Rockstar Games' blockbuster sequel "Grand Theft Auto IV" might have released worldwide on the 29th of last month but it is beginning today that Xbox 360 owners across India will get to lay their hands on the game.

While "GTA IV" is the first edition of the franchise to feature high-definition content as well as multi-player online mode, the Xbox 360 version of the game is claimed to feature exclusive episodic content -- each episode of over 10-hours -- taking gamers way beyond the boxed version and into the deeper Liberty City.

Our protagonist who's of Eastern European origin -- Nikolai 'Niko' Bellic -- lands in Liberty City fresh off a boat from Europe. With a troubled past behind him and a vision of the 'American Dream' in front of him, Niko goes in search of his cousin and mentor Roman only to discover he's been royally deceived. As he descends into a life of crime, a seasoned Niko learns first how to survive and later how to rule the crime-ridden streets of Liberty City.

As for Liberty City, it draws upon the many boroughs of New York city as well as parts of New Jersey but it's completely re-designed for "GTA IV". There's a lot of visual detailing to the game -- down to the grass growing in the cracks in the sidewalk. Pedestrians too are more than just cardboard cut-outs; they laugh, cry, eat, drink, use cell phones, and talk amongst themselves regardless of Niko's interaction with them.

And while GTA games have, historically speaking, depended heavily on mission-based game play requiring successful completion of fixed tasks, that changes to a great extent in "GTA IV". The new game features a new and exciting blend of on-mission and off-mission game play lending a heightened sense of realism to the game.

The Xbox 360 game is available for Rs 2,499. More information on Xbox 360 and the game is available at: http://www.xbox.com/hi-IN/games/g/grandtheftautoiv/.