Introduction

If you're reading this guide, then you've joined the ranks of millions upon millions of people who have purchased Grand Theft Auto IV, the much-anticipated title that carries on the ever-popular GTA franchise. However, Tommy Vercetti is nowhere to be found, and you won't be playing in an overly-80s or 90s environment. Instead, Grand Theft Auto IV propels gamers into an all-new version of Liberty City, a living, breathing environment inspired by the greatest city in the real world -- New York. Playing as Eastern European immigrant Niko Ballic, you'll find out firsthand just what it's like to be a strange person in an even stranger land.

It's true. GTA: San Andreas had a bigger environment to explore than Grand Theft Auto IV. But you've never seen a more densely-populated, detailed and engaging environment in any other videogame, ever. That's where our guide comes in. Not only is there a main quest in the game that will take you around forty hours of gameplay to complete, but there are so many side quests, optional missions and jobs, and so much more, that finding it all on your own isn't only a daunting proposition. It's pretty much impossible.

Are you curious how to get through a mission with Little Jacob? Are you wondering why your techniques running jobs in Roman's cab just aren't working? Are you interested in making your relationship with Michelle last? Well, we can answer all of those questions and a plethora more, because this is easily one of the most detailed guides in IGN Guides' ten year history.

In this Grand Theft Auto IV strategy guide, you'll find:

• BASICS // We'll help you survive a day in Liberty City.
• THE CITY // All five boroughs are carefully examined.
• VEHICLES & ARSENAL // For brutal murders and heinous car jackings.
• WALKTHROUGH // Our massive Grand Theft Auto 4 walkthrough.
• SIDE QUESTS // More optional quests than you can shake a pistol at.
• RELATIONSHIPS // Nurture your relationships, or mess them up beyond recognition.
• MULTIPLAYER // Why kill the CPU when you can kill your friends instead?
• SECRETS // Liberty City is chock full of 'em.
• THE LOST AND DAMNED // Myriad information on the Xbox360-exclusive DLC.
• THE BALLAD OF GAY TONY // Everything you need to know for the final Xbox360-exclusive DLC.

The old GTAIII saying applies here, friends. Welcome to Liberty City, where dreams are broken.

Guide by: Colin Moriarty
Multiplayer by: André Segers
Secrets by: Mark Ryan Sallee

GRAND THEFT AUTO 'HOOD Interactive Google map of Liberty City plus wiki help from the GTA community. Click here to enter the 'hood.