REVIEWS
Stepping off a boat in the shoes of illegal immigrant Niko Bellic as he arrives in Liberty City at the start of Grand Theft Auto IV, you can tell immediately that Rockstar North's latest offering is something quite special. Yes, this is another GTA game in which you'll likely spend the bulk of your time stealing cars and gunning down cops and criminals, but it's also much more than that. GTAIV is a game with a compelling and nonlinear storyline, a game with a great protagonist who you can't help but like, and a game that boasts a plethora of online multiplayer features in addition to its lengthy story mode. It's not without some flaws, but GTAIV is undoubtedly the best Grand Theft Auto yet.
One of the many things that set GTAIV apart from its predecessors is Liberty City, which is more convincing as a living, breathing urban environment than anything that you've seen in a game before, and bears little resemblance to its namesake in 2001's GTAIII. Liberty's diverse population believably attempts to go about its daily business, seemingly unaware that several criminal factions are at war in the city. Niko has no such luck. He's compelled to start working for one of the factions shortly after arriving, when he learns that his cousin Roman has some potentially fatal gambling debts. Niko's military experience makes him a useful freelancer for employers in the business of killing each other, and though his reluctance to carry out their orders is often apparent, he does whatever is asked of him in the hope that completing missions for other people will ultimately give him the means to complete his own.
Actually, Niko doesn't have to do everything that is asked of him. On several occasions as you play through his story, you'll be presented with decisions that afford you the option of doing what you think is right rather than blindly following instructions. You don't necessarily have to kill a target if he or she promises to disappear, but you have to weigh the risk of your employer finding out against the possibility that the person whose life you spare might prove useful later in the game, or even have work for you in the form of bonus missions. To say anything more specific on this subject would be to risk spoiling one of GTAIV's most interesting new features, but suffice it to say that every decision you make has consequences, and you'll likely want to play through the game at least twice to see how the alternatives unfold.
Grand Theft Auto IV's story mode can be beaten in less than 30 hours, and there are so many optional activities and side missions to take part in along the way that you can comfortably double that number if you're in no hurry. The majority of the story missions task you with making deliveries and/or killing people, and play out in much the same way as those in previous games. With that said, most of the missions are a lot easier this time around, partly because Niko is a more agile and efficient killer than any of his predecessors, and partly because the LCPD seemingly has better things to do than hunt down an illegal immigrant who's gunning down undesirables all over the city. Some of the more imaginative missions sprinkled throughout the story include a kidnapping, a bank heist, and a job interview. The cinematic cutscenes associated with story missions are superbly presented and are the sequences in which the game's characters really shine. Without exception, the characters you encounter benefit from great animation, great voice work, and superbly expressive faces. They're not always so impressive when they join you on a mission and refuse to do what they're supposed to (for example, not following you on an escort mission, or failing to negotiate a doorway). Nevertheless, these problems are few and far between, and they're made less painful by the new "replay mission" option that you're presented with whenever you fail.
New abilities in Niko's arsenal include scaling fences and walls anywhere he can get a foothold, shimmying along ledges, and, most importantly, taking cover behind objects. The ability to stick close to walls, parked cars, and the like at the touch of a button makes GTAIV's gunplay a huge improvement over that in previous games, and, in tandem with the new targeting system, it also makes it a lot easier. Enemies are rarely smart enough to get to you while you're in cover, and given that you can lock your targeting reticle on to them even when they're hidden, all you have to do is wait for them to poke their heads out and then pick them off with a minimum of effort. Locking on to enemies targets their torso by default, but you can use the right analog stick to fine-tune your aim and kill them more quickly with a headshot or two. Playing without using the lock-on feature make things more difficult, but you’ll need to master the technique so that you can shoot blindly at enemies from positions of cover when you dare not poke your own head out to line up the shot.
