The PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV will fortunately feature a more robust online experience when compared to its console brethren. IGN reports that the MP modes in GTA4 on the PC will stay the same, but will now support up to 32 online players.
Before jumping into a match we checked out the adjustable parameters for creating a game which included a number of things. Police can be toggled on or off, density of pedestrians adjusted, weather and time of day selected, maps and icons can be hidden, along with a variety of other customization settings. In addition there'll be better search options when trying to find a game online, though during the session we didn't get much of a chance to see that as the matches were being set up for us.The player count receiving a nice bump sounds like a good move in my book.
To start things off, the 32 players in the server were split into team of four, all with uniform visual appearances, though there'll be options for things like hats, pants, shirts and other character model accoutrements to craft a unique outfit for your avatar. The first round was a standard team-based deathmatch, which basically consisted of the four teams running around a section of city, taking cover against walls and firing at opponents when they came in range. We all started with pistols that aren't particularly accurate, so those who managed to find the uzi pickups floating around the zone of battle had a distinct advantage, as did those who decided to hop into cars and run over the opposition.