Game Informer's December issue features 18 pages of previously unreleased Grand Theft Auto V details, as well as new screenshots. We've rounded up everything you need to know about Rockstar's biggest game yet. 

The Game Informer cover shows GTA V's three main protagonists, Trevor, Franklin and Michael. The 18-page exclusive features information on mini-games, Los Santos and vehicles...

Push bikes return from San Andreas, offering an eco-friendly way to see Los Santos

On the flipside, you can burn through fuel in a fighter jet. Don't worry: This is California, they have loads of oil

GTA V's vehicle lineup is as comprehensive as it gets, detailing speedboats, motorbikes, BMXs, jets, jetskis, quad-bikes, surfboards, parachutes and of course, cars.

A recreation of the Hoover Dam, named for controversial general William Sherman, the Sherman Dam was one of San Andreas' biggest landmarks. The new Los Santos features something similar, but it's not in Nevada; Grand Theft Auto V is set solely in one city.

That's not to say there won't be tonnes of recognisable real locations. Here's LA's Venice Beach, where players can learn how to surf.

Robberies and heists are promised to be a major theme in GTA V, mirroring glossy crime movie Heat, which is also set in LA. Rappelling through the windows is one way to get into a building, though it's not confirmed if this feature will be included outside of missions.

Grand Theft Auto V will star three protagonists, who players can switch between whenever they like...

The guy from the original trailer, Michael is a retired bank robber in his early forties, drawn back into a life a crime to escape the domestic claustrophobia of his unhappy home life. Originally thought to be called Albert Da Silva, Michael can spend time with his wife and son when he's not on a mission.

Trevor is a drug addled ex-pilot who lives alone in a trailer in the middle of the desert. He hangs out with a fellow conspiracy nut called Ron.

Last is Franklin, a repo-man and car thief in his mid-20s. Described as a "young and ambitious hustler" he lives by the beach and spends his down time with a "crazy" friend called Lamar.

Swap between characters, and Game Informer says you "may be surprised what they're up to" when you swap back. One mission involves the trio making an escape in a helicopter, with Trevor at the controls, and Michael and Trevor gunning at pursuing cops with an M4 and a sniper rifle. You can swap bodies at anytime, flying the chopper if you like, or shooting out the sides.

The mini-game and social aspect of Grand Theft Auto IV has been streamlined, with each character enjoying one or two different activities each. Golf, surfing, yoga, mountain biking and, it seems, parachute jumping will all be included, but the romance/dating mechanic is out. From what we can tell, Michael seems like a yoga and golf guy. Living by the beach, Franklin could be our surfer while trailer trash Trevor will likely go for a spot of quad-biking.

Grand Theft Auto V will be bigger than GTA IV, San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption combined says Rockstar, featuring mile after square mile of interior and exterior locations. It's designed to reflect the "contemporary culture" of Los Angeles, blending the expansive vistas of Red Dead with the busy, grubby urban decay of Grand Theft Auto IV. Suburbs, countryside, beachfronts and even a military base will all feature.

Grand Theft Auto V is Rockstar's biggest, most ambitious project to date. Currently slated for release in spring 2013, it's set to examine the modern American city in a way that only computer games can, its character swapping mechanic providing a unique take on multiple perspective narratives. On paper, GTA V has the dramatic potential of an HBO boxset; looking at these images, it's clear Rockstar can live up to the hype.