For nearly a year, fans of the Grand Theft Auto franchise have picked through every last bit of media that we’ve placed online. From screenshots to internet-crashing trailers, everything has been pored over and analysed in detail. Fans have tried to piece together a blueprint for the massive, modern epic experience that awaits them in Grand Theft Auto IV.

Today, those fans will get their first true taste of the street-level sights and sounds within this thriving metropolis, years in the making, as the Grand Theft Auto IV website is now live.

Beyond the game's towering skyscrapers and the hundreds of crooked streets, visitors will be given an introduction to the complex cast of characters that our immigrant protagonist Niko Bellic will meet as he strives for his own American dream.

Now, you too are invited to take your first steps into the fictional world of Liberty City. Meet up with Niko's cousin, Roman at his cab company in Broker, be first in line for an on-stage performance in Star Junction, test out your fizz-handling skills at Sprunk soda HQ in Alderney, analyze your 'Love-Meet' compatibility while strolling through Algonquin, then swing by the culturally confused Steinway Beer Garden in Dukes for a pint.

This is only the first taste of what's out there to discover this sprawling metropolis.