GTA IV General: Guide on Mission

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.

The Cousins Bellic

Niko Bellic arrives on a boat in Liberty City in search of a better life. Niko's cousin, Roman, brought Niko to Liberty City with a bunch of false promises. He claimed to be living there with lots of money, sports cars, women and a mansion. When Roman arrives at the docks to greet his cousin, he's too drunk to drive, so Niko must take the wheel.

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.

It's Your Call

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.

Three's a Crowd

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.

Bleed Out

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.

First Date

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.

Easy Fare

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.

Bull in a China Shop

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.

Hung Out to Dry

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.