Given the amount of trouble that you get into as you play through the story mode, it's inevitable that the police are going to get involved from time to time, even when their presence isn't a scripted feature of your mission. Liberty City's boys in blue are quick to respond when you get flagged with a wanted level of between one and six stars, but they're not nearly as tough to deal with as their counterparts in previous GTA games. They don't drive as quickly when pursuing you, they rarely bother to set up roadblocks, and you'll need to blow up practically an entire city block before the FIB (that's not a typo) show up. Furthermore, you're given an unfair advantage in the form of your GPS system; when you're not using it to plot a valid route to any waypoint of your choosing, it doubles as a kind of police scanner. Any time you have a brush with the law, the GPS shows you the exact locations of patrol cars and cops on foot in your area, and highlights the circular area (centered on your last known whereabouts) where they're concentrating their search. To escape, all you need to do is move outside the circle and then avoid being seen for 10 seconds or so, which is often best achieved by finding a safe spot and just sitting there. It's not a bad system in theory, but in practice it makes dodging the law a little too easy, especially when your wanted level is low and the search area is small.
When you're not running missions for criminals, taking part in street races, stealing cars to order, or randomly causing trouble, you'll find that there are plenty of opportunities to unwind in Liberty City. Some of these optional activities offer tangible rewards that can prove useful in missions later on, whereas others are just a fun way to kill time and take in more of GTAIV's superb humor. For example, you can watch television, listen to numerous different radio stations, check out some genuinely funny shows (including some big-name acts) at cabaret and comedy clubs, and use a computer to surf the in-game Internet.
GTAIV's Internet is filled with spoofs of all the kinds of Web sites that you'd only ever look at accidentally or when you know there's no danger of getting caught. Some of them can be found only by clicking on links in spam e-mails, whereas others are advertised prominently on the search page. There's plenty of amusing stuff to find if you spend some time in one of the "TW@" Internet cafes, but the most interesting site by far is an online dating agency through which you can meet women who, if they like your profile, will agree to go on dates with you. Dating and socializing with friends is something you can spend as much or as little of your time doing as you like, and though the people you meet can occasionally be demanding to the point that they become irritating, keeping them happy invariably benefits you in some way.
Keeping friends and dates happy means spending time with them and doing things that they enjoy, and all of them have different personalities. Some friends like to join you for minigames such as tenpin bowling, pool, or darts, whereas others prefer to go out for a meal, get drunk, or take in a show. Of course, dates are much fussier than regular friends, and their opinions of you are influenced not only by whether you pick them up on time, where you take them, and whether you try your luck when dropping them at home, but also by a number of much more subtle factors. Dates will comment on stuff like the car you drive, how you drive it, and the clothes you wear. They'll even notice if you wear the same outfit two dates in a row, though not all of them will be bothered by it. The rewards that you get when another character likes you enough vary depending on who it is. Without wishing to give away specifics, befriending a lawyer can prove useful if you're having trouble with the cops, for example, and having a nurse on your friends list can literally be a lifesaver.
You'll keep in touch with your dates, friends, and some of your enemies using another of GTAIV's great new features: a cell phone. It's hard to believe that something as simple as a cell phone could add so much to a game like this, but it's implemented so well that it's hard to imagine leaving any of Niko's safe houses without it. If you've ever used a cell phone in real life, you'll have no problem operating this one and, given that it's controlled using only the D pad and a single button, it's easy to call up acquaintances and take calls even while driving. There's no unwieldy conversation system to deal with; you simply choose which friend you want to call, what you want to talk about (it could be work, a fun activity, or asking for a favor) and then, assuming that he or she answers the phone, the conversation plays out. Incoming calls are even easier, though they occasionally come at inopportune (or amusing) times; hearing your cell-phone's signal interfere with your car radio is the least of your worries when you consider the possibility of a date calling you while you're with a prostitute or embroiled in a gunfight with the Mafia. Incidentally, new ringtones and visual themes for your phone can be purchased via the in-game Internet, which is typical of the incredible attention to detail that you'll come to take for granted as you play.
To give you some idea of just how much thought has clearly gone into the crafting of GTAIV, even the act of stealing a parked car, which is still achieved by pushing a single button, can now result in any number of different things happening. If the door is locked, as is often the case, Niko will smash a window with his elbow or his foot to get inside. Once inside the car, he may need to hot-wire it to get it started; you can speed up the process slightly by using the shoulder buttons on your controller. If the car has an alarm, it'll sound for several seconds and cause the headlights to flash on and off as you drive away--practically begging any nearby cops to come after you. Stealing cars with drivers and/or passengers inside opens up lots more possibilities, the most amusing of which is someone (possibly you) getting an arm caught in a door and dragged along as the vehicle speeds away.
