Console Editions

• The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions were released in North America and Europe on April 29, 2008. The game established industry records when 3.6 million copies were sold on the first day of release. It was released for PS3 and Xbox in Japan on Oct. 30, 2008, and for Microsoft Windows in December of that year. Two episodic downloadable expansion packs were released for Xbox 360 in 2009.
  
  

Gameplay

• The gameplay is similar to that in previous incarnations of the series--the player is able to explore a large open environment either on foot or by taking the wheel of one of a number of vehicles. In this game, you play as Niko, an immigrant trying to make his way in Liberty City. You complete a number of tasks at the direction of some criminals to prove your worth.
  
  

Vehicles

• Using a variety of vehicles is key to completing some missions, as many involve arriving at a location quickly or outrunning the police in a high-speed chase. Each vehicle is equipped with a GPS device, which you can use to find your way across the map. Sometimes way points are overlaid on the map, showing you the quickest legal route to a destination.
  
  

Multiplayer

• The mutliplayer component has proved to be popular. The game includes 15 game modes that support as many as 16 players. Team Deathmatch is similar to other death-match games in which two teams take to the street to shoot each other and the team with the most kills wins. In Team Car Jack City, two to eight teams compete in a car-stealing contest. In Race, it's every driver for himself as each tries to reach the finish line in the quickest time.
  
  

Soundtrack

• While traversing the world, you can flip through 18 radio stations featuring tracks from such popular artists as David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Marley, Queen, the Who and others. Sometimes, plot events that will be key to completing missions can be heard on a radio station.