Chapter One

The first chapter of Grand Theft Auto IV begins in Broker, Liberty City, where you take missions from Roman Bellic, Little Jacob and a group of hardcore Eastern European characters. During this chapter, Niko reveals his motivations for coming to Liberty City.

 

 

Once you have control of Niko, drive back to the “mansion” on Mohawk Avenue, Hove Beach, and stop in the yellow marker to trigger the cutscene. Niko is less than impressed with the mansion, to say the very least. Roman has to leave after a quick chat with Niko, but invites him to meet him later at the taxi depot.

 

 

After the cutscene, various instructions are given on how to save the game and how to store cars at the safehouse. This is your first safehouse, and you can save the game here at any time providing you aren’t in the middle of a mission. In the first few missions of the game, pay close attention to the instructions on the screen which tell you how to control Niko and operate basic functions with the cellphone. The cellphone becomes a very important aspect of the gameplay.

 

 

Achievement unlocked: 5G – Off The Boat

Roman introduces Niko to his girlfriend, Mallorie. Vlad Glebov then enters the cab depot and warns Roman to pay his debts. After the cutscene, drive Roman to the hardware store on Dillon Street, where Roman is going to try and win some money. The business shut down a long time ago, but some guys still play cards there.

 

 

Before going into the store, Roman leaves you with his old cellphone and asks you to call him if any Albanians show up in a beige Willard. These are the people he owes money to. Remain stationary in the car and look out for the Albanians. Approximately a minute later, the Albanians show up and park their car on the pavement opposite the hardware store.

 

 

Access the menu on the cellphone and call Roman to warn him. Roman escapes through the back door of the hardware store, but the loan sharks soon become aware of his presence. Your task is simple – lose the loan sharks and take Roman back to the cab depot to complete the mission.

 

 

Roman sends a text message after the mission. He needs help over at the depot.

The Albanians you met in the previous mission have arrived at the cab depot to roughen up Roman. Niko arrives and teaches one of them a lesson. The Albanians flee. Roman receives a phone call from Mallorie, who needs a lift at Hove Beach with her friend. Roman asks Niko to do it as a favour to him.

 

 

Take Roman’s cab and pick up the girls at the Hove Beach subway station. Park in the yellow marker and sound the horn to attract the girls’ attention. Mallorie introduces you to Michelle, and recommends that the two of you get together some time.

 

 

Take the girls back to Michelle’s apartment on Rotterdam Hill. Michelle seems interested in Niko, and invites you to give her a call sometime. Afterwards, Niko calls Roman to tell him about his date, and asks for some advice on clothes. Get to the Russian clothes shop on Mohawk and buy some new threads.

 

 

The Albanian loan sharks have Roman cornered. You need to go to Garrett Street and rescue him quickly. When you arrive, a short cutscene will take place, and afterwards you need to beat up Bledar and Kalem. Once the two men are down, approach Roman and a second cutscene will begin.

 

 

During the cutscene, Roman spots Dardan – another loanshark – trying to make a run for it. Get in Roman’s car and chase Dardan. Eventually, he will abandon his car at the Twitchins Sugar Factory near the bridge at Charge Island, so you have to follow him up the stairs and into the factory. Follow the on-screen instructions to disarm Dardan and steal his weapon. Kill Dardan, get back in Roman’s car, and then take him back to the depot.

 

 

During the drive to the depot, Niko tells Roman about a similar problem he had when he was in Europe – a man called Bulgarin believed he owed him money when he didn’t, and he was always trying to “squeeze it out of him.” Niko says Bulgarin is one of the main reasons he moved to Liberty City – he wants revenge.

 

 

This is your first date with your new girlfriend Michelle. Before the cutscene begins, a “relationship tutorial” is given, which shows how different friends and girlfriends have different likes and dislikes, and each friend will offer a different reward for maintaining a good relationship.

 

 

In the cutscene, Niko suggests going to the carnival, but the carnival is currently closed because they’re turning it into “some Las Venturas-style theme park.” Go bowling instead, and play a 5 frame game with Michelle. This particular game is free, but in future they won’t be.

 

 

Once the game is over, get in Michelle’s car and take her back to her apartment on Rotterdam Hill, to complete the mission.

 

 

Vlad is at the depot waiting for his money, but Roman isn’t present. While Roman is away, Vlad tries to persuade Mallorie to leave Roman and go with him instead. Niko and Roman arrive, and Roman reveals that he still doesn’t have the money he owes to Vlad. He tells Vlad what Niko did to the Albanians, and Vlad says that as long as Roman doesn’t pay, he will need to do some favours for him. Meanwhile one of Roman’s regular customers, Jermaine, needs to be picked up.

