Alright so I put a good amount of time into it and needless to say its a very well polished game. The city looks amazing, people walking up and down sidewalks look like they have more of a purpose, and night and day time distinguish themselves very well, as well as different areas of the city which incorporate different citizens walking about, for instance poorer areas will have more homeless people. There just numerous details to go on about.
The driving also feels much more realistic, meaning its a little more of a challenge weaving in and out of traffic as vehicles driving around the city go at more of a brisker pace. It makes chases more tense and risky. This also goes with gun shootouts. Though I havent had too many of those, the cover system does work, but the main skill involved is locking on and firing.
So far overall, its definitely GTA3 at its foundation in every way possible. The new generation that the sequel brings is a more interactive and bustling city and a much greater level of detail and polish. I distracted myself a little bit with some of the mini games and little things you can check out in the city like bowling, pool, buying clothes, and checking out the theatre with a chick. You definitely feel like your becoming a part of the city. The story picks up a little slow, you begin doing small simple tasks but im at a point now where your finding more about your character Niko and his purpose so its getting more interesting. Its all done in the same vein at the previous games. Im definitely enjoying the crap out of this one.