When news broke that Grand Theft Auto IV, the most-anticipated game of 2007 not featuring Master Chief, was being pushed back to an indeterminate date in 2008, you could literally hear the internet let out a collective gasp of disappointment. Wallets, however, let out a sigh of relief. After being bludgeoned into submission thanks to a record-breaking year of fantastic games culminating in the most outstanding holiday lineup ever, our already fragile bank accounts would have shattered under the weight of Rockstar's magnum opus.

But here's another reason to consider GTA IV's delay a blessing in disguise: it's now looking positively awesome. It's been only five months since we last dropped in on Liberty City, and clearly the folks at Rockstar North have been ripping through case after case of Red Bull polishing their new ride to a high sheen. Over the course of an unscripted four-mission demo on the Xbox 360, we were treated to all-new features, several new characters, and an up-close look at the series' remarkably revamped gunplay.

Once again we find protagonist Niko Bellic up to no good. In the first demo mission, "Search and Delete," he meets up with Brucie, a tough, goofy hoodlum who requests Niko's aid in whacking an informant named Lyle Rivas to prevent damning testimony at an upcoming trial. To do so, Niko steals a police car to search for Rivas using Liberty City's criminal database. Every cop car comes equipped with a computer that can access hundreds of records, each of which belongs to a living, breathing (for the time being at least) Liberty City lawbreaker. After popping in a few details and scrolling through tons of in-game pictures, Niko pulls up the mark's information, including his last known location.

Handily enough, this shows up in our car's GPS. That's right - the real-world navigation feature that no one can live without has been folded into GTA IV as a core gameplay mechanic. It's pretty authentic, too, adjusting on the fly if you stray too much from the predetermined path. No expense has been spared, as fancier cars actually feature talking GPS. Beat that, Avis.

Soon enough, Niko is in hot pursuit of Lyle Rivas, showing off the newly improved framerate and blur effects as well as the newfound ability to freely aim gunshots while driving. In past games, it was easy to lose track of chased cars as they whipped around blind corners, but now you can trigger a 'chase cam' that will quickly reorient behind the target regardless of whether or not they're in view. Between a few well-placed rounds to his gas tank and an epic collision with a logging truck, Rivas meets his match on a bridge. If he didn't, however, we'd be able to restart the mission in a pinch by simply answering a text message on our handy cell phone.

As further evidence that GTA IV's Liberty City operates in a much more lifelike way than the sandboxes of past games, we soon find ourselves stuck at a bridge toll booth, forced to cough up some dough or break the law and get a star. While you won't get nailed for every red light you run through, the authorities have obviously upgraded their I.Q.

Niko, however, decides to act like an idiot by phoning his cousin Roman, driving across town to pick him up and getting sloshed together at a local bar. And by sloshed, we mean it. By the time the two stumble back out to the street, they're thoroughly hammered. Then, in a decision that will haunt not only Niko Bellic but every past and present member of M.A.D.D., our hero gets into the driver's seat and attempts to drive Roman back home -- which is almost impossible. The camera shakes and warps incessantly, inducing a brutal vertigo effect that makes it hard to even look at the screen, no less steer a car through traffic.

What sounds like a bad night out is actually one of GTA IV's new "Friend Acts." By building relationships with various acquaintances, you'll gain their trust, friendship, and eventually favors that will affect the gameplay. Roman, for instance, owns a cab company; down enough pints together and he might set you up with free cab service. Arms dealer Little Jacob (introduced in an earlier demo) might give a sweet discount on munitions. It's not just a drinking game, either: you'll be able to engage in a variety of less nausea-inducing activities to bolster friendships.

After a sleeping it off with a nice, quick reload, Niko heads over to the pimped-out pad of Playboy X, a big-shot looking to take out some pesky union bosses at a construction site. Here we get an updated taste of Star Junction, Liberty City's stunning version of Times Square. It's a hive of activity, bustling with traffic and pedestrians and lit up like a pinball. This kind of environment with this much action simply couldn't have happened on a last generation console without dropping the framerate to a crawl. Driving through the heart of the city, the 360 barely even hiccups.

Eventually Niko arrives at his next mission ("Destruction for Beginners" in Algonquin, loads up on weapons and starts sniping at lookouts perched high atop cranes at the construction site. Thanks to Rockstar's implementation of NaturalMotion's euphoria technology (the same tech used in LucasArts' upcoming Force Unleashed and Indiana Jones games), the victims' reactions aren't scripted. One crumples in a heap, while another slips off the crane to plummet a hundred feet and smash through the roof of a car. If you did it three more tines, you'd get three different results.

But that's just the beginning. The following shootout is unlike any we've ever seen in a GTA game, filled with huge explosions, realistic movements and -- I'm thrilled to be typing this -- solid targeting. Auto and manual options let you quickly and smoothly target different bodies or, better yet, body parts; coupled with the Euphoria tech, this means an enemy shot in the leg will limp appropriately, while an enemy shot in the nose will fly backwards and land with a satisfying thud. Niko can also take cover behind just about anything and even blind fire weapons if things get too hairy, though most cover will erode over time, so turtling isn't going to be a great option. The whole shebang is just a massive leap over the problematic gunplay in older GTA games.

The last mission in the demo, "Truck Hustle," involves a scene made famous in one of the game's early trailers. A mob boss named Bell asks Niko to deliver a truck filled with drugs to his son-in-law, but he's got to steal it from the Triads first. That's a lot easier said than done. After another wicked firefight filled with rocket launcher and grenades, Niko finally finds the truck as it barrels out of a garage. Niko grabs on to the back, and in a move pulled straight out of a Jackie Chan movie, starts shimmying up the side and on to its roof.

Thus begins one of the game's mid-mission mini-games: inching forward on the roof of a truck as it swerves in and out of traffic in an effort to shake you off. It's a truly harrowing affair, Niko bucking back and forth, his limbs instinctively grabbing or letting go of the sides courtesy, once again, of NaturalMotion's procedural animation system. This could be the centerpiece of an entire action game - in GTA IV, it's merely a five minute diversion. By the time Niko reaches the front, breaks through the window, clambers into the passenger seat and offs the driver, the demo winds to an end.

But speculation over the fate of GTA IV is interminable. Will it get delayed again? Will it live up to its lofty expectations? Ask Rockstar and they'll tell you that such scrutiny is the price for greatness. If this most recent demo is any indication, they certainly have the dream of another landmark achievement in game design squarely in their sights. All that's left is to pull the trigger

dude where did you cut and paste all that from? please be original. cheers.

GTAIV out April 29. Confirmed by Rockstar yesterday. Start counting down the days ppl,

The game even has a Nigeria connection. Supposedly Fela's Sorrow Tears and Blood will be one of the songs featured on the stereo. I'll be eagerly awaiting.