Plot Guide - Guide for Grand Theft Auto IV
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______________________________________________________________________________ | | | GRAND THEFT AUTO IV | | | | | | PLOT GUIDE | | | | By Brian Taylor | | | | Version 1.0 19 May 2008 | | | ______________________________________________________________________________ --------------- COPYRIGHT INFO --------------- This document is copyrighted to Brian Taylor, 2008. This document (as of the current version, 1.0) is authorized to be hosted exclusively at www.gamefaqs.com. All rights reserved. This document may be freely distributed, however, provided that no changes are made to the document prior to distribution and that no parts of this guide are used for any commercial purposes whatsoever. The game on which this guide is based, Grand Theft Auto IV, as well as the storyline and characters depicted within, are the sole property of Take Two Interactive, Ltd. and Rockstar Games. =================== |TABLE OF CONTENTS| =================== I. Introduction II. Spoiler Disclaimer III. General Notes IV. Liberty City A. Broker B. Dukes C. Bohan D. Algonquin E. Alderney V. Plot Summary Part I: Beginnings in Broker Part II: Escape to Bohan Part III: Algonquin Part IV: The Law and the Government Part V: Mobbed Up Part VI: The McReary Family Part VII: Bernie Crane and the Kidnapping Part VIII: Back to the Mob Part IX: Intrigue Part X: Finale VI. Choices A. Roman or Michelle? B. Ivan C. Cherise D. Clarence E. Playboy X vs. Dwayne Forge F. Fratricide (Francis and Derrick McReary) G. Darko Brevic H. Finale VII. Plot Analysis VIII. Future Versions and Contact Info IX. Credits ============== |INTRODUCTION| ============== Thank you for reading this Plot Guide for Grand Theft Auto IV. This is a game rich with numerous NPC characters and a rather nuanced plot given the standard normally associated with the action-adventure genre, and I composed this guide in the hopes that it would help enhance people's appreciation and understanding of the narrative and the many interlocking relationships between the interesting characters. Since there appears to be very little continuity between the events and characters of Grand Theft Auto IV and the previous incarnations of the series, this guide will hopefully serve as a comprehensive compendium of information that will focus on the "new era" of Rockstar North's blockbuster series, and I hope to expand it as the story continues over the years, whether it be through additional downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV or via entirely new retail releases in the future. ************************** MASSIVE SPOILER DISCLAIMER ************************** It should probably go without saying that this document is essentially one gargantuan spoiler. If you have not yet completed the story in Grand Theft Auto IV for yourself, I strongly discourage you from reading further in this guide until you have. Every character and plot point will be thoroughly analyzed, and it is highly recommended to experience the story for yourself at least once. So close this document and finish the game, or you will be robbing yourself of one of the most satisfying narrative experiences in the history of gaming. You have been warned. Below this point, there will be no punches pulled in terms of spoilers. __________________ | GENERAL NOTES | __________________ For purposes of brevity, the title "Grand Theft Auto IV" will be abbreviated as "GTA IV" or "the game" from this point forward. Here I will elaborate upon some of the game design elements that have an effect on the presentation of the material in this guide. First and foremost, the dependency tree of missions is sharply more complex in terms of prerequisites. This ultimately means that the order in which various missions and plot threads are uncovered by the player can vary rather widely. There are, of course, universal prerequisites, but it is common for multiple mission threads to be proceeding concurrently. For the purposes of clarity, this guide will explore the events of the mission threads separately and in a plausible yet somewhat arbitrary order. If anyone contacts me with a compelling reason to change the order of presentation, I'm certainly open to it. Secondly, much of the story and the availability of missions is tied to the protagonist's cell phone. This adds to the difficulty of establishing a definitive chronology of events because phone calls, including those that advance the story, tend to be placed with some degree of randomness. Again, this will be handled by arbitrary choice on my part as to how I feel the story arc is unfolding. Though I will do my best to maintain fidelity with regard to the chronology of events, there is a substantial amount of latitude that must be accounted for considering the more dynamic nature of the game's mission tree. When I make reference to the chronology (i.e. "order of appearance" for the character section), please bear in mind that this is occasionally going to vary from the path you may have taken in your playthrough. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, for the first time in the series, GTA IV allows the player a series of choices throughout the game that can have a subtle impact on the storyline. Each of these choices and their potential effects will be covered in this guide, but as a general rule, the choices do not have a significant impact on the plot itself. Most choices involve the fate of characters, some of whom are more integral to the story than others. In two notable instances, the player must decide which one of two major characters to kill. And for the game's finale, the player must choose between taking revenge on a double-crossing mobster or doing business with him for the promise of riches, and the fate of two other important characters hangs unwittingly in the balance depending on your choice. This guide will comprehensively detail the consequences of each choice made, despite the fact that none of them (with the exception of the finale) have any signficant impact on the progression of the overarching storyline. ================= | LIBERTY CITY | ================= One of the most distinctive features of the Grand Theft Auto series is the role that the detailed urban environments that serve as the setting for the events of the story serves almost as a character in and of itself. GTA IV's Liberty City is a remarkably detailed and vivid place, arguably the most fully-realized urban environment in gaming history. Liberty City is rather strongly based on the real-life American city of New York and its boroughs. This section will contain a description of each of the major "boroughs" of Liberty City along with a listing of the characters residing within them. In certain cases, individual "neighborhoods" within each borough will be mentioned where important to placing the location of the