 

 

Get in Roman’s car and pickup Jermaine at Rotterdam Hill. Jermaine wants you to take him to Masterson Street. Park in the yellow marker in the alley when you arrive, and some cops will show up. Drive out of the alley and lose your wanted level, paying close attention to the flashing circles on the radar. You need to stay outside of the circles for a few seconds without being seen by the cops in order to evade the wanted level.

 

 

Once the stars are gone, take Jermaine to Gibson Street, where you’ll be shown how to use the Pay ‘n’ Spray feature.

 

 

Vlad calls and reveals that he has more work for Niko. Meet him at the Comrades Bar in Hove Beach.

In the cutscene, Vlad states that he isn’t a man to be messed with. He is angry because some old man who runs a china shop in Dukes hasn’t paid him in months. He wants Niko to go to the shop on Camden Avenue, and scare the old man into paying his debts.

 

 

Walk into the yellow marker outside the shop, and watch the cutscene which follows. The man refuses to pay the protection money, and tells Niko to go away.

 

 

Go around the corner and pick up a brick (which is represented by a green blip on the radar) which you can then use to throw through the shop window, to indicate that you mean business. Make sure you are throwing at the window and not at the door, because the door will not break! To finish the mission, take Vlad’s money back to him at the Comrades Bar on Hove Beach.

 

 

After the mission, Vlad sends a text message telling Niko to meet him for more work.

Vlad is on the phone to Mallorie, and after the call Niko warns him to stay away from her. Vlad says that after the last incident at the china shop, somebody else is refusing to pay protection money. This time it’s a guy at a laundromat on Masterson street, so Vlad wants Niko to do the same thing again and scare him into paying the cash.

 

 

Enter the laundromat and the man will try to escape. Follow him through the back door and hotwire the car that is parked outside. Chase the shop keeper and ram his van until it stops. Eventually he surrenders, and agrees to pay Vlad the money.

 

 

Niko calls Vlad to confirm that the situation has been dealt with. Vlad tells you to meet him back at the bar for some more work later on.

 

 

During the cutscene, Vlad invites Niko to go for a walk with him. He’s unhappy that Roman hasn’t paid him his money yet. Vlad snorts some coke (given to him by someone called Mikhail) before going on to describe the details of your mission. Vlad needs you to get a car that is parked in the projects by E.I.C. subway station in Dukes. It’s a silver Blista.

 

 

Get to the subway station and wait for the train to arrive. Steal the silver Blista Compact at the destination, and make a getaway before the two people can stop you. Niko calls Vlad to inform him that the car has been successfully stolen.

 

 

Since the car is dirty, you need to take it to the car wash on Tutelo Avenue, before taking it to the lockup on Tulsa Street. Drive Jimmy’s car into the garage to complete the mission, and then call Vlad to inform him of the situation.

 

 

Vlad reveals that someone called “Ivan” is planning to rob Roman at the taxi depot. Vlad set this up so that Niko can kill Ivan (because he has angered Mikhail, Vlad’s boss) and say that the death was due to a failed robbery. You need to go to Roman’s taxi depot and intercept Ivan.

 

 

By the time you get to the depot, Ivan is already making an escape. Chase him down and make sure you don’t lose him. Eventually he stops the car, and escapes into a construction site on Kid Street. Use the ladders to chase him through the construction site, and then jump across the rooftops until he reaches a dead end.

 

 

At this point you have a choice – you can either kill Ivan or choose to save him. If you decide to let Ivan live, he’ll give you an extra mission later on in the storyline. Killing him does not prevent you from getting 100%. Niko calls Vlad – regardless of what decision you made – to tell him that Ivan was killed.

 

 

 

Roman wants Niko to pick up his friend “Little Jacob” on Oneida Avenue in South Slopes. Park beside Jacob, and sound the horn to attract his attention. Jacob wants you to take him to Schottler and act as protection while a deal goes down. He gives you a pistol and asks you to help “if anything bad goes down.”

 

 

Go to the lookout spot and crouch to stay out of site. This will also make your aim more accurate. Select the pistol, and watch over the deal. Three men arrive and begin shooting at Little Jacob. Kill the three enemies (which are represented by red blips on the radar) and then kill the shootist on the roof to your left.

 

 

If you aren’t familiar with how the combat system works, pay close attention to the instructions on-screen during the mission. Once all the enemies are dead, take Little Jacob back to the Homebrew Cafe and stop in the yellow marker to complete the mission.

