To jump into a multiplayer match, you need to have the cellphone. (The cell, however, is given to you very early in the storyline, so this shouldn't be a problem.) To jump into multiplayer, do the following:

1. Bring up your mobile phone.
2. Access the cellphone menu.
3. Scroll down to Multiplayer.
4. Enter the Multiplayer submenu, at which point you can access multiplayer matches, customize your character or view a multiplayer tutorial.

Player Match lets you go up against other GTA gamers in every possible multiplayer mode. This is about fun moreso than bragging rights; who scores what for each game is irrelevant once the time is up. This is a great way to relax, have fun, chat with other people and enjoy Grand Theft Auto for the sake of enjoying Grand Theft Auto. It's also a good way to get a feel for the different modes before jumping into Ranked matches.

Ranked Matches -- either on PSN or Xbox Live -- are for those of us who need true motivation, and a massive e-peen to boot. Every Ranked match you enter puts you up against opponents who are playing to win. The word "fun" doesn't mean a damn thing here. As you progress in Ranked matches and earn more money, your rank will gradually increase (maximum ranked level is 10), unlocking additional goodies (clothing, basically) for your multiplayer character.

A VIP, invite-only variant of Free Mode. Party Mode throws everyone on the same team and sets everyone to respawn in the exact same location (complete with every single weapon imaginable, as well as vehicles, First Aid kits and body armor). There are also no police in Party Mode. As the name would suggest, Party Mode is great for running around in Liberty City and causing all hell to break loose.

TEAM DEATHMATCH

Players work as a team to rub out other team(s) for money - and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins. There's no restrictions - do whatever it takes to rub out the competition.

PROTIP: Every little bit counts: remember to loot the cash dropped by deceased players. That's the way to get ahead.

TEAM MAFIYA WORK

You're a member of a crew doing contract work for the mafiya - including such plum gigs as escorting wanted men, picking up MacGuffins and stealing cars. Work as a team to complete contracts before the time period ends and get the rewards. You'll probably want to do your best to scupper the other crew's work as well. Each contract you complete gives your team cash, and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

PROTIP: Don't play nice. Sabotaging the opposing team's efforts can pay off big in the end.

TEAM CAR JACK CITY

Cars spawn parked around the map and the teams must steal them and take them to a drop off point. The cash teams get for dropping off stolen vehicles depends on their condition - teams get less cash the more damaged they are. The exception to this are special bonus cars, stuffed with drugs, which give a set amount of cash on delivery no matter how damaged they are. Your crew has to get hold of whatever vehicles the boss wants. Whichever crew makes the most money wins. Simple.

PROTIP: If possible, send out a couple of teammates to cause trouble for the competition and mess up their vehicles. Less money for them means more success for you.

COPS N' CROOKS

A team-based mode in which the Crooks must get their Boss to safety, while the Cops have to take him down. The Boss is marked with a cross hair. This mode has two sub-modes: All for One and One for All.

1. In All for One, one team is made up of Crooks and a Boss, and the other team is made up of Cops. The Cops are trying to hunt down and kill the Boss while the Crooks are trying to protect him. The Cops win by killing the Boss and the Crooks win by getting the Boss safely to the getaway vehicle and escaping.
2. One for All is similar but there is no Boss. Here, the Cops win by killing all of the Crooks and the Crooks win by filling up a getaway vehicle with members of their team. Only 4 people can escape in the getaway vehicle. Players cannot respawn in this mode.

PROTIP: Cops will spawn in a single squad car. Bail out and nab a car each instead.

TURF WAR

A timed capture-the-base mode. There are a number of bases around the map that you have to take by standing on them for a short period of time. The more players that are on a base, the faster it can be captured. The more bases that your team owns, the faster your team's cash score increases. If the rival gang is on or near a base, you won't be able to take control of it - so do what you can to try and ... displace them. The team with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

PROTIP: Expand your territory rather than nabbing random pieces of turf, and keep up your defenses at all times. Blocking access to capture points with vehicles is a worthy method.

DEAL BREAKER

Time to crash the party. You and your team will work together to bust in on a deal that's going down, take out anyone in attendance, grab the goods and wipe out the witnesses. Don't get busted, don't get killed, and walk away with a nice chunk of change.

PROTIP: Improvisation is the key to success with this mode. Don't be afraid to try new things to get the job done.

HANGMAN's NOOSE

Single player mission that features co-op play. Mafiya boss Petrovic has illegally flown into Francis International Airport, and someone has tipped off the cops. The objective? Escort Petrovic to safety while being pursued by the Liberty City Police Department's NOOSE (SWAT) division. You only have three respawns, so keep yourself from dying too often.

PROTIP: Get out, don't mow down. The NOOSE forces will respawn continuously and there's no way to stop them. Instead, focus on getting Petrovic (and yourself) to safety.

BOMB DA BASE II

Bomb Da Base II tips its hat to Bomb da Base (from GTA3), one of the most outstanding Grand Theft Auto missions ever created. In Bomb da Base II, you and your cohorts will work in unison to sabotage a large cargo ship. Ample amounts of vehicle theft, police chases and gunfights are involved. Like HANGMAN's NOOSE, you can respawn up to three times before being dropped out of the mission.

PROTIP: Take cover, and use the environment to your advantage when making your way through the ship. Enemies will pop up where you least expect them.

DEATHMATCH

It's a complete free for all! Anything goes, and you can use any tactics you like to kill off the competition. Combat is confined to specific areas of Liberty City in order to keep the action intense.

PROTIP: Like Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch is all about who has the most money, not who has the most kills. As they say in MMO's, "Don't forget to loot the corpse!"

MAFIYA WORK

Working under the direction of Kenny Petrovic via. your cellphone, you will compete against other players in a series of mini-missions. You might have to pick up recruits for the firm or take out a target, or even find and then dispose of a dozen severed heads.

PROTIP: Other players can't complete missions for Petrovic if they're dead. (Just sayin'.)

CAR JACK CITY

What Petrovic wants, Petrovic gets. Car Jack City pits you against everyone else in a race to nab vehicles for the all-powerful Russian Mafiya boss. The ends justify the means, so do whatever it takes to grab all the cars. Just like Team Car Jack City, the amount of money you have trumps the amount of cars you've delivered.

PROTIP: Unlike the Team version of this multiplayer mode, you can't rely on teammates roughing up the competition -- and doing it yourself is a pointless waste of time. Grab those cars and get them delivered!

FREE MODE

Like single-player, except playing with your friends. Complete free for all. No rules, no objectives, no score. You're free to do whatever you wish. Keep in mind that Free Mode is only doable through non-ranked Player Matches.

RACE

Race to the finish through each checkpoint in order: If you take a wrong turn or mess up in some way, you can respawn your vehicle on the last checkpoint you passed. There is a large selection of races for cars, boats, and helicopters - you can choose laps and vehicle class/type. This mode has two sub-modes: Free Race and Cannonball Run.

1. Free Race are point-to-point races. First one to reach the end point wins.
2. Cannonball Run are races where you have to traverse several checkpoints any way you can.

PROTIP: In Cannonball Run, don't forget to use the GPS (Waypoint) feature on your map to help guide the way.

GTA RACE

Similar to the orthodox Race, but with the added element of combat. Race and fight your way through the checkpoints in order and then hit the finish, but this time you can also pick up the weapons spawned en route to help take out your opponents. You can also exit the vehicle during the road races.

PROTIP: There's fun to be had even if you're a lousy driver, especially in Ranked matches. Turn the tables and try to mess up other drivers in any way you can (grabbing a bus works wonders). Take em' out, and you still walk away with some cash to add to your overall Ranked score.