characters. Some of the more famous landmarks (along with their real-life counterparts) will also be mentioned. ------ Broker ------ Representation of: Brooklyn, New York Broker is the southernmost borough of the eastern most island in Liberty City. The main character, Niko Bellic, takes residence in his first apartment in the Hove Beach (Brighton Beach) neighborhood. His cousin Roman's cab stand is also located here. At the southernmost edge of Broker, Firefly Island (Coney Island), can be found, featuring a closed theme park area along with a large out-of-use wooden roller coaster, The Screamer (Coney Island Cyclone.) Broker is connected to Algonquin via the Algonquin Bridge in the southwest of the borough, and the BOABO neighborhood (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass) is almost certainly a spoof on the real-life equivalent of DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.) Characters in Broker: Niko Bellic, Roman Bellic, Vladimir Glebov, Mikhail Faustin, Dimitri Rascalov, Brucie Kibbutz, Jon Gravelli ----- Dukes ----- Representation of: Queens, New York Dukes is found north of Broker on the eastern-most island of Liberty City. It is primarily a residential area featuring parks and apartment units as well as middle-class housing and businesses. It is notably lacking in terms of landmarks, but it serves as the primary residence of one of the most noteworthy families in the game, the McRearys, who own a house near the Meadows Park neighborhood. One of Niko's most reliable cohorts, the Jamaican gun supplier Little Jacob, also lives in Dukes. Characters in Dukes: Patrick (Packie) McReary, Gerry McReary, Kate McReary, Ma McReary, Little Jacob, Badman ----- Bohan ----- Representation of: The Bronx, New York Bohan is at the northernmost part of the eastern-most island of Liberty City. It is separated from Dukes by a small channel of water. It is geographically the smallest of the boroughs in New York, and combines lower-class residential areas with industrial complexes and other small businesses. Events in the story compel Niko and Roman Bellic to flee to Bohan after Roman's cab depot and the duo's safehouse are burned to the ground by men working for Dimitri Rascalov. Characters in Bohan: Manny Escuela, Mallorie Bellic, Elizabeta Torres --------- Algonquin --------- Representation of: Manhattan, New York Algonquin is the center island of the three major islands in Liberty City, and is the home of more affluent housing, large business skyscrapers, and numerous entertainment attractions. Algonquin is home to numerous noteworthy landmarks, including Middle Park (Central Park), an enormous recreation area set in a several-block area in the center of the island, Star Junction (Times Square), a bustling, neon-lit commercial and entertainment strip, and the Rotterdam Tower (The Empire State Building.) Characters in Algonquin: Playboy X, Dwayne Forge, Ray Boccino, United Liberty Paper, Francis McReary --------- Alderney --------- Representation of: New Jersey Alderney is the eastern-most island of the three major islands in the game world, and is not considered a borough of Liberty City. It is quite varied in its urban demographic, ranging from the large industrial area in the Acter neighborhood to the south, to the urban-themed Alderney City (Jersey City) in the middle, to the more affluent suburban areas in the Leftwood neighborhood to the north. Alderney is noteworthy for the elevated freeway that rings nearly the entire island. Characters in Alderney: Jimmy Pegorino, Phil Bell, Gerry McReary ________________ | PLOT SUMMARY | ________________ The following is a semi-chronological summary of the overarching plot of the game. Please note that for the purposes of clarity and focus, there may be a few instances where the narrative departs slightly from the mission prerequisite structure. This is to keep plot threads from becoming too hopelessly entangled. In most cases, this will still follow the order in which you can play the missions, but be aware that such deviations are intentional for expository purposes. It is pretty much impossible to arrive a definitive "order" of missions in this game, considering that phone calls trigger some missions at somewhat random times once certain conditions are met, and they cannot be bypassed. I've elected not to get bogged down in detailing the events of every mission in the game, even though most of them contain at least some development of character and/or plot. This is to keep the narrative flowing without sounding like a checklist, as well as to avoid losing sight of the forest for the trees. I will provide sketches of each mission in the character profiles of those that enlist Niko's services, which will provide character info and plot background without overburdening the summary with excessive detail. With those caveats aside, on with the story! ---------------------------- PART I: BEGINNINGS IN BROKER ---------------------------- The game opens with Niko Bellic, the protagonist and player-controlled character, arriving via tanker ship at the docks in Hove Beach, Broker. He is met enthusiastically upon his arrival by his intoxicated cousin, Roman Bellic. Niko drives himself and Roman to the apartment they will share, the dilapidated state of which incenses Niko, who feels deceived by his cousin's tales of pomp and grandeur. Roman assures him that their current lodgings are merely temporary, and riches and splendor await them now that they are united in Liberty City. Niko meets Roman's girlfriend, Mallorie, at the cab stand which Roman runs, and is introduced to one of her friends, Michelle, whom Niko begins dating. He also meets Little Jacob, a Jamaican gun runner, and Brucie, who are friends of Roman, doing occasional side jobs for them as they come up. Niko quickly discovers that Roman has gotten mixed up with some bad people, fueled by his gambling addiction. He protects Roman from Albanian loan shark Dardan Petrela, and becomes indebted to a small-time Russian loan shark, Vladimir Glebov, who routinely harrasses Roman at Roman's cab stand. Niko begins doing odd jobs for Vlad in return for Roman's safety, but events take a turn when Vlad reveals to Niko that he is having an affair with Mallorie. Enraged, Niko confronts, chases, and executes Vlad on a pier in Hove Beach. Roman is petrified that Niko's action will result in their demise, as Vlad was connected to higher-level Russian mobsters, most notably Mikhail Faustin and Dimitri Rascalov. His fears prove well-founded as Russian gangsters jump them on the street and take them to Faustin's basement, where they are beaten and demanded to tell who they are working for. Fortunately, Faustin had no special love for Vlad and was willing to spare their lives in exchange for some work on the part of Niko. There is considerable tension between the flamboyant and reckless Faustin and his more cautious and measured