The latest issue of OXM (Official Xbox Magazine) contains a seven-page preview of Grand Theft Auto IV's multiplayer modes. The preview contains a lot of new screenshots, several new pieces of artwork, and some interesting information. Here's a summary of the new points covered:
- The entire map is playable during multiplayer
- You can't play as Niko during multiplayer, but you choose a male or female character with custom clothing
- The money you earn during multiplayer, achieved by killing opponents, determines your rank - weighted 0 to 10
- There are three styles of voice chat chosen by the host: free, team, or proximity chat
- You can use any vehicle (that means cars, boats, helicopters, etc) in race modes
- Hangman's NOOSE is a four-player mode that starts at the airport. In this mode, you have to take Kenny Petrovic to a safe zone in the city while pursued by the NOOSE team (National Organization of Security Enforcement), similar to "VIP" multiplayer modes in other games
- You can skip rockets on the ground with good aim
- Free roam has no rules or cash, and the host decides what weapons appear. It should prove to be the most popular multiplayer mode.
