We've seen teasers, full trailers and long walks through crumbling B-list boroughs. We've analyzed and re-analyzed it to death. We've conjectured like mad and anticipated like crazy, and now - just three months before it's due to be released - we've had our first real glimpse of what it'll really be like to play Grand Theft Auto IV.

Our demo started in Star Junction, Liberty City's equivalent of Times Square, at roughly 5:30 in the morning (game time, of course). After looking around at the ridiculously detailed scenery, saturated as it was with neon and fake ads, Niko started his day of crime. Whipping out a cell phone, he called up his arms-dealer buddy Little Jacob, bought a hot dog from a caterwauling street vendor and strolled a few blocks over to Purgatory, Liberty's answer to the infamous Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Since it was so early, few people were out, and those who were seemed a little dazed. Ignoring them, Niko found his way to an alley on Rotterdam Hill, the street where Little Jacob's car was waiting, and watched as the gun seller got out and popped the trunk of his car.

Quick-fix gun stores like Ammu-Nation are a thing of the past; GTA IV is supposed to be more realistic, remember? So, much like in the real underworld, black-market dealers like Jacob - with car trunks full of guns that pop up and display their prices when you highlight them - are your main source for firepower. They won't sell it to you right off the bat, either. Instead, you'll need to meet people like Jacob, hang out with them, play pool with them and cultivate a friendship before they'll trust you with their business. There's good news for those looking for a quick fix, however: Niko will instantly be an expert with any weapon he picks up, as there's no San Andreas-style leveling-up of your abilities here.

Once he'd bought a pistol and several hundred rounds of ammo, Niko whistled down a taxi and - astonishingly - entered through its rear door as a passenger. The new Liberty is a much more paranoid place than previous GTA locales, it seems, and the police are much harder to shake (more on that later), so stealing cars isn't always the best idea when you need to get somewhere in a hurry. Taxis, meanwhile, are an integral part of getting anywhere in New York, and in GTA IV you'll be able to direct them by choosing from a list of existing locations - or from the waypoints you set on your map, if you want to go somewhere that's not listed.