Most of the vehicles in GTAIV, like those in previous games, have very loose handling that makes it easy for you to perform Hollywood-style U-turns, skids around corners, and the like. You can play through most of the missions without ever violating a traffic law if you really want to, but you can get away with (and will have a lot more fun) driving like a lunatic, provided that you don't collide with any police vehicles or mow down too many pedestrians. A neat touch when driving with the default camera view is that the camera, which is positioned a few feet behind the rear bumper of the car, centers on you rather than on the vehicle, effectively offering the vehicular equivalent of an over-the-shoulder view. When you take the control of something sporty, the camera also positions itself much closer to the ground, which adds to the sensation of speed.
The vehicle handling is difficult to fault, regardless of whether you're in a sports car, a garbage truck, a motorcycle, a speedboat, or a helicopter. However, while driving, you might notice one odd quirk that has been a constant ever since GTAIII: When taking the controls of certain vehicles, you'll suddenly notice a lot more of the same vehicle on the roads. It's not a big deal, and it isn't detrimental to the gameplay, but it's a little jarring if you get into one of the more unusual vehicles in the game--for example, the equivalent of either a Ferrari or a pickup truck--and suddenly find that the city is filled with them. That particular quirk is pretty common in some of the multiplayer modes as well, though you'll likely be too busy keeping an eye out for other players to take any notice when you venture online.
Getting online in Grand Theft Auto IV couldn't be easier. You simply select the multiplayer option on your cell phone, choose which type of game you want to host or join, and then enter a lobby and wait for the game to start. You won't be getting bored staring at a list of names while you're waiting, though, because when you enter a lobby you actually enter an online version of Liberty City in which you and up to 15 other players are free to do anything. There are weapons scattered all over the place to ensure that things don't stay too friendly for very long.
There are more than a dozen different multiplayer modes to choose from, and although some of them are variations on similar themes, there's certainly no shortage of variety. As the host of a multiplayer session, you also have the freedom to greatly customize all of the game types with variables such as friendly fire, police presence, weapons sets, traffic levels, radar functionality, and many more. You can choose where you'd like your game to take place as well, considering that many gameplay modes can be played either on a specific Liberty City island or across the entire map.
Even conventional 16-player modes such as Deathmatch and Race feel quite different than anything that you've played before. And in addition to those, there are objective-based games in which you're tasked with completing missions similar to those in the single-player game: a team-based Cops 'n Crooks mode, a Turf War mode in which teams compete for control of territories, a carjacking mode, three cooperative missions that support up to four players, and more. With the right group of people, there's no reason why you can't have a lot of fun with every single mode that's available. We experienced a few frame-rate issues and lag that caused other players and their vehicles to jump around the screen at times, but for the most part GTAIV's online play is a real treat. One especially neat touch is that, as a passenger in a vehicle being driven by another player, you can mark waypoints on the GPS system for your driver using a map that tracks the locations of other players and objectives.
If you're wondering about differences between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Grand Theft Auto IV, the truth is that there aren't many. The PS3 version can only be played after a mandatory install that takes around 10 minutes, and its load times are a little shorter and less frequent as a result. The visuals, which don't always hold up to close scrutiny but are impressive during typical gameplay, are comparable and feature the same quirks (shadows that flicker, for example) on both consoles. Likewise, the audio, which can take a lot of the credit for why Liberty City feels so alive, is exceptional regardless of which console you have and how many speakers it's hooked up to. True to form, GTAIV's soundtrack has plenty of great licensed songs and, unlike other games we could mention, it doesn't force the artist and track information down your throat with pop-up windows that detract from gameplay. However, if you want that information, you can simply dial up a song-recognition service on your cell phone and, after a few seconds, receive it in a text message. Genius.
In case you haven't guessed already, Grand Theft Auto IV is a game that you simply have to play. The single-player game, which you can still play long after you complete the story, is the series' best by far, and the multiplayer features are good enough that you'll likely have no problem finding people to play with for many months to come. The minor flaws that you'll experience are no more difficult to overlook than those in previous GTA games, and they're greatly outnumbered by the features that will impress and surprise you anytime you think you've already seen everything that the game has to offer. There's lots to see in Liberty City, so you'd best get started.