counterpart, Dimitri Rascalov, tension which quickly comes to a boil when Dimitri enlists Niko to kill Faustin due to his carelessness, which Dimitri feels is going to land them both in jail. Niko obliges, and kills Faustin at his favorite hangout, the Perestroika cabaret club in Hove Beach. Any hopes Niko had of a more permanent working relationship with Dimitri come to an abrupt end when he arrives at a meeting in a warehouse (with Little Jacob along as protection) to discover that Dimitri is in league with Bulgarin, the man who blamed Niko for the loss of a lot of money's worth of human cargo. Niko and Little Jacob manage to fight off Bulgarin's forces and escape. Unfortunately, Dimitri was prepared for this contingency and sent his troops to burn down Roman's cab depot and the cousins' apartment in Broker, forcing Niko and Roman to flee to Bohan, where Mallorie grew up and has contacts. They set up shop in an apartment owned by a friend of Mallorie's and begin anew. ------------------------ PART II: ESCAPE TO BOHAN ------------------------ At Mallorie's suggestion, Niko drops by the Bohan community center, where he meets Manny Escuela, a rapper/activist who is being filmed by his cameraman doing a dance. Manny tells Niko that the streets need to be cleaned up, and that he is the one who can help him do it. Niko helps Manny flush out some drug dealers and other gang members. Also through Mallorie, Niko meets Elizabeta Torres, a Puerto Rican cocaine dealer who enlists Niko's aid in overseeing a deal that she is suspicious about. Niko protects an associate of Elizabeta's named Patrick (Packie McReary), who is a freelance criminal himself who promises to work with Niko in the future. Through Elizabeta, Niko also meets Playboy X, a well-connected up-and-coming gangster who accompanies Niko on a drug buy that turns out to be an LCPD sting operation. After escaping unharmed, Playboy X tells Niko to call him some time if he needs more work. Through Manny, Niko encounters police officer Francis McReary, who happens to be the older brother of Packie McReary, with whom Niko worked on a coke buy for Elizabeta Torres. Niko later gets a call from a frazzled Elizabeta, who is having an argument with Little Jacob about a product theft. Elizabeta is furious at Little Jacob for having set up a buy that went bad. Niko promises to handle the situation and takes off to the abandoned mental hospital to retrieve the drugs. After a harrowing shootout and police chase, Niko attempts to meet with Little Jacob to return the cocaine, only to discover that he has been followed by Michelle, the woman he had been dating. Michelle informs an incredulous Niko that she has been working for the government as a spy, and that he must give her the drugs. She tells him that Elizabeta is about to go to prison for a long time, but that her employer might have some use for him, so he won't be arrested quite yet if he cooperates. Furious, he complies, giving the drugs to his would-be lover. Niko then drops in on Elizabeta, who is in the midst of a cocaine bender, fretting about the cops that are suddenly all over her and lamenting that she is surrounded by rats. Manny and his camera man suddenly show up and begin filming her, with Manny gloating about her misfortune and heralding his own success at cleaning up the streets. Elizabeta immediately pulls a pistol and shoots both Manny and his cameraman in the head, and begs Niko to take the bodies to a doctor in Broker who will harvest the organs and get rid of the bodies. With Manny dead and Elizabeta about to be sent up the river, Niko begins pumping his new contacts in Algonquin for further employment. ------------------- PART III: ALGONQUIN ------------------- Playboy X has grand aspirations to enhance his financial situation and standing in the civic community by squeezing the Mafia-run construction site in order to curry favor with a real-estate developer who had made a bid on the site. Niko massacres the Mafia workers and bosses, but the effort is in vain, as the developer wanted to turn it into a memorial rather than a new project with Playboy X cut in. Through Playboy X, Niko meets Dwayne Forge, a former associate of Playboy's who has just been released from prison. Dwayne is not happy with the treatment he has been receiving upon his release, and Playboy suggests that Niko work with Dwayne on his dime. A despondent Dwayne laments to Niko that his life outside of prison has little value to him, as he has lost his girlfriend and any stature in the criminal world that he had once enjoyed. Niko sets out to eliminate the man who began seeing Dwayne's girlfriend while he was in prison, and also kills the managers of a Bohan strip joint that Dwayne once helped operate. Unfortunately, Playboy X had a financial stake in the strip club, which creates additional friction between himself and Dwayne, and Playboy ultimately requests that Niko kill Dwayne. Playboy insisted that he had exhausted every alternative avenue, even offering Dwayne half of the business, but fears that Dwayne will make an attempt on his life. Dwayne suspects likewise about Playboy, and calls Niko to ask him to take care of Playboy for him. Niko is then presented with a choice. If he kills Dwayne, he receives a hefty payoff from Playboy X, who then cuts off contact with Niko. If he kills Playboy X, he earns no money but Dwayne lets him take residence in Playboy X's condominium in Northwood. Around this time, Mallorie calls Niko and tells him that Roman's gambling debts have resulted in his kidnapping. The captors are holding Roman in a warehouse in the industrial sector of Bohan, and upon emerging victorious in a massive firefight and rescuing Roman, it becomes clear that the kidnapping was orchestrated by Dimitri Rascalov to lure Niko into a deadly trap. Having foiled this trap, Roman tells Niko that he will arrange for an apartment in Algonquin so that it will be harder for Dimitri to locate Niko again. ----------------------------------- PART IV: THE LAW AND THE GOVERNMENT ----------------------------------- The police officer whom Niko met through Manny in Bohan, Francis McReary, contacts Niko and asks him to meet him at a restaurant in southern Algonquin. Francis tells Niko that he has plenty of dirt on him and would like his assistance in cleaning up some public relations problems for him. Niko grudgingly agrees, taking out a blackmailer, engaging in corporate subterfuge to kill a lawyer who is threatening an embarrassing lawsuit, and killing a criminal mastermind and an accomplice of his. Michelle, the covert agent who masqueraded as a love interest of Niko's, calls him and instructs him to report to the Triangle in Algonquin to meet with her employers. This employer turns out to be the United Liberty Paper, a government front group specializing in crippling organized crime. They have decided to have Niko perform some dangerous tasks for