BY CHRIS SCANTLEBERRY

GTA fanatics should keep a close eye on This is Vegas, Midway's first ambitious open-ended sensation touted to have a similar tone as Rockstar's blockbuster franchise. Based in the heart of Sin City, Vegas puts you assume the role of a young kid hoping to make it big due to his gift of counting cards, aided by Kevin Spa... wait, that's the movie 21. Actually, you're not really great at anything in the beginning. You've only got $50 bucks and unless you've got the skills to prevent a local rich snob from converting Sin City into the next family wonder of the world, it's game over man!

Any of you who've been to Vegas knows it's all about risqué, alluring lifestyle filled with glitz, glamour and sex. Well the virtual equivalent is no different, but don't let your imagination run too wildly because the content featured in the final product isn't going to end up XXX. Vegas captures a lot of the randy tone which GTA games have been known for and the developers have done an excellent job incorporating some unique elements to make the game a wholly fun, interactive playground to explore. That means you can look forward to stealing cars, knocking people senseless (even when it's not part of a mission) or just getting your groove on the dance floor. During club-related missions, you need to keep the club bumpin', the drinks flowin', and the lowlifes out. Anyways, the dance sequence pays tribute to the legendary John Travolta where you get to see the lead character literally do the Saturday Night Fever and if I recall correctly, Michael Jackson's "Beat It" steps are in full effect here. The key is to correctly time the button sequences with the on-screen dance indicator, finalized by simultaneously hitting both triggers for a classic finish. Chaining the moves together takes some work, but as I got to see in the demo, savvy dance moves gets the crowd involved, pumped and ultimately raising your reputation as a major social club icon!

There's a huge focus on the gambling part which personally doesn't do a whole lot for me (mainly because I haven't had the best experience gambling in casinos). Fortunately, for those of us accustomed to losing their winnings there will be able to utilize a "cheat" that the player can execute when the need arises, which should definitely add some flair the game. Don't read into that too much, everyone on the development team has stressed that the game doesn't take itself too seriously. The atmosphere has been described as a mix between Talladega Nights with the action tone of Ocean's 11.

With that being said, the game wouldn't be complete without a few signature moments true to Sin City's credo of "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." If the gratuitous wet T-shirt sequence is all that's being rolled out, Midway will be in the clear from experiencing their own "Hot Coffee" fiasco. No official rating has been set on the game just yet but it's pretty obvious to see that this production is totally geared towards mature audiences.

Vegas is aiming to make its debut this 4th Qtr, which many of us will have moved on from GTA4 in search of the next action thrill. Based on my initial impressions, I'd say Midway's got your ticket. Naturally, there's still a lot more highlights being kept under wraps by the developers till E3, so stay tuned for future updates at that time.