 

 

Roman calls to ask Niko if he’d be interested in helping with the family business. Call Roman whenever you want to take a fare – he’ll pay you for it.

Little Jacob offers Niko to come and meet him for some work. If you maintain a good relationship with Jacob, eventually he’ll offer you discounted guns.

Roman becomes aware that Mallorie has been having an affair with Vlad. Naturally he’s upset, and Niko wants to go to the Comrades Bar and deal with him directly. Go with Roman, and look for Vlad at the Comrades Bar in Hove Beach. Roman is reluctant to do anything, because he doesn’t want to get himself into any more trouble than he already is.

 

 

At the bar, Niko warns Vlad once again that he should stay away from Mallorie, but Vlad doesn’t care. Kill Vlad’s guards (two of them) and then follow him through the back door of the Comrades bar. Get in the car with Roman and begin chasing Vlad. If you let him get away, the mission is failed, so stay close to him and be sure to take the same route that he does.

 

 

Vlad crashes his car under the Algonquin Bridge, and attempts to escape on foot. Niko tells Roman he’s going to “finish it”, but once again Roman is reluctant and begs him not to do anything (where would the fun be in that though?). Execute Vlad after the cutscene to complete the mission.

 

 

After the kill, Niko reveals his motivations for moving to Liberty City. He explains that when he was in the army, they were on a mission to kill a squad that had been killing innocent people, but it was never done because someone betrayed the group. It was a setup, for money. Twelve of the group died, and two (besides Niko) escaped. One of the two survivors lives in Liberty City, and Niko wants to find him.

Achievement unlocked: 5G – Fed The Fish

Roman wants Niko to go and meet him quickly. He’s at Tulsa Street, near Perestroika.

Little Jacob wants to go for a drive. Get in a car, and take him to the apartment block in Willis. Stop in the yellow marker and let Little Jacob get out, then drive to the rear alleyway. You need to waste the three drug dealers who exit the back of the building. The easiest method is simply to run them over.

 

 

Once the dealers have been eliminated, go back and collect Little Jacob. Now take him to the town house in Meadows Park, and go to the front door and take cover. Kill the drug dealer who comes down the stairs, and then move over to the window. There are three more drug dealers inside, so try to kill as many as you can through the window before moving inside the house.

 

 

Go inside with Little Jacob and finish off any remaining attackers. There’s a first aid kit on the table if you require any health. Finally, take Jacob back to the Homebrew Cafe to complete the mission.

 

 

Roman is hiding in a dumpster because he believes he is being followed. An attacker hits Niko over the back of the head with a gun, and the two cousins are kidnapped and taken to “the boss”. Two new characters, Andrei and Dimitri, torture Roman and Niko in Mikhail Faustin’s basement, in order to get them to talk. They demand to know who Niko is working for, but Niko refuses to give a serious answer. Faustin comes down and shoots Andrei unexpectedly, and then shoots Roman in the stomach in order to keep him quiet. He agrees with Niko that Vlad was an asshole, and asks Niko to do some work for him. The only reason Faustin wanted Vlad around is because he was “fucking his sister,” apparently. Dimitri tells Faustin they “have a buyer for the TVs.”

 

 

After the cutscene, bring up the cellphone and dial 911. When the cops arrive, steal their car and lose the one-star wanted level. Niko calls Dimitri for further instructions – there are three vans in the area, and you need to find them and pull them over before they reach their destinations. One of these vans has the TVs that Faustin wants, and you need to find out which one it is. Pull over each van separately, and approach the driver at the window. The driver will get out and show you what’s in the back of the van. Once you have located the van with the TVs, pull it over and one of the drivers will start shooting.

 

 

Steal the van and take it to the lockup on Concord Avenue to complete the mission. Afterwards, Niko calls Dimitri to inform him that the mission was successful. He then invites you back to Faustin’s home for some more work.

 

 

Roman calls and reveals that he is recovering well from his injury.

Faustin is snorting coke, and he’s becoming dillusional as a result of it. He’s angry because Dimitri treats him like a little child, and he’s determined to do everything his own way. Dimitri says that him and Niko are ready to go and “deal with that guy.”

 

 

After the cutscene, take Dimitri to the sex shop on Delaware Avenue. Some guy has been making porno in his basement and he didn’t pay Mikhail his cut, so Mikhail wants him dead. Dimitri is going to ignore Faustin’s demands and simply give the guy a scare so they can benefit from the profits of the films. Stop in the yellow marker outside the sex shop and go inside. Dimitri threatens to kill Josepth unless he pays Mikhail Faustin his cut.