them in exchange for looking the other way with regard to his other criminal exploits. Niko complies, and his duties for the United Liberty Paper culminate in the theft of a helicopter and the airborne destruction of a wanted terrorist financier over the water. The United Liberty Paper, pleased with Niko's services, agrees to help him in the search for the man who betrayed their unit during the war in Bosnia. ----------------- PART V: MOBBED UP ----------------- Niko gets in touch with Patrick McReary, the street thug whom he assisted in the coke deal for Elizabeta, and they begin a series of criminal exploits together, including stealing a truck full of expensive pharmaceutical products, and a massive bank heist conducted in the face of intense police resistance. Through Packie, Niko is introduced to Ray Boccino, an Italian mobster working for the Pegorino family, which is based in Alderney. Packie makes it clear that he would normally have little to do with Boccino if the McReary crime family were still as strong as it once was, but they need a working relationship to survive. Impressed with Niko's performance during Packie's job on his behalf, Ray offers Niko some additional work, which he accepts. Niko is enlisted by Ray Boccino to preside over a covert collection of valuable diamonds that have been hidden in trash bags around the city. After collecting these diamonds and eliminating a couple of Ray's thugs who attempted to pocket some of the jewels on the sly, he asks Niko to oversee the sale of the diamonds to a Jewish diamond dealer, Isaac Roth. Niko balks, beginning to suspect that the well-connected Ray is not making an appropriate effort to track down the person he's looking for, Florian Cravic. Ray chuckles, and seems amused as though he knows who the man is, but then becomes solemn and gives Niko his word that he will find out where Cravic is located. Niko meets up with Johnny, the head of the biker gang with whom Boccino has arranged this sale, at the sale site at the Museum in Middle Park, the bikers ambush Niko and make off with the diamonds. Niko manages to fight his way out of the situation, and at Ray's behest, tracks down and eliminates some of the bikers, but Isaac Roth is convinced that Ray was in on the diamond heist and threatens to kill him. Ray sends Niko to silence Roth and his cronies, who are well-protected in a luxurious hotel in Algonquin, and he succeeds. Making good on his word, Ray Boccino informs Niko that he has a line on a small-time gambler who claims to know Florian Cravic's whereabouts. Niko and Roman meet with him and convince him to lead them to Florian's location. Upon confronting Florian in his Middle Park West apartment, Niko becomes convinced that the hapless, openly gay Florian Cravic (who flamboyantly insists on being called Bernie Crane) was not the one behind the betrayal during the war. After this encounter, the bemused representative from the United Liberty Paper calls Niko and tells him that he should have known Florian was not behind the betrayal and says that they will attempt to locate the only remanining suspect, one Darko Brevic, for him. --------------------------- PART VI: THE MCREARY FAMILY --------------------------- Stymied in his quest for revenge, Niko begins working for the other members of the McReary family whom he met through his previous exploits with Packie. He also strikes up the makings of a romance with Kate, the shy and detached younger sister of the family. Gerry, the oldest of Packie's brothers, overcomes his initial suspicion of Niko after his impressive work with Packie on the bank heist, and enlists Niko's aid in dealing with a problem of his. Niko helps Gerry foster some discord between a rival mob family, the Ancelottis, and the Albanians. Packie informs Niko that his older brother, Derrick, is having substance abuse problems and has just returned from an extended stay in Ireland after fleeing some personal issues in Liberty City. Niko helps Derrick eliminate a street thug who has been threatening Derrick upon his return via hacking into a police computer, and offers seaborne protection to a Korean accomplice of his in a journey to Bohan. Niko's association with Derrick culminates in a daring kidnapping and murder of a prisoner with whom Derrick has a life-long beef dating into the past. Niko and Packie stage a "rescue" in the Booth Tunnel to extract Aiden O'Malley, Derrick's nemesis, from police custody while he is in transport and then whisk him off to the cliffs in Leftwood for execution. After this escapade, Niko is contacted once again by an angry Francis McReary, who despises his brother Derrick and is furious that Niko is consorting with him. It is a bit unclear what the precise nature of his displeasure with Derrick stems from, but Francis makes it abundantly clear to Niko that he wants Derrick dead. Niko is not thrilled at the prospect, but reluctantly agrees after Francis threatens to use the power of his position to have Niko locked up. Francis arranges a meeting with Derrick at a park in Northwood, and Derrick, suspicious of Francis' motives, contacts Niko with his suspicions and requests that he look over the meeting and take out Francis. Niko finds himself facing another choice. Killing either brother results in little change to the plot, but he is paid handsomely if he follows Francis' instructions. Regardless of the victim of his sniper rifle round, Niko is contacted by Packie the next day to attend the funeral of the deceased brother. Niko is also informed that Gerry's fears of being arrested again have come to fruition; he is currently being held on charges in the Alderney Correctional Facility pending trial. Outside the church, the funeral procession is ambushed by Albanians with an axe to grind. After fighting off waves of Albanian attackers, Niko drives the hearse with the McReary brother's body to the cemetery and eludes the heat. ----------------------------------------- PART VII: BERNIE CRANE AND THE KIDNAPPING ----------------------------------------- Around this time, Niko is contacted by a frantic Bernie Crane (formerly known as Florian Cravic) and Niko agrees to assist him with some of his problems. The flamboyant Bernie is being harassed by a homophobe, who Niko confronts and takes out. Bernie's lover, Bryce Dawkins, is a prominent local politician who was elected on a family values platform. Dawkins is being blackmailed with the threat of making his affair with Bernie public. Niko attempts to scare off the blackmailers, but discovers that Dimitri Rascalov is behind the scheme. He eliminates the underlings, but then ends up in a seafaring battle with additional Russians attempting to take down Crane in retaliation. In gratitude for Niko's assistance in dealing with the blackmail problem, Bernie gives him the keys to Bryce Dawkins' rare and expensive car, the coveted Infernus. Dimitri calls Niko and threatens his