Roman's Sorrow is a mission in Grand Theft Auto IV given to protagonist Niko Bellic by his cousin Roman Bellic from Hooper Street Car Park in East Island City, Dukes, Liberty City.
This is a major turning point in the storyline, as Roman and Niko realize that they will have to leave their home in Broker and seek a new hideout in South Bohan, beginning Niko's journey across the rest of the city and, eventually, Alderney.
Plot and Walkthrough[]
Meeting Roman[]
After an unsuccessful meeting with Dimitri Rascalov and Ray Bulgarin, Niko can call Roman to initiate the mission. In the call, Roman will be whispering and will ask Niko to meet him in an alleyway in East Island City.
- Go to Roman.
- Waypoint: Alleyway off Hooper Street in Dukes, Broker
Niko arrives at the Hooper Street Car Park to hear Roman banging and calling for help from inside the trunk of his taxi. Niko opens the trunk, and Roman gasps for air and scrambles out of the car, saying that he got scared after receiving dubious phone calls. Niko reveals that he was betrayed by Dimitri and that Ray Bulgarin is in the environs. Roman scolds him for putting them in an unpleasant situation and, with a more amicable tone, suggests keeping a low profile for the time being. As soon as Niko and Roman then set off to the apartment, Roman calls Mallorie to ask her if she has anywhere they can stay.
- Go to Roman's apartment.
- Waypoint: Broker Safehouse, near Mohawk Avenue in Hove Beach, Broker
On the way to the apartment, Roman tells Niko he dreamt the night before that he and Mallorie were married and owned a tavern. He also mentions that Niko was engaged in the dream.
Presently, Niko and Roman arrive at the apartment building to see it going up in flames. Roman despairingly wants to enter to pick up something, but Niko dissuades him, saying "This place is gone". They decide to go Roman's cab business instead.
- Go to the depot.
- Waypoint: Express Car Service, along Iroquois Avenue in Hove Beach, Broker
Roman scolds Niko after discovering what happened to his apartment. He vents about his state of poverty upon arriving in Liberty City and the great struggle he endured to afford a good living.
At the cab depot, they discover that the place was also destroyed by fire. Niko suggests meeting Mallorie in Bohan and reassures Roman by reminding him that he still has her.
The Beginning of a New Life[]
- Go to Bohan.
- Waypoint: South Bohan Safehouse, along Joliet Street in South Bohan, Bohan
Along the way to Bohan, Niko and Roman talk about many things: Roman vents again about how hard it was to build his life in Liberty City. In an attempt to cheer him up, Niko reminisces about the day where he Roman found a bottle of vodka amid the remains of a destroyed bar in their home country. Mallorie calls Roman again and almost catches him crying. After hanging up, Roman reveals that the special item he wanted to show Niko in his apartment was a wedding ring he was planning to give to Mallorie.
Niko and Roman arrive in their new apartment in Bohan. Mallorie pays them a brief visit during which she suggests that Niko meet her at the community center where she works.
Aftermath[]
- The player can now save their game at the South Bohan Safehouse, but can no longer access the Broker Safehouse, though they can still save vehicles in the parking space there.
- Niko can no longer perform jobs for Roman, as his cab depot has been burned down.
- Niko cannot receive free taxi rides from Roman until completing the mission Blow Your Cover.
Post-mission phone calls[]
- Little Jacob texts Niko, telling him to lay low and remain in touch.
- Brucie calls Niko, informing Niko that Roman's gambling addiction is escalating. If the player hasn't completed all Brucie's missions before this mission, then his phone call about Roman's gambling addiction will be delayed until later in the game.
- Dimitri calls Niko, telling him he is still searching for Niko and Roman.
Articles[]
Liberty Tree Newspaper[]
"Following the massive rise in shootings recently in eastern Broker, police warned of a new danger lurking for residents - arson. Two buildings including a taxi garage were recently gutted by fire. Although two men were seen starting the fire with Molotov cocktails, no arrests have been made. We will stay with this story if we can find something interesting to say. In the meantime, be very suspicious of anyone buying vodka, matches and a gas soaked rag, but try not to panic. Local police were appealing for calm and also lots of snitches and widespread anxiety."
Weazel News (Radio)[]
"Following the recent spate of shootings in Hove Beach and Firefly Island, there was a new danger lurking for Broker residents: Arson. Two fires were started in the Hove Beach area. One in an apartment and another in a taxi garage. Fire chiefs are suggesting both were arson. When asked why they said people saw two guys throwing Molotov cocktails in."
Video Walkthrough[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- As the player travels to the apartment, keep an eye out for the cab depot. It is burning, but driving past it will not affect any dialogue. There is often an explosion inside as the player drives by.
- After the explosion in the apartment, two Russian gangsters in a car quickly flee the area. As stated by the Liberty Tree internet article above, Russian gangsters were seen starting the fires at the depot and apartment by throwing Molotov cocktails.
- After the mission It's War in The Lost and Damned, Johnny Klebitz can read the article about this mission. In addition, both the apartment and the cab depot will be permanently burned after that mission.
- If the player drives past Roman's cab depot first, it will trigger a cutscene depicting the cab depot, and Roman will act as if it was the safehouse, claiming that he needed to go in and get a ring for Mallorie Bardas. Then if the player goes to the safehouse, the cutscene will show the apartment, and Roman will use the dialogue that was supposed to be for the cab depot.
- This mission is shown during the end credits of The Lost and Damned, as were Uncle Vlad, Bleed Out and Ivan the Not So Terrible.
- Doing this mission on a motorcycle will show different scenes. At the apartment, Niko and Roman will dismount the bike and Niko will block his cousin from entering the building. At the depot, they will again dismount and talk while standing beside the bike.
- The windows of Roman's Taxi will be bulletproof, but after shooting at it once, the car appears to raise itself up a bit.
- The car burning outside the cab depot is a Primo.
- If the player arrives early enough, they will see the Primo before it burns and will see that it is black in color.
- If the player previously saved a car at the Bohan Safehouse before doing this mission, the car will be saved as usual. But during this mission, when the player arrives at the Bohan Safehouse, that car will despawn and will not respawn again even after the mission is completed (confirmed on the PC version).
- This can be avoided by putting the vehicle on the side furthest away from the safehouse in the parking space. If two vehicles are saved, placing the second vehicle outside of the parking area and moving it after the cutscene plays will save the vehicles.
- If the player drives a resprayed Roman's Taxi to Roman in East Island City, then his taxi will be colored the same as the taxi Niko arrived in before the cutscene (for example: arriving in a red Roman's Taxi will show Roman hiding in a red one). After the cutscene however, the taxi Roman was hiding in will be colored black again.
- If the player arrived at the meeting point in a vehicle, Niko will honk the horn before exiting the vehicle.
- The fires cannot be extinguished by using the water cannon on the Fire Truck. The same happens in Action/Reaction.
