Rockstar's next-gen epic, Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360) is almost upon us, and while we certainly can't wait to figure out all the neat stuff we can do in the game ourselves, a little info about some of the more cooler stuff shouldn't hurt, right? Right. And here to give us just that is Rockstar North associate producer Imran Sarwar via an interview concerning the game's weapon and cover system, as well as the improvements made to combat.

So, to the details. Imran Sarwar revealed to us that there are fifteen weapons in the game, and that's not counting the objects you can pick up from pretty much anywhere (bricks and whatnot). He didn't reveal all of them, of course, but he did mention that the RPG (that is, rocket-propelled grenade) is his favorite, as they've made sure that it's more realistic.

How realistic, you ask? Well, think back to the previous Grand Theft Auto games. Remember how the RPG in those games pretty much discharged one single shot of monodirectional death and destruction? This time, there's the odd chance that your shot - i.e. the rocket-propelled grenade itself - can change directions depending on whether or not it comes in contact with other objects or surfaces in mid-flight. There's also the awesome smoke trails that it leaves, too - and of course, the explosions it makes.

Then there's the deal about Liberty City not having ammunition stores. Imran explains that this particular aspect was decided on by the fact that Liberty City in GTA IV was essentially their own version of New York city, and it wouldn't feel right to have loads of big gun supermarkets all over. Instead, there would be hidden underground gun shops, and it's up to the player to find them.

Also, in a convenient touch, you can buy guns from your friend, Little Jacob, with his own shop being the trunk of his own car. Keep being chummy with him and you'll be able to call him and let him meet you pretty much anywhere, to sell you some firepower on a discounted price. Very convenient indeed.

As for the targeting system, it's been overhauled, but Imran and the team believes that it will cater to every style of gamer. You can lock on, and while locked on, target any specific part of the body by moving the reticle. Great for times when you really want to conserve ammo, or if you just want a bit more precision with your shots.

Another aspect is the perfect shot system. When you squeeze the trigger button slightly when you first lock onto a target, the targeting reticle will tighten up and your shot will be more accurate. Again, a very nice feature for those of us who want combat to be a one shot, one kill affair.

And that's it for this update of Grand Theft Auto IV. Updates as we get them, and look forward to more news about this phenomenal sandbox game right here. In the meantime, you can check out the full interview in the via link below.

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