 

 

After the cutscene, target Josepth in order to intimidate him. Then target the guy in the middle, and custom aim to shoot him in the leg after he has spoken. Josepth then agrees to pay Faustin his cut, and gives some cash to Dimitri to give to Mikhail. Leave the sex shop and take Dimitri to the gun store on Dillon Street. Go inside and purchase a Micro-SMG, which will be paid for by Mr. Faustin. Take Dimitri back to Faustin’s house to finish the mission.

 

 

Little Jacob sends a text message. He wants you to go and see him.

Faustin’s gang is in trouble. The police have been authorized to tap their phones, and they know about the pot they stole because “too much noise has been made.” Faustin thinks there is a rat, and he believes it is Lenny, Dimitri’s cousin’s boyfriend. Dimitri begs Faustin not to do anything, but Faustin doesn’t listen. He asks Niko to go to Guantanmo Avenue in South Bohan and take out Lenny.

 

 

On the route to South Bohan, slow down at the toll on Charge Island to avoid attracting police attention. Lenny is on the platform at Guantanmo Avenue Station. Go up the stairs and onto the platform, where a short cutscene begins.

 

 

Lenny tries to make an escape, and his partner begins shooting at you. Kill Lenny’s partner and then cross the tracks, being careful to dodge the trains on either side. Lenny gets into a car at the bottom of the stairs. Try to get a few shots in at his tires if possible, then steal a car and begin chasing him. Get close to Lenny and perform a drive-by shooting until his car catches fire. Finish off Lenny to complete the mission. After the kill, Niko calls Dimitri, who says that the boy you killed was Kenny Petrovic’s son. According to Dimitri, Petrovic is a dangerous man, and you could now be in very serious trouble!

 

 

Roman sends a text message telling you to meet him at the depot in Broker. He has someone he wants you to meet.

Faustin is angry because his daughter has turned into “an ungrateful bitch.” He wants Niko to go and meet her on Firefly Island, and kill her boyfriend if he is there. Once you arrive at the destination, a cutscene begins. Niko warns the biker away from Mr. Faustin’s daughter, but he doesn’t seem very happy about it. He states he is going to meet up with his biker buddies and “fuck you up.”

 

 

Get on the motorcycle and chase the boyfriend. Try to get as many shots in as possible and kill himbefore he’s able to meet up with his biker buddies, otherwise the mission will become a whole lot harder. It would be worth investing in armour and some decent weapons before the mission starts, just incase you aren’t able to kill him quick enough. Head over to the weapons store on Dillon Street if necessary.

 

 

If the biker manages to meet up with his buddies, go for the biker first and make sure he doesn’t escape, then focus on his buddies. Niko calls Faustin once the biker is dead to confirm that the job has been done.

 

 

Niko gets a rough introduction from ‘Badman’, Little Jacob’s housemate. Some people are selling weed where they aren’t supposed to be selling weed, and they aren’t giving Badman his cut. He wants Niko to take care of them. Go and find the dealer in South Bohan. Stop in the yellow marker at Wallkill Avenue and watch the cutscene.

 

 

After the cutscene, follow the dealer to his supplier on foot. Stay behind him and try not to be seen. If you spook the dealer he will begin running, so keep following him into the apartment block, but don’t kill him!

 

 

Roman calls half-way through the mission, so just hang-up when he calls. The dealer and his suppliers are on the top floor of the building. Shoot the lock on the door, and then kill the dealer and his two suppliers inside. Use the wall as cover. Niko calls Jacob to inform him that the dealer and his suppliers are dead.

 

 

Little Jacob calls to say that he has some extra work for you, if you are interested.

Roman introduces you to Brucie, an eccentric character who is obsessed with physical appearance. You’ll meet him later on in the story for some missions. Roman says you need to get online, and tells you to visit the TW@ internet cafe and setup an email account.

 

 

Go to the TW@ cafe on Oneida Avenue, then go inside and talk to the assistant. Access any computer terminal in the cafe, and click on the ‘WEB’ icon on the desktop. Click on ‘Check Mail’ and then open the email from ‘Eyefind Web Team’. Reply to this email to active your account.

 

 

Logout and leave the internet cafe to complete the mission.

 

 

Roman calls, and he says that Brucie has a business proposition for you. He’s going to email you the names of all the cars that he needs, and you’re going to get them for him.

Faustin isn’t home right now, so his wife Ileyna invites Niko inside until Mikhail gets back. Ileyna tells Niko that things didn’t used to be the same, and that there was once a time when she and Mikhail were “happy together.” Niko then tells her about his own troubles in life, and that he did some “bad things” during the war. Dimitri and Faustin arrive. Faustin wants Niko to find a truck owned by the guy who owes money to him, and then call him once he’s got it.

