16 player chaos. Racing. Earing in-game money during online play for single player. Lots of carnage.

Yes, GTA IV is looking like a fun time online. The only downer is the lack of co-op in the single player missions like Crackdown. Small touches as reported on by GameTap including varying volume levels of opponents voices depending on how far away they are. The multi-player maps are not confined or restricted. Rockstar is letting players race the entire map if they choose, with or without weapons.

Multi-player is unlocked within a matter of minutes, and after that, you can play all you want without having to unlock anything else. You can completely ignore the single player if you want. Options are extensive, and you can even set up handicap matches if you want, along with adjusting the number of fodder… err, people present on the streets. GameTap’s preview is on the Xbox 360 version, though the PS3 should offer all of the same options.