PREVIEWS
Grand Theft Auto IV Hands-On
Grand Theft Auto IV is looking superb. Perhaps even more importantly, it's looking finished. The millions of eager fans who were disappointed by the game's postponement can rest easy, because bar a major catastrophe, the game should make its planned April release date. Having played it for two and a half hours at Rockstar's London offices, we can report that the game is running smoothly, has relatively few bugs, and is as intricately detailed as we'd hope a GTA game would be. In fact, playing five missions and exploring two of the game's massive districts was almost too much to digest in one sitting, and we left intoxicated by the amount of new characters, areas, and gameplay that it has to offer.
Our demo kicked off at the beginning of the game itself in a mission called Jamaican Heat. Niko has traveled to Liberty City on the back of a promise of wealth and opportunity from his cousin Roman. Once Niko arrives, he finds the truth to be very different, and we join them both in the office of Roman's taxi firm. Roman is fielding phone calls from angry customers while Niko is pacing up and down the room. Niko is then tasked with going to meet a character called Little Jacob, a Jamaican stoner whose main interests lie in the acquisition and use of drugs.
The voice-over work is pretty much finished at this stage, and it's of the same high quality that we've come to expect from the Grand Theft Auto series. Little Jacob's vocal style makes him pretty hard to understand, but there are subtitles available should you need them. The incidental conversations still help to flesh out the characters in GTAIV, and they've become even more well-rounded thanks to a multitude of dialogue recordings. Conversations change depending on how you approach missions, so if you have to repeat them, you're unlikely to hear the same exchange the second time. We played one assassination mission that took place on a train platform, and the preceding cutscene changed completely when we approached the target from a different angle.
GTA: San Andreas really upped the ante in terms of character customisation, given that it let you completely change your appearance through exercise, diet, and clothing. GTAIV ditches the role-playing game elements, but you'll still be able to customise Niko as well as take him for a bite to eat. During some of our downtime in Liberty City, we dropped by a discount-clothing store and swapped his standard jeans-and-jacket combo for a more sportswear-oriented look. We were able to buy sweatpants, a sports jacket, boots, and sunglasses during our visit, and although it was hardly appropriate attire for an Eastern European crook, we liked being able to go into a shop and change clothes before a mission. After that we headed to a local diner, and in another nice touch, the staff and customers put their hands in the air. Apparently everybody thinks you're about to rob them when you forget to put your weapon away.
Although Rockstar has often pushed the envelope in terms of story, characterisation, and music, it has been criticised in the past for poor control systems. San Andreas tried to improve things with auto-aim and lock-on, but the combat still felt muddled and imprecise. The controls have evolved once again for this outing, with subtle changes made to the locking system; targeting is handled on the left trigger, and it automatically locks on to the closest enemy in sight. If you fire with the right trigger, you'll shoot at the body of your enemy, but this is nonfatal and it can take more than a few shots to bring your opponent down. However, flick the right analogue stick upward and you'll aim for the head, where it's one shot to kill. Though this takes more dexterity to pull off, it's worth attempting if you want to take successive enemies out in one fell swoop. In addition to the new aiming system, there's also a new cover mechanic that uses the right bumper on the Xbox 360. It's not quite Gears of War in terms of run-and-gun action, but using cover does let you consider your targets from safety before popping out to fire, or even blind firing if you're in real trouble. You can also hold "A" to run between cover, and though it's not done to the same extreme as in John Woo's Stranglehold, you'll see enemies pulling off slides and rolls as they move between cover.
These small adjustments certainly refine the regular combat of GTAIV with respect to its predecessors. However, the biggest improvement has undoubtedly been in drive-by shooting. In previous games, you were limited to firing left and right out of the car at fixed right angles, but now you're able to shoot freely by holding the left bumper and moving the right analogue stick. When you first move to aim, Niko smashes out the window of the vehicle and a targeting reticle appears. It's still slightly fiddly if you're trying to drive and shoot at the same time, but we managed to take down a whole gang of drug dealers on our first attempt.