 

 

The truck is situated at an old factory in Schottler on Montauk Avenue, so go and pick it up. Once you get inside, Niko will call Faustin, who reveals that the truck is filled with explosives. You need to take the truck to South Bohan and park it inside a garage.

 

 

Be sure to pay the $5 toll on Charge Island to avoid attracting police attention. Park inside the garage and trigger the bomb, and then watch the spectacular explosion which follows. Find a car and get out of the area to complete the mission. Niko will call Faustin to confirm that the job was successful.

 

 

Roman calls to say that Brucie has some work for you. You can now do work for Brucie by going to the ‘B’ icon on the radar.

Dimitri sends a text message after the mission. He’s on the Firefly Island Boardwalk, and he needs to talk with Niko.

Dimitri believes that he and Faustin are in big trouble because Niko killed Petrovic’s son (in the mission”No Love Lost”). Dimitri now has a dilemna – he can either kill his best friend (in order to make peace with Petrovic) or die. Dimitri wants you to go to Faustin’s club (where Faustin will be arriving shortly) and kill him. Be sure to have plenty of weapons (a shotgun would be useful) before starting this mission. Pay a visit to the weapons store on Dillon Street if necessary.

 

 

Go to the Perestroika club and walk into the yellow marker. Faustin will be seen arriving with his bodyguards.

Dimitri reveals he has left some body armour for you around the back of the club. If you don’t already have some, go and fetch it.

Go inside the club and watch the cutscene. Faustin becomes aware that Dimitri has betrayed him, but he doesn’t want to go down without a fight. After the cutscene, kill the two bodyguards, and then find cover. Kill the other guards in the room, and then follow Faustin through the back door. There’s another guard waiting behind the door, so be prepared. There is also another guard up ahead.

 

 

Once the guards have been taken out, go through the double doors where three more of Faustin’s men are waiting for you. Again find cover, and eliminate the remaining guards. Follow Faustin onto the roof of the building, where he drops his weapon. Kill Mikhail Faustin to complete the mission. Afterwards, Niko calls Dimitri to confirm that Faustin is dead. Dimitri wants you to collect your money for the hit at a warehouse.

 

 

Little Jacob calls to warn you about the Russians. He offers to assist you when you go to pick up the hit money.

Dimitri invites Niko into the warehouse to collect his money for the hit on Faustin. Not surprisingly though, it’s a setup. He says that many years ago, when Niko was smuggling people into Italy, he left a good friend (Mr. Bulgarin) out of pocket. Bulgarin’s men surround Niko, and you need to take them out and then escape from the warehouse. Little Jacob will assist you. You need plenty of armour and ammunition before attempting this mission. Something like a shotgun or a Micro-SMG would be useful.

 

 

Take cover behind anything you can find, and eliminate Bulgarin’s men. Take cover at all times – do not run out into the middle of the warehouse unprotected. Some patience is required, because there are a lot of men to kill and it takes a bit of time. Aslong as you have cover you should be okay though. All of Bulgarin’s men are represented on the radar by red blips. Some of them are on the upper level of the warehouse, and these targets have arrows on their blips pointing upwards. You may find it useful to blind fire.

 

 

Eventually, Dimitri and Bulgarin are seen leaving the warehouse. A two-star wanted level is gained, and you need to evade the cops and get Jacob back to the Homebrew cafe. Ignore the cops and head straight for the Virgo that is parked outside. Wait until Little Jacob gets in, and then use the GPS to get back to the cafe.

 

 

After the mission, call Roman to inform him of the situation. Roman whispers over the phone and asks Niko to “come quickly” to the alleyway off of Hopper Street in EIC. Go and meet Roman to begin the mission “Roman’s Sorrow”.

Stop in the yellow marker in the alleyway to trigger the cutscene. Roman is hiding in the trunk of his car because he believes his life is at risk – he says people were calling the apartment and then hanging up. Niko informs Roman of the situation with Dimitri and Bulgarin. The cousins agree to move away from Broker and lay low for a while, but first Roman needs to collect some things from his apartment.

 

 

Drive Roman to his apartment on Hove Beach. When you arrive, you discover that the apartment has been burned down. Now drive Roman to the taxi depot, which you’ll discover is also up in flames.

 

 

Drive with Roman to your new safehouse in Bohan, and meet up there with Mallorie. Mallorie says she knows a bunch of people in Bohan “who may be able to help you out.”

 

 

Achievement unlocked: 5G – Lowest Point