GTA 4: Complete Edition - The Best Mods To Get You Started

Grand Theft Auto 4 is an old game, released back in 2008. Despite fourteen years on its shoulders, it still enjoys a lot of popularity. The game is still able to appear on bestsellers lists in some countries around the world.

There's no shortage of players eager to revisit this installment of the Rockstar Games' series, as well as those who play GTA 4 for the first time over a decade after release. That's why we decided to prepare a guide with the most important modifications to improve the game.

The mods listed herein are intended to improve the game in general. They will not change it into something unrecognizable, but only remove bugs and, wherever possible, tweak various elements to provide you with a more comfortable experience in the well-known GTA IV framework. We also selected the most significant mods that make the biggest differences. There are hundreds of improvements of various types in total and it would be difficult to fit them into a single article.

Game versions

We have created this article with the Complete Edition in mind, i.e. the newest version (1.2.0.0.43). We did it in order to create the simplest possible guide for people who have just bought GTA 4 on Steam or decided to reinstall and update this title.

Why is the version so important? That's because, compared to the previous releases, the changes are huge and in some respects they are changes for the worse. While playing the core story mode, this isn't much of a problem, but many mods don't work with 1.2.0.0.43. That is why we have selected specifically the mods compatible with the Complete Edition.

Basic mods

Install these mods in the specified order.

1. Ultimate ASI Loader

Rockstar's games are not mod-friendly by default, so fans had to develop tools to expand the possibilities of modifying this game. One of the most important mods and the one you should install first is Ultimate ASI Loader.

The project allows the game to load additional scripts. Lots of fan projects take advantage of this, so installing Ultimate ASI Loader is an absolute must if you want to mod the game.

1. Ultimate ASI Loader 64-bit – download mod
2. Ultimate ASI Loader 32-bit – download mod

2. GTA IV & EFLC Graphics Fix & EFLC PC Quality Texture

Next to be installed are the GTA IV & EFLC Graphics Fix and EFLC PC Quality Texture mods. The first one corrects numerous visual bugs, and the second one improves the weak textures from the add-ons to match the quality of the core GTA 4.

1. GTA IV & EFLC Graphics Fix
2. EFLC PC Quality Texture Update

3. GTA IV Complete Edition Fusion Fix

Another mod you should install is Fusion Fix. This is a project that fixes a number of bugs in Grand Theft Auto IV Complete Edition – for example, the recoil mechanics, different when played with a keyboard / mouse and gamepad, were improved. Numerous problems with mouse control, lighting, shaders and other visual elements have also been addressed.

1. GTA IV Complete Edition Fusion Fix – download mod

Fusion Fix improves, among others, bugs with ads displaying incorrectly in the city.

4. ZolikaPatch

Unfortunately, Fusion Fix does not fix all problems with the game. So it's best to install ZolikaPatch on top of that. The combination of these mods removes virtually all major flaws from this game.

1. ZolikaPatch - download mod

5. Project2DFX

Project2DFX is another mod that improves graphics. Adds corona effects to the LOD system, so that at longer distances the engine displays much more details of the virtual world. Objects no longer pop-up out of nowhere. It also removes many limitations of the Grand Theft Auto IV engine, which makes the production more stable, especially when you use mods.

1. Project2DFX - download mod

6. ColAccel

On the other hand, ColAccel is a simple, but extremely useful modification that shortens loading times significantly (even by 50%).

1. ColAccel – download mod

7. Textures improvements

Now, it's time to deal with the textures. There are many modifications of this type available, but for the Complete Edition, it's best to use a combination of Ultimate Textures 2.0 and 4K2K Allagga Graphics Mod. The offered new textures are clearly sharper, but they retain the atmosphere of the game and don't clash with graphics elements.

1. Ultimate Textures – download
2. 4K2K Allagga Graphics Mod – download

On the left, the texture from the standard version of the game; on the right, the version from 4K2K Allagga Graphics Mod.

Optimization mods

The PC version of GTA IV is notorious for its terrible optimization and the released patches have changed little in this matter. If the game doesn't run smoothly on your PC, there are a few things you can do to improve the situation.

