" (Ryu-ga-gotoku) looks FAR better than GTA 4. Storyline aside, Yakuza 3 looks like being the Shenmue of this generation. The only surprise is that CVG aren't plugging it at all, especially considering we have some Sega fans in these forums! Time to get a PS3 guys...
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Time to get a PS3 guys...