life again, frustrated that Niko has foiled his interests once more. Gerry McReary's incarceration has not diminished his desire to make trouble for the Ancelotti crime family, and from behind bars he makes arrangements with Niko to kidnap Gracie Ancelotti, the daughter of the head of the Ancelottis. Niko contacts Gracie via a phone response to an online ad she placed to sell her pink Feltzer convertible, and sets up a meeting for a test drive. During the test drive, he announces his true intentions and she struggles valiantly before Niko renders her unconscious and delivers her to the safehouse where she is held captive. After confirming their possession of Gracie with a phone picture, Gerry tells Niko (in a heavily coded conversation from behind prison bars) that he must move Gracie to a new safehouse because the Ancelottis are getting close to discovering the location of the current one. Niko does so, just in time to evade Ancelotti goons closing in on the position. Ultimately, Ancelotti agrees to the ransom demand, and a meet is set up to exchange Grace for a bag of diamonds, which appear to have been the diamonds Niko was involved in stealing for Ray Boccino. Apparently, the bikers and Ancelottis were in league to rob the diamonds from the Pegorino mobsters. The exchange is set to take place at the water treatment facility on Charge Island, located between Dukes and Algonquin. The exchange appears to go off without a hitch until several cars arrive at the scene before Packie and Niko can collect the diamonds. Rodislav Bulgarin emerges once again, claiming that Niko has again stolen his property. The diamonds apparently were originally stolen from him. Packie and Niko fight valiantly against Bulgarin's men to recover the diamonds, but the cornered thug throws them from the platform into the bed of a dump truck passing below. Packie and Niko escape, but without the diamonds. Gerry is surely to be disappointed at the turn of events. Niko is once again contacted by Dimitri, who makes it clear that he had tipped Bulgarin off to the meeting in another foiled attempt to have Niko eliminated. The stakes appear to be growing with each passing day. ---------------------------- PART VIII: BACK WITH THE MOB ---------------------------- During his errands for Ray Boccino, Niko met Phil Bell, another highly placed associate within the Pegorino crime family. Bell, having heard good things about Niko's abilities from Ray, solicits his assistance with a daring heroin robbery. Niko fights his way to a truck filled with horse, eventually climbing into the cab from the moving vehicle and recovering it for Phil. Niko takes the horse to an abandoned mansion in Leftwood, where Phil's nephew Frankie will watch it for safe keeping. Niko has evidently earned rave reviews from his new Mafia employers, because Phil calls and tells him to wear a nice suit and meet the Don himself, Jimmy Pegorino. Pegorino explains the lay of the land to Niko and then requests that Niko provide protection for a sit-down he has scheduled with another crime family, the Liberty City-based Pavano family. As expected, the meet turns violent and Niko fights off the Pavanos and rescues Pegorino from the fray. Pegorino had hoped that an amicable resolution with the Pavanos would make his association's recognition in the organized crime Commission more likely, but it appears that blood will have to be spilled for the Pegorinos to get the respect he craves. Pegorino has gotten wind that Pavano muscle is making a collection run in Alderney, and wants Niko to wipe them out and take the collections from them. He does so, wiping out numerous Pavano guards at an auto dealership in Berchem. After a rather lengthy reprieve, the United Liberty Paper representative calls Niko and informs him that there is an ailing boss of yet another crime family who has some last requests for assistance. Niko is assured that aiding this man, Jon Gravelli of the Gambetti criminal organization, will bring him closer to finding Darko Brevic, so he agrees to help. Before visiting Gravelli, however, Niko drops in on Phil and is quickly enlisted to help with an urgent mission. A large shipment of drugs from Russia has arrived at the docks early and Niko and Bell's orders are to drive a recognizable truck to the offloading place and steal the drugs. The ruse is unsuccessful, and they are forced to wipe out the Russian drug runners and escape via speedboat. Upon returning to Phil, Niko is hurriedly instructed to drive to the nearby abandoned Sprunk factory, where apparently Chubby Charlie and his henchmen are stationed. Phil frantically tells Niko that Charlie has discovered their drug theft and is threatening to expose their duplicity to the Commission, which would be disastrous for the Pegorino family. Phil drops Niko off while he gives himself an alibi elsewhere so the Pegorinos will not be associated with the attack. Niko fights his way to Charlie and destroys his helicopter as he attempts to make his escape. Niko returns to Phil's office to discover a rather disconcerting sight; apparently Phil keeps company with Pegorino's wife, Angie. Phil is coy about it, and gets defensive when Niko attempts to leverage the situation to compel Phil to assist him in his search for Darko Brevic. Regardless, Niko agrees to accompany Phil to the old mansion, where they will collect the processed heroin stolen from the truck. Upon arriving at the abandoned mansion, the FIB abruptly arrives on a raid. Niko and Phil survive a lengthy car chase before disembarking and continuing the fight on foot. Eventually Phil and Niko reach an escape van and manage to lose the cops. The heroin remains safely in Pegorino's possession. ----------------- PART IX: INTRIGUE ----------------- When Niko swings by Pegorino's estate to get more work, he is greeted by a rather disturbing sight: a frazzled Pegorino aiming a shotgun at him and raving about rats. Pegorino's paranoia is evidently well-founded: his personal bodyguard, Tony, had been wearing a wire. Jimmy thought he had talked Tony out of cooperating with the authorities, but the stress of the situation induced a heart attack, and he is currently under police protection in Leftwood Memorial Hospital. Jimmy assures Niko that Tony's audio recordings will implicate him as well, so Niko agrees to infiltrate the hospital and silence him permanently. After Tony's expiration, Jimmy summons Niko back to his house, where a war council is being held. Ray Boccino and Phil Bell are clearly at odds with regard to strategy, and after Phil departs, Jimmy orders Ray out of the room so he can have a private chat with Niko. Jimmy ruminates about the respective merits of his two employees, but is convinced that one of them is a rat. After a short time, Jimmy calls Niko and tells him that he's decided that Ray must go. Niko obliges and kills Ray and his bodyguards on the streets of Liberty City while en