This city may not be called 'New York' but expect to see some familiar places from America's most famous city. Our demonstration ended with an assignment called "Deconstruction for Beginners," an assassination mission in which we had to take out some pesky union leaders for a new character called Playboy X. The first part of the mission required us to scale one of the tallest buildings in the city using a small lift; just ascending the structure took the best part of a minute. We were still a good way off from the heady heights of the Empire State Building, which was visible in the distance, but our building made for a spectacular view across the dock. From our vantage point, we were able to snipe a few henchmen perched on cranes before descending and finishing off the leaders on the ground. This particular mission also serves as a tutorial for using grenades, and you can now blindly toss grenades from behind cover to produce some pretty spectacular explosions. It has to be said that in terms of core gameplay, GTAIV remains pretty much the same as the previous games. You'll be playing the same sort of missions, mixing with unsavoury characters, and pulling off crazy stunts during downtime. But the attraction of GTA was always in its sandbox possibilities, and the new Liberty City is the most intricate playground yet. Rockstar was particularly generous when it came to free time in the city, and whereas the five missions we played were fairly regimented, we were encouraged to explore the surroundings.
Our final experience in GTAIV came as we got in a car and drove to what may be the geographical highlight of the game. Broadway looks just like the area of New York that it's modeled on, with gaudy neon lights providing illumination for the people and traffic below. Once again, the enjoyment comes from the details, including posters for fake movies and theatre productions that sit alongside the "NAVSAQ" stock-exchange ticker. Driving around, we also found a couple of the 50 stunt jumps that will be featured in the final game. If you get a good run up in a fast car, you can nail massive jumps off of these ramps and clear rivers or barren land in a single bound. The upside of the stunt jumps is that you get recognition (and likely achievement points) for completing them, and you can control the camera to speed up or slow down the action during the jump. The downside is that if you crash into something when you hit the ground, you'll go hurtling through the windscreen.
GTAIV looks magnificent so far. It takes the humour, style, and character of the previous games and wraps them in a sumptuously detailed new city. That said, there's still plenty that we haven't seen from the game--namely the PlayStation 3 version and the multiplayer modes. Although the game is a matter of weeks away, Rockstar has promised us glimpses at both elements ahead of release. In the meantime, consider us psyched up for the planned April release date.
Grand Theft Auto IV Multiplayer Hands-On
When you finally explore Liberty City on April 29, you won't have to do it alone. Grand Theft Auto IV will be the first game in the series to ship with a complete online multiplayer component, supporting up to 16 players on both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Little information has been released about how this aspect of the game will work, other than the subtle hints that Rockstar has dropped during earlier previews of the game. But with the game now finally approaching release this month, Rockstar decided to blow the lid off nearly all the multiplayer game modes, showing us Deathmatch, Cops and Crooks, Racing, as well as much more. Taking the form of an entire day's play testing at the company's London offices, we were literally able to take Rockstar on at its own game.
As we'd previously heard, the multiplayer mode is accessed by pulling out your mobile phone at any time during the single-player game. A small LCD appears at the bottom right of your view, and in one of the many small touches in the game, different players see different mobile operator logos on their home screens. From here, you can choose to enter the multiplayer game, at which point your single-player progress is saved and your console accesses its online network. As with Burnout Paradise, you'll be able to see which of your friends are currently playing GTA IV online, and if they're in an open party, you'll be free to join them. Likewise, if you choose to create a game, you can restrict it to just your friends list or open it up to the online community. Your character in the multiplayer game world is completely different from Niko: the fairly limited customisation options allow you to choose a male or female template and change outfits and accessories, but not facial details or body shapes.
To get a feel for the new multiplayer game, Rockstar initiated us with a simple four-on-four team Deathmatch. This mode may be simple, but the open world provides plenty of innovative ways to take down the opposition. As newbies, our first urge was to jump into a vehicle and work as a team, performing drive-by shootings while aiming to run over any enemies that got in our way. Both the driver and the passenger can shoot out of the window while moving, with the left bumper smashing out the window then firing your gun. You can aim using the right joystick, and a small reticle appears onscreen to help you line up shooting, as well as driving. There's also a downside to grouping together, especially if your enemy has a rocket launcher or another explosive device. One accurate shot can take out an entire team of people if they're all housed in one vehicle, leaving them to burn together in a burning wreck while the opposing team gets to regroup and rearm.
