As many of you probably already know, I'm a huge Achievement whore and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Although this borderline-unhealthy obsession means that I'm more likely to play less-than-spectacular games, there are times when getting that "Achievement Unlocked" message feels like getting extra frosting on an already-delicious piece of cake. This is the case with Grand Theft Auto IV, a game that I would be playing constantly whether it had Achievements or not. The game features dozens of single- and multiplayer Achievements, some of which are easy and some of which are downright torturous.

Since not everyone has the time to focus all of their attention on getting GTA4's Achievements, we here at GameSpy decided that a thorough Achievement guide was in order. Keep in mind that there may be better ways to get some of these Achievements, and that I'm always open to better (i.e. easier) ways to go about unlocking them. So, please, send me an email with any suggestions!

Single-Player Achievements

Liberty City Minute: Complete the story missions in less than 30 hours. - 30G

If you're gunning for Achievements, this is probably the most important one to focus on. Why? Well, unless you're planning to play through the storyline multiple times, it's the hardest to get since it's time-sensitive. Just put your nose to the grindstone and focus on story missions (that is, don't spend time driving a cab for Roman or delivering packages for Jacob during the early part of the game) and you should be able to get it with no problem. Cash isn't as much of an issue as it was in the previous games, so you won't even have to bother with odd jobs if you don't want to.

Off The Boat: Complete the first mission. - 5G

Lowest Point: Complete mission "Roman's Sorrow". - 5G

Fed The Fish: Complete the mission "Uncle Vlad". - 5G

Full Exploration: Unlock all the islands. - 20G

Impossible Trinity: Complete mission "Museum Piece". - 10G

Gracefully Taken: Complete mission "I'll Take Her". - 10G

That Special Someone: Complete mission "That Special Someone". - 10G

You Won!: Complete the final mission. - 60G

All of these will be unlocked as you progress through the game, as each one of them is related to the main storyline. So, even if you don't care about Achievements, you'll be getting a bunch of them just for playing!


One Man Army: Survive five minutes on six-star wanted level. - 40G

I was one of the first to find an easy (that is, cheap) way to get this Achievement, and it appears that the method has quickly spread across the net. Basically, all you really need to know is that attempting to enter one of the locked boroughs early in the game will instantly give Niko a six-star wanted level. Of course, that will also get you killed pretty quickly. However, if you cross into the territory while underground, you'll be able to trigger the six-star wanted level while staying out of harm's way.

All you really need to do is get a car on the subway (or elevated train) tracks that are all over the city. This is most easily accomplished right near the corner of Grand Boulevard and Leavenworth Ave. in North Bohan, not too far from the police station (check out the GTA Hood Map for more info). From Leavenworth, take a left onto Grand and head up the little hill. When you reach the crest, look to your left and you'll see a very short wall above a subway tunnel. All you need to do is drive a car over that short wall, then drive underground toward North Algonquin. As soon as you see the wanted level appear, just stop your car and sit there for 5 minutes. No pain, all gain!