route to one of his safehouses in BOABO. Things appear quiet for the moment in the Pegorino outfit, so Niko pays Jon Gravelli a visit, who is a mob boss on the verge of death in the Schottler Memorial Hospital. Gravelli tells Niko that he is in cahoots with United Liberty Paper and has the ability to help Niko get his police file expunged in exchange for a few favors. He also implies that he can help Niko find Darko Brevic, so Niko agrees to help him. Niko accompanies a politician to a speech, protecting him from attackers who want to stop him, and also flushes out and kills a Korean counterfeit money pusher at a restaurant in Chinatown. Finally, the United Liberty Paper representative appears at Gravelli's bedside and explains to Niko that there is one final task he must complete: the destruction of a Russian drug depot hidden behind a supermarket front. Niko is assured that if he successfully destroys the trucks of drugs, Darko Brevic will be extradited from his remote hiding spot so he can be dealt with. After complying, Niko gets a call from United Liberty Paper telling him that Darko is indeed waiting for him at the Francis International Airport. Niko picks up Roman and arrives to see a van. A man, bound hand and foot, is shoved from the cargo area before the van speeds off. Niko confronts Darko, asking him why he betrayed his brethren. Darko admits that he did it for a paltry sum of money, in part to feed his drug addiction. He shows little remorse, but Roman suggests that his current predicament is punishment enough and encourages Niko to let him suffer alive. Niko has a choice to kill Darko or walk away, and neither option has any significant impact on the story. -------------- PART X: FINALE -------------- With the Darko Brevic situation behind him, Niko ponders his next move. He doesn't have to wait long before being summoned to the strip club in Alderney, where Jimmy Pegorino presents him with an opportunity for vast riches via the sale of the stolen heroin to Russian mobsters, specifically Dimitri Rascalov. Niko protests that he refuses to work with Rascalov on principle, but Pegorino is insistent. He is desperate for the financial windfall that the deal will provide and threatens Niko with harm if he does not agree to help Phil conduct the deal. Niko grudgingly agrees. Immediately afterward, Niko calls Roman to discuss the proposition. Roman is thrilled about the prospect of financial security and tells Niko to let bygones be bygones and do the deal. This would allow Niko and Roman to write their own ticket and get out of the criminal world for good. However, Roman also lets slip with an interesting piece of information; Dimitri is currently preparing for the deal on the tanker ship in the docks at Hove Beach. Niko calls his love interest, Kate McReary, and seeks her counsel. She tells him that if he compromises his principles for money, she will no longer speak to him. Niko's decision plays a monumental role in determining the fates of these two characters. ---- Deal ---- After consideration, Niko decides to accept Roman's advice and agree to do the deal with Rascalov. He meets up with Phil near a bridge in Alderney and they proceed to the industrial facility where the deal is to take place. Upon their arrival, Niko is contacted by Dimitri, who informs him that he has killed the heroin suppliers and taken the drugs, which means that Phil and Niko will have to fight for the money that was intended for the deal. After a lengthy battle in a warehouse and an ensuing chase, they successfully recover the money and all seems well. Pegorino is thrilled at the recovery of the money, Roman is happy that they will finally be financially secure, but Kate refuses to attend Roman and Malorie's long awaited wedding the next day. Niko dresses up in a nice suit and attends the wedding. While outside the church exchanging congratulations, however, a gaunt figure approaches Niko, confirms his identity, and pulls a weapon. Dimitri Rascalov has sent a goon to take care of unfinished business. Niko valiantly battles with the assailant, but in the struggle, the gun fires a shot that hits Roman and kills him. An enraged Niko fires repeatedly into the dead corpse of the attacker before being restrained by Little Jacob and others, who tell him to leave the area before the cops arrive. Seething with hatred for Dimitri, he awaits a call from Little Jacob, who assures him that he will locate Dimitri and go after him together. Niko meets up with Little Jacob and they follow some of Dimitri's men out to an abandoned old casino in the north of Alderney. Niko fights his way through the casino to discover that Jimmy Pegorino and Dimitri Rascalov are in cahoots. However, Dimitri kills Pegorino in cold blood before attempting to escape via helicopter. Fortunately, Little Jacob has arranged the escape vehicle, a speedboat that Niko uses to chase after Dimitri. Eventually, Jacob hovers over Niko's boat which allows Niko to climb into the chopper and take the controls. Niko follows Dimitri on a lengthy chase throughout the city, dodging rockets from Dimitri's helicopter, until they are finally shot down over Happiness Island. Niko fights his way through assorted goons until finally gunning down Dimitri, ending their protracted feud once and for all. ------- Revenge ------- Niko decides that no amount of money is worth compromising his principles, and heads down to the docks in Hove Beach to confront Dimitri before the deal can be made. He infiltrates Dimitri's ship, fighting through waves of his goons before executing Dimitri at the back of his cargo ship. His revenge exacted, Niko gets a call from Phil Bell, who tells Niko that he understands why he did what he did but that Pegorino is hopping mad and that Phil can no longer have any contact with Niko. Roman, while mildly disappointed, seems to understand as well. Niko picks up Kate, who is excited to accompany him to Roman and Mallorie's wedding. On the way they discuss their possible future and Niko's departure from the criminal world. After the ceremony, however, Jimmy Pegorino, outraged at Niko's decision to foil the deal, attempts to kill him in a drive-by shooting. His bullets miss Niko, but hit Kate, killing her. A distraught Niko swears vengeance on Pegorino. Little Jacob assures him that he will find out where he is and help him on his quest. Roman also insists on accompanying them. They have a line on some of Pegorino's men, who they hope will lead them to the hideout. They pursue the henchmen to the old abandoned casino in northern Alderney. Niko insists that Little Jacob and Roman stay behind and arrange for escape transportation while he heads in after Pegorino. Niko fights his way into and through the casino, but is unable to get to Pegorino before he clambers into a speedboat and attempts to escape. Little Jacob texts Niko that he has a motorbike waiting for the pursuit. Niko