- Search: More on Grand Theft Auto IV

So it's been a while, that's for sure. But last week we went back to Rockstar once again for our lengthiest look at the game yet. No magazines have seen this demo, which means for the first time the only place you can get this new information is online.

Rockstar is starting to open up more about the game as it nears the end of its marathon development process and is answering more and more of our burning questions. Today we'll give a much broader overview of Liberty City including our first unrestricted look at the entire game map. We got to see parts of Liberty City we hadn't been taken to before, and, best of all, we'll introduce you to some new characters and missions.

This latest showing has also allowed us to get a better overall impression of what Niko is like as a character. Hardworking, risk-taking, calm, firm and determined, with a subtle sense of humour.

The technical quality of the game is now very solid. The frame rate is drastically improved and Rockstar says it is basically what the final game is going to be running at. It looks great and the solid frame rate combined with the exceptional detail and lighting make things feel powerfully real. Rockstar is basically just polishing the game now, doing lip-syncing, fixing a few glitches here and there. But essentially the game is done. Our first hands-on session with the game will be in a few weeks and then we'll have a review close to when the game hits shelves around the world on April 29.

We'll start at the end of our demo. What Rockstar wanted to show us at the end was a different, broader perspective of the city, this time as soon from the water. For the first time, Rockstar also showed us the full game map. Algonquin (Manhattan in real New York) is a large island in the middle; Alderney (New Jersey) is a similarly sized island to the left; and then to the right there are two smaller islands - top right, Bohan (Bronx), which is the smaller of the two, and a sizable island dominating the bottom right of the map, where you'll find both Broker (Brooklyn) and Dukes (Queens). This island connects to Algonquin via the Broker Bridge, and right underneath Algonquin is where you'll spot Happiness Island, home to the Statue of Happiness (the Statue of Liberty).

There is also a subway system, which Niko will be able to use. We're not sure if the subway covers the entire city, but Rockstar representatives told us it stretches to at least Algonquin and Broker.

Our water-borne journey starts at the northern tips of Alderney and Algonquin. We found a speedboat and jumped right in. The water looks awesome and a fine mist of drops splash onto the camera as the ride gets choppier the further away from land we go. We're going to go all the way south around Algonquin, get up close to the Statue of Happiness, and end up on the east side of Algonquin, not too far from the Broker Bridge. This journey around just half of Algonquin takes a good five minutes of real-world time, which gives you an idea of the size of the game world.

During the boat journey, just like when you're in a car or any other vehicle you can switch between cinematic camera angles or the traditional view. There's also a dashboard view on the roads, which Rockstar hasn't yet shown. We first pass the docks where we'll later have a meeting with a character called Bell. Soon afterwards, we see the Statue of Happiness come into view in all its glory. Further around, at the southernmost part of Algonquin, we can see an outside restaurant called Poop Deck, where we met with Francis McGreary in out last demo. The skyscrapers we see next are in the financial district, and up ahead the Broker Bridge, with a big cargo ship nearby called Platapus.

Out of the water, we start right down the south of Broker, on a sunny morning, and it's time to head off to see a new character named Brucie - a bit of a livewire who you're introduced to by your cousin Roman. He runs a garage just around the corner from Roman's taxi depot.