I was searching torrents last night and I saw that GTA 4 was already online. In the year that arI've lived here(Ch1na) I've noticed that as soon as a game is leaked online, and sometimes before, it's available here. It happened with Mass Effect, over a week before it's Stateside release.....it happened with Mario Cart Wii, and now it's happened with GTA IV.

I talked to a video game shop owner that I'm buds with who told me that It rived here on a plane from a city near Hong Kong. He's charging 8 RMB for it....2 more than the usual 6 RMB. (1 US Dollar is around 7.1 RMB.

I don't want to give much away...and have only played it for an hour so I can't give much...but I LOVE the new melee fighting system. If you lock onto someone, your B button is punch, Y is some kind of additional punch, X is kick...and A is dodge. It's a lot better than the usual 'punch punch punch, kick on the ground kick, on the ground, steal their glowing money wad' melee... but yes there still are glowing wads of cash on dead bodies.

A Hardcore music station called L.C.H.C is a nice touch, playing a ton of fast, old school hardcore. Really with there was a metal station, though. Also a hilarious Right-Wing Conservative talk radio station ha ha.

Not sure how I feel about the new 'dating sim' elements... but maybe it'll grow on me.


Some images below...notice that bootlegs in Ch1na are pretty high quality....they're factory printed, with golden surfaces...not blue or purple like a regular DVD+/- R. Bootlegs in Thailand however are regular DVD-Rs.