1. Basics

Choose only one of these methods! Don't try to install both mods!

DXVK – if your card supports Vulkan

If you have a graphics card supporting Vulkan (not only AMD chipsets, new Nvidia cards also support this technology), then use the mod called DXVK. Download the archive and unpack it, then copy the "d3d9.dll" file (located in "x32") to the "GTAIV" folder.

1. DXVK – download

After installing DXVK, go to Steam Settings, enter the "Pre-catching" section and make sure that the "Enable Shader Pre-catching" option is unchecked!

DxWrapper – if your card doesn't support Vulkan

For people without Vulkan support cards, DxWrapper will be a viable alternative.

1. Before installing it, download Ultimate ASI Loader 32-bit (it must be 32-bit version!) and extract the archive. Find the dinput8.dll file, rename it to dsound.dll and copy it to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto IV\GTAIV

2. Then download DxWrapper and unpack the archive to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto IV\GTAIV

1. DxWrapper – download

3. In Notepad, open the dxwrapper.ini file and change DrawCompat in the "[Compatibility]" section to:

A DDrawCompatNoProcAffinity in the [DDrawCompat] section to

2. More memory

By default, the game can only use 2 GB of RAM. To work around this, right-click GTA IV in the Steam client, select Properties, then type in the "boot options" the following:

Alternatively, you can create a commandline.txt file in the "GTAIV" folder and enter the above commands into it.

To see if it worked, start the game and go to the graphics settings menu. At the bottom you will find a meter showing information about used memory:

Of course, you can also enter larger values. In general, however, even with mods, GTA 4 does not need more than 4 GB.

2. Additional tips

If you have any performance problems after using these methods, change the shadows from "very high" to "high." The visual difference is negligible, and the higher of these options is horribly optimized.

For clipping, it's also a good idea to limit the "View Distance" to 40-50. Above that, the engine often chokes even on powerful PCs.

Some optional mods

All of the above steps are enough to enjoy the modernized version of the game, while remaining true to the style of the original. However, there are also some other interesting designs that you should consider installing.

Improved lighting

If you want more realistic graphics, it's worth taking interest in projects that change the lighting in the game, as well as modifying its weather system and effects. These types of mods make the production look sharper and less stylized. We offer them in the optional mods section, because their effect significantly changes the atmosphere of GTA 4. The loss of the specific green/blue filter makes the production look less distinctive and not everyone has to like this.

Option #1 (simpler): G4BP Lighting Overhaul

The simplest project of this type that brings the expected results is G4BP Lighting Overhaul.

1. G4BP Lighting Overhaul - download

It is worth adding that in this category of mods, G4BP Lighting Overhaul is one of several projects. We liked it the most, but if you have any problems with it, it is also worth checking:

1. VisualIV
2. RealityIV

Option #2 (more difficult) - ENB

For more realistic lighting, the second option is to use ENB. You have to work a little harder here, but the effect is worth it if you're looking for more realistic graphics. Unfortunately, most projects of this type do not work with ver. 1.2.0.0.43. So, you won't take advantage of the most popular modification in this category, iCEnhancer (we hope the upcoming version 4.0 will change that). Of those that work with the Complete Edition, the most recommendable option is GTA4 Beautification Project ENB.

1. GTA 4 Beautification Project ENB – download

CitizenMP: IV Reloaded – GTA Online in IV

One of the missing elements in the Complete Edition is multiplayer. There are projects to restore it, but they require the game to be downgraded to earlier version. The exception is CitizenMP: IV Reloaded. This is quite a successful attempt to create something like GTA Online, running on the engine of part four.

1. CitizenMP: IV Reloaded – download

Total Vegetation Overhaul – prettier plants

This mod beautifies all the plants in the game. Each model has been reworked – from large trees through street bushes to even the smallest potted plants, including those placed inside buildings.

1. Total Vegetation Overhaul – download

CEDOWNGRADE – full soundtrack

During the several years that have passed since the release of GTA IV, many licenses for the music used in the game have expired. Rockstar did not renew all of them, so many of the original pieces are missing from the Complete Edition. To restore them, use the CEDOWNGRADE project.

1. CEDOWNGRADE - download