Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition

129 ratings
How to get the best GTA IV experience [REWORKED]
By cubabori
This guide will show you how to install FusionFix and Radio Restoration. No downgrading is required for this guide.
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Installing GTA IV
Install it anywhere BUT your Program Files folder. AKA your C drive. Problems booting up are likely related to Windows' file permissions. Make a new folder in another drive of yours and create a new library of it in Steam settings. Or split at least 30GB from your C drive and make a new partition if you only got one drive in your computer.
Installing FusionFix
Get it here: https://github.com/ThirteenAG/GTAIV.EFLC.FusionFix

Drop all the contents from the folder to the folder where GTAIV.exe is found.

That's it. There will be options where you can turn on the console gamma to make the game darker, change tree visuals and such in the Display settings in-game.

I advise capping your FPS to 60, at most 120 if you really want to. Anything higher is guarenteed to cause issues.
Making a quick tweak to FusionFix
FusionFix by default skips the intro/menu when you boot up the game, not letting you change settings before the game even starts.

Get this cfg: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AklFq2uMh0d6dRuUpsypRzTMjsU7HjiA/view?usp=sharing

Go to the plugins folder that came with FusionFix and drop the cfg in there.
Installing DXVK
DXVK is a translation layer for DirectX games. This significantly improves performance for GTA IV.

Get it here: https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk

Download the latest release, and obtain d3d9.dll and dxgi.dll from the x32 folder and drop it into the folder where GTAIV.exe is found.

You might see some stutters but driving around will let the shaders compile and the experience should be seemless.
Installing Radio Restoration
As some of you know, Rockstar refuses to renew licenses for certain songs so when they update the game they just remove them entirely.

As of the time I made this guide the Nexus page for this has been hidden for unknown reasons so I still have a archive of it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RQhoTXPDu3hNIpUEFWVnoa473gaGClIx/view?usp=sharing

You will need a file extractor such as 7zip.

Drag the update folder into the same folder where GTAIV.exe is located. Replace when asked and thats it.





Various Fixes
This restores certain things, while also improving inconsistencies with textures and such.

Get it here: https://github.com/valentyn-l/GTAIV.EFLC.Various.Fixes/releases
https://gtaforums.com/topic/975211-various-fixes/ (explains what the optional content.zip does)

Download Installation.through.Fusion.Overloader.2.0.2.rar and in it theres a update folder. Just drag it into the same folder where GTAIV.exe is located.



Console Loading Screens (Optional)
In my opinion the console loading screens are significantly better than PC's.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14GAXB8Y02xy3CJ9hVCpZJkPtDAZUygvY/view?usp=sharing

Drop the 2 folders in the same directory as where GTAIV.exe is. Replace files when asked to.
Console Visuals (Optional)
This mod aims to restore console assets to PC. I highly recommend it as it looks stunning with FusionFix.

Get it here: https://gtaforums.com/topic/989098-console-visuals-the-complete-edition/

Download whatever you want (preferably all zip files)

Then go into each one you downloaded and drag the update folder to the same folder where GTAIV.exe is located. They all go into FusionFix's update folder so it doesnt actually modify anything.

If you already downloaded the console loading screens stated in last step do not download Console Visuals' loading screens. It will mess up the order of what screens play.
Launch options
Due to DXVK your VRAM capacity will likely not be seen correctly, defaulting to 512MB and limiting you to medium textures. To fix this right click on GTA IV in Steam and click properties. Then type in the launch options:

-nomemrestrict -norestrictions -availablevidmem XXXX (replace the Xs with the amount of VRAM your GPU has in MB)

Examples-

1024MB (1 GB)
2048MB (2 GB)
4096MB (4 GB)
6144MB (6 GB)
8192MB (8 GB)
16384MB (16 GB)
24576MB (24GB)
Recommended Distance Settings
Do not max out those distance settings. They go over the engine's limits, no idea why Rockstar even configured it like this.


FusionFix even will warn you on the bottom if you have unrecommended values set.

If you play on a gamepad and playing above 60FPS, you will encounter the handbrake cam bug where it will spin violently. Either cap the game to 60FPS or play on keyboard and mouse as it doesnt happen there.
FusionFix Visuals Tweaks
FusionFix offers toggling console alpha textures and even lighting for trees plus other post processing effects.


I mentioned earlier you can toggle the console gamma as well which makes the game overall darker.

More FusionFix settings
For you borderless users out there, FusionFIx also offers borderless mode. Just enable Windowed and Windowed Borderless and you are good to go.

Finished
Congratulations! You are finished and ready to delve into Liberty City. Enjoy.

34 Comments
Bruno Horbach 16 Jul @ 2:48pm 
thanks bro
cubabori  [author] 17 Jun @ 10:07pm 
thats the idea
mita 16 Jun @ 1:07pm 
glad you didn't mention no fuckass downgraders
Solid Snake 30 May @ 8:41am 
Works like a charm, appreciate it!
Tajdimci Garete 24 May @ 1:37pm 
dxvk-2.6.1.tar.gz
download this not a source file
cubabori  [author] 24 May @ 1:17pm 
make sure you click on releases on the right side and not just downloading the source code.
cubabori  [author] 24 May @ 1:15pm 
you download the wrong thing probably then. its on a github.
ASHY LARRY 24 May @ 10:09am 
i dont understand the dxvk part where to find the d3d9.dll and dxgi.dll there is no x32 folder
Tajdimci Garete 4 May @ 12:18pm 
works well
cubabori  [author] 2 May @ 10:45am 
And it likely is due to permissions that might keep mods from loading.