hops on the bike and follows Pegorino on the shoreline, but when it appears that he has nowhere left to go, Little Jacob arrives in a helicopter and positions it near a jetty, which Niko jumps from and grabs onto the chopper, which he then begins to pilot. Niko follows Pegorino's boat toward Happiness Island, dodging rockets until they are finally shot down. Niko pursues Pegorino on Happiness Island until he finally corners him and guns him down. He taunts Pegorino that he was considered a joke within the Commission before putting him out of his misery. Niko's revenge is complete, and the story comes to a close. ================ | CHOICES | ================ At numerous points in the game, the player is given the option to make a decision that potentially has an impact on the story. While the overarching plot of the game remains unaffected by these choices until the finale, the player's experience with the game can be significantly changed by these decisions. This section will detail each of these choices in the order they occur, specifying the choices and outcomes of each one. ------------------ Roman or Michelle? ------------------ Shortly after arranging his first date with Michelle, Niko gets a call from Roman, imploring him to meet him at a basketball court in the projects, where he is being harrassed by a couple of Albanian loan sharks. Niko must choose between honoring his date with Michelle and saving Roman's hide. STORY CONSEQUENES: Not much to speak of. If Niko goes on the date with Michelle, Roman calls him from the hospital, angry that he chose to pursue a romantic interlude over saving his cousin from bodily harm. Niko must pick him up from the hospital, but the mission repeats shortly thereafter. If he jilts Michelle, he gets an inquisitive text message, but can reschedule the date thereafter. ---- Ivan ---- During Vlad's mission, "Ivan the Not So Terrible," Niko is ordered to kill a small-time thief named Ivan. Vlad tells Niko that Ivan is planning to rob Roman's cab depot; Niko doesn't trust Vlad's honesty very much and after pursuing Ivan over rooftops near a construction site, he has to choice to obey Vlad's orders or spare Ivan's life by pulling him up from the ledge. STORY CONSEQUENCES: Since Niko executes Vlad in the very next mission, none. GAMEPLAY CONSEQUENCES: Ivan appears in Alderney later as a random character. He is working as a small-time money lender and Niko assists him in a collection run gone bad. ------- Cherise ------- During Dwayne's mission, "Ruff Rider," Niko hunts down Dwayne's former girlfriend, Cherise, who is in Star Junction with her new lover. The lover beats a hasty retreat and Niko must decide whether to kill Cherise or not. STORY CONSEQUENCES: If Niko kills Cherise, Dwayne doesn't seem to mind too much after the fact. If he doesn't, he later suspects Niko of seeing her on the side. GAMEPLAY CONSEQUENCES: If Niko spares Cherise, she will appear later as a random character in Algonquin. Her new boyfriend is abusing her and Niko is enlisted to teach him a lesson. -------- Clarence -------- During Francis McReary's mission, "Holland Nights," Niko is ordered to kill a criminal named Clarence in the projects in northern Algonquin. After fighting his way through Clarence's guards, Niko corners him on a rooftop, where Clarence vows to reform and begs for his life. STORY CONSEQUENCES: If Niko kills Clarence, Francis tells Niko that it was a wise move, because Clarence is a well-known con artist and prevaricator. If not, he'll be reprimanded by Francis for letting a common criminal fleece him. GAMEPLAY CONSEQUENES: If Niko spares Clarence, he will re-appear later in the game as a random character. Clarence is angry about his destroyed reputation on the streets and attacks Niko. -------------------------- Playboy X vs. Dwayne Forge -------------------------- During Playboy X's mission, "The Holland Play," tensions between former partners Playboy X and Dwayne Forge come to a head, and both attempt to recruit Niko to kill the other. STORY CONSEQUENES: If Niko kills Dwayne, he receives a hefty $25,000 payoff from Playboy X, but will no longer receive any contact or consideration from him. GAMEPLAY CONSEQUENCES: If Niko kills Playboy X, Dwayne allows him to use Playboy's condo as a safehouse and also sends Niko an e-mail requesting his friendship. Dwayne then becomes available as a friend, with a perk of bodyguards to assist Niko in his criminal exploits. ---------------------------------------- Fratricide (Derrick and Francis McReary) ---------------------------------------- In Francis McReary's mission, "Blood Brothers," Francis tells Niko that he must kill his brother Derrick. The nature of his dispute with Derrick is never really made clear. He tells Niko that he will arrange a meeting in a park and Niko should take out Derrick with a sniper rifle from a nearby rooftop. Derrick senses Francis' betrayal and asks Niko to look out for him during the meeting as well. Niko must choose which of the McRearys should meet their untimely demise. STORY CONSEQUENCES: If Niko kills Derrick, he will be attending Derrick's funeral in the next mission. If Niko kills Francis, he will be attending Francis' funeral in the next mission. So the actual consequences are fairly minimal. GAMEPLAY CONSEQUENCES: If Niko kills Derrick, the drive from the funeral to the graveyard will be a bit longer and thus makes the mission "Undertaker" a touch more difficult. He will also then have the option to call Francis one time during the remainder of the story to have him eliminate a three-stars or fewer wanted level. ------------ Darko Brevic ------------ After completing the Gambetti strand of missions, Niko gets a call from the United Liberty Paper representative telling him that Darko Brevic has been extradited and will be waiting for Niko near the entrance to Francis International Airport. Niko picks up Roman and together they go to face Darko. Niko has the choice of killing him or letting him live. STORY CONSEQUENCES: None to speak of. Roman encourages Niko to let him live, so he is mildly disappointed if Niko kills him, but Niko reaches the conclusion that closure doesn't really help much whether he kills him or not. GAMEPLAY CONSEQUENCES: None. ------ Finale ------ At the end of the game, Niko is presented with an opportunity to oversee a massive drug sale between the Pegorino crime family and the Russian mob, led by Dimitri Rascalov. Given Niko's history with Dimitri, he is loathe to work with him again but the promise of untold riches and the threat of harm from Pegorino himself if he doesn't comply makes taking the deal a viable option. On the other hand, the desire to exact revenge and kill Dimitri before the deal can be completed. Roman inadvertently makes this possible by telling Niko of Dimitri's location. Roman strongly encourages Niko to take the deal so they can gain financial security and get out of their