Playing GTA IV with achievements

PC version of GTA IV was originally shipped with Games for Windows Live (GFWL, later Xbox Live) achievements. In latest Complete Edition GFWL was removed and replaced with Rockstar Games Social Club (RGSC) and Steam achievements. This guide will help you to play whatever version of GTA IV you might have with achievements.

Popular scenarios

1. Playing Complete Edition fully offline using custom achievement overlay
2. Playing downgraded 1.0.7.0 or 1.0.8.0 version offline with achievements
3. Playing Complete Edition on Steam without Rockstar Game Launcher using native Steam overlay 

You may find all mentioned files in gdrive folder if not stated otherwise.

Playing Complete Edition fully offline using custom achievement overlay

This applies mostly to cracked games e.g. FitGirl, DODI repacks that already bundle crack files but also may be used with clean Steam files provided you install one of the packs below.

1. Unpack the overlay archive GTAIV_achievements_overlay.zip (7.5 Mb) into game folder where GTAIV.exe is. 
   Configured steam_api.dll from Goldberg gbe_fork will display achievements in overlay and store them in "%AppData%\GSE Saves\12210\achievements.json"
   
2. Launch the game with Steam API initialization. 
   GTAIV.exe doesn’t initialize Steam APIs by default, it is only done with -useSteam command line parameter (–useSteam is the parameter which is implicitly supplied by Rockstar Games Social Club when running legit Steam game). Then GTAIV.exe will load steam_api.dll in the game folder.
   

If you don’t want to specify additional command line parameter –useSteam and want to start the game by running GTAIV.exe directly then you may patch your GTAIV.exe in hex editor: find the unique sequence 11 E8 47 04 and change the byte immediately before that sequence from 0x75 to 0xEB. GTAIV.exe patched that way should work as usual if there's no steam_api.dll in game folder.

You may save some time and get a package with prepatched GTAIV.exe which doesn’t need –useSteam parameter (password is at the end after _):

• GTA_IV_v1.2.0.59_Razor1911_with_SteamAPI_init_cs.rin.ru.7z  (7 Mb), monolithic Scene crack, some benchmarks show less frametime fluctuations
• GTA_IV_v1.2.0.59_CS_with_SteamAPI_init_cs.rin.ru.7z (6 Mb), uses open-source Goldberg RGSC emulator

Playing downgraded 1.0.7.0 or 1.0.8.0 version offline with achievements

Key component in this scenario is Zolika’s “Steam Achievements for 1.0.7.0 & 1.0.8.0” which translates GFWL to Steam achievements. Achievements for TLAD and TBoGT integrated into main GTA IV game are supported too.

1. Unpack GTAIV_achievements_overlay.zip (7.5 Mb) to game folder;
2. Download “IVSteamAchievements v2.zip” (150 Kb) from official location (see References) or my mirror and unpack SteamAchievements.asi to game folder. It requires functioning ASI loader installed e.g. Ultimate ASI Loader as xlive.dll.

Playing Complete Edition on Steam without Rockstar Game Launcher using native Steam overlay

This requires 

• Replacing original PlayGTAIV.exe and GTAIV.exe which rely on Rockstar Game Launcher services with equivalents which don’t 😁 (use one of ready GTA IV v1.2.0.59 packs from “Playing Complete Edition fully offline using custom achievement overlay” scenario above);
• Default steam_api.dll that is shipped with Steam game. After unpacking selected pack into game folder rename steam_api.dll.legit to steam_api.dll if your steam_api.dll is absent or is not an original one shipped with the game;
• (Optional, only needed if your GTAIV.exe isn’t patched to initialize Steam API) add -useSteam parameter to "LAUNCH OPTIONS" of GTA IV in Steam library. GTAIV.exe in the packs above is already patched to initialize Steam API so you don’t need to add parameter –useSteam.
  

References

1. Goldberg Steam emulator gbe_fork
2. Steam Achievements for 1.0.7.0 & 1.0.8.0
3. GTA IV v1.2.0.43 Rockstar Launcher and RGSC Crack Working With Legit Steam
4. Drop in replacement of PlayGTAIV.exe for downgraded copies of GTAIV on Steam (PlayGTAIV to LaunchGTAIV gateway)