lives of crime, but Kate strongly discourages Niko from compromising his principles. The choice Niko makes has a dramatic impact on the fate of both of these characters. STORY CONSEQUENCES: If Niko takes the deal, Kate will refuse to attend Roman's wedding with him, and Dimitri sends a henchman to kill Niko on the street outside of the church. In the struggle for the weapon, the gun fires and kills Roman before Niko fires a bullet into the would-be assassin's head. If Niko opts for the revenge option, he kills Dimitri on his ship before the deal can take place, which puts him squarely at odds with Pegorino. Niko then takes Kate to Roman's wedding. Pegorino makes a drive-by assassination attempt on Niko. This attempt fails, but he kills Kate instead by mistake. GAMEPLAY CONSEQUENCES: The mission before Roman's wedding is drastically different depending on the option taken. If Niko chooses the deal, he will join up with Phil Bell to complete the transaction, only to find that Dimitri has double-crossed them yet again and he and Phil must fight for the money. If he chooses revenge, he boards Dimitri's ship and fights through his henchmen to kill Dimitri. After the wedding, the final mission is notably similar in either case, but the circumstances of the chase sequence change dramatically. Niko fights through the casino in both missions, but in "Revenger's Tragedy" (the final mission if Niko takes the deal), Dimitri kills Pegorino and then flees in a helicopter. Niko then must chase after him in a boat, catch up with Jacob's helicopter, and then engage in a lengthy chase throughout the city before ending up for the climactic fight on the ground at Happiness Island. In "Out of Commission" (the final mission if Niko opts for revenge), Niko fights through the old casino in pursuit of Pegorino (since Dimitri is already dead) and Pegorino escapes in a speedboat. Niko then drives a motorcycle along the coastline in pursuit, using a jetty to fly up to Jacob's helicopter. The helicopter chase at this point is much shorter than that in "A Revenger's Tragedy", and there seem to be fewer accomplices on the island when chasing down Pegorino as there were for Dimitri. On the whole, "Out of Commission" is noticeably easier of a mission to complete than "A Revenger's Tragedy." _________________ | PLOT ANALYSIS | _________________ This section contains a few general musings on my part about some of the more interesting aspects of the plot. This is rather bare-bones at the moment, but I will add more in the future as I come up with additional observations, and hopefully others will send me their ideas as well. All submissions to this section will be duly credited, of course. --The Ending-- Many people speculate as to which of the two possible endings, "Deal" or "Revenge", is the better or more appropriate ending to the game. Since they are quite similar in every aspect other than the identity of the major character who died, I think both endings should be given equal "official" weight. In my personal opinion, however, after having played through the entire game twice, I believe that the "Deal" option is actually the better ending, for several reasons. First, the loss of Roman is quite a bit more substantial of a blow to Niko than Kate. Roman is literally the first character we as the players meet in the game, and the tendentious bond between the cousins is substantial and even poignant at times. Kate is merely a single love interest in a series of potential love interests in the game, and the player can quite easily progress through the game while ignoring Kate almost entirely, save for her appearances in a few pre-mission cutscenes. The "Mr. and Mrs. Bellic" cutscene respective to the different endings underscore this distinction quite nicely, in my opinion. The cutscene with Kate's death seemed rather abrupt and poorly acted by comparison to the one in which Roman was killed. Niko, who rarely loses composure, firing the gun repeatedly into the lifeless corpse of the assailant was an extremely powerful scene and one that brought to life the powerful drive for revenge that would culminate in the final showdown with Dimitri. The event also solidified the folly of trusting Dimitri, both with respect to honestly carrying out the drug transaction and the likelihood of him leaving Roman and Niko alone. The finale sequence is laden with irony in this respect. Those who had grown to have an affinity for Roman, and were thus inclined to accede to his wishes for Niko to forget his thirst for vengeance and do the deal with Dimitri, were punished with Roman's death. By listening to Roman, you seal his fate, which is actually quite appropriate given Roman's tendency to get himself into bad situations. By listening to Kate, you end up losing her. It is an appropriate twist for the rather grim and dark tale told in Grand Theft Auto IV. ____________________________________ | FUTURE VERSIONS AND CONTACT INFO | ____________________________________ A document of this nature has, by definition, an almost infinite capacity for improvement. There are certainly important things in the plot that I have overlooked or omitted here, and I hope to rectify that with future versions of this guide. For those with suggestions, additions or corrections to this guide, please feel free to contact me at the following address: btaylorstl_gnat_hotmail. (Sorry for the strange mechanism, but I want to avoid as much spam as possible.) When contacting me, please include "GTA IV Plot Guide" in the subject line so I don't discard it as spam. I am considering several possible augmentations to this guide, including detailed character profiles and mission descriptions, but I hope to come to a better system of avoiding too much in the way of duplicate information before I do so. Any comments and suggestions are certainly welcome. I hope that this guide will eventually become a nearly comprehensive compendium of Grand Theft Auto IV plot information, and I would appreciate any contributions or feedback to that end. _______________ | CREDITS | _______________ A big thank you to all of the following: Rockstar North, for making one of the greatest action/adventure games I have ever had the privilege of playing. CJayC for founding the best repository of gaming information on the planet, and SBAllen and others for maintaining it today. My brother, for reminding me of a plot point I had overlooked regarding Vlad. My girlfriend, for overlooking my status as an unabashed game nerd and loving me anyway. SPECIFIC CREDITS: _BananaFone_, for a useful reference post on the GameFAQs message board related to the choices present in the game. The Wikipedia Grand Theft Auto IV characters list was useful in occasionally verifying the names of characters I'd forgotten. Various FAQs posted on GameFAQs for the game were useful in verifying some of the details regarding mission, particularly that by TheGum. FIN