The alternative to using vehicles--collecting weapons and finding an elevated position--seemed to lead to higher scores. Combined with the new cover system, the environment can be used by clever players to avoid being hurt. For example, players can pop out when they have the best shots or simply blind-fire to keep enemies at bay. Pressing the right bumper snaps your character to the nearest cover, whether it is a wall or another object, such as a car. The Rockstar team was on hand for other tips, such as crouching when using a sniper rifle for better accuracy and always going for a headshot when fighting one-on-one. Even if you're restricted to a handgun, you can kill off an Uzi-wielding enemy using this method because it can bring down even the most heavily armoured foes. When locking on to an enemy with the left trigger, you can then flick the right stick to lift the aim to the head, and if you nail the technique, it takes only a couple of shots to kill someone.
Whether you're playing in single or multiplayer, you'll still be experiencing the same Liberty City. Standard gunplay is all well and good, but GTA has always been about the unexpected opportunities that arise from its sandbox gameworld. Even though the Rockstar team had been instructed to go easy on us during our first game, one of the team members couldn't resist jumping in a helicopter, chasing us down a street, and using the rotor blades to send us hurtling through the air to our death. It was a fitting end to the Team Deathmatch mode, but after getting used to the control system, we were yearning for more. A rocket launcher Deathmatch game was duly arranged, pitting us against one other in a small park at night. The rocket launcher is a powerful but slightly tricky weapon to use because it takes a long time to reach its target and you can only carry six rockets at a time. Luckily, if you run out of ammo or want to get up close and personal, then you can have the option of engaging in a good old-fashioned knife fight.
While the Deathmatch modes were fun, the real attraction of GTA IV's multiplayer may well come from the many other modes that Rockstar has dreamed up. The second mode that we played through was Mafiya Work, where the aim was to complete missions before anyone else in the game. Missions are called in to your mobile from gang bosses all over the city; then, every player competes to carry them out and collect the cash. Once each mission had been issued, the objectives flash up on the map and it becomes a mad scramble for victory. Missions included stealing a certain car or delivering weapons to another location, with the player who has the most money at the end of the allotted time winning the game
The Cops & Crooks mode is another absolute riot where one team plays as police officers who have to catch the other team of criminals. The catch is that one of the criminals is assigned the position of the leader, and he must stay alive no matter what happens to the rest of the team. Other team members can die and respawn on the way to reaching their escape points, but if the leader is killed, then it's game over for everyone. There's also a co-op mode for up to four players called Noose Assault, where we had to help a notorious criminal make it from his private jet to a hideaway while being pursued by a ferocious SWAT team. It's a shame that the entire game isn't playable in co-op, but this mission was a nice alternative to the other more competitive multiplayer modes.
The new cover system works well in multiplayer, allowing you to stay shielded while blind-firing or aiming for a headshot. Another surprisingly addictive mode is the racing, which can be played with or without weapons. It won't compete with Burnout or Need for Speed in terms of realism or depth, but leading a pack of eight racers and tossing Molotov cocktails out of the window is still highly entertaining. The host of the game gets to choose the route and the type of vehicle used in each race, while the participants get to choose which individual cars and colour schemes they want to use. If you're playing with weapons, you can collect pistols and grenades by driving over them, while heath kits restore any damage that you take to your car. If your vehicle does get damaged or you just fancy a change, then you can still jump out and steal one, but this does cost you valuable seconds of the race.
On the technical side, Rockstar hooked us up to the Xbox 360 debug version with headphones and a microphone. Despite being located in the same London office, we were all connected to each other over the Internet, which gave us a good idea of the online experience we can expect from the finished game. While you're free to talk to your teammates at any time by speaking through the microphone, you can also call individual players by accessing the mobile phone and just ringing them up. As with many Xbox Live games, the vocal quality can sometimes dip, but the only other issues we encountered were occasionally dropped animation frames when the action became frantic. Otherwise, GTA IV looked like a smooth online experience--and, according to Rockstar both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be exactly the same in terms of multiplayer features. Rockstar also told us at this point that while the game will support 1080p, the game will only run in 720p natively, and will therefore be scaled up to the higher resolution.
We wondered just how much of a role multiplayer would play in GTA IV, and after seeing it in action, we're pleased to report that it's far from being a simple afterthought to the game. With classic deathmatch and co-op missions combined with cops-and-robbers and mission-based objectives, the multiplayer component of GTA has a wealth of content to offer. We didn't even get to see some of the other modes on offer, which we saw on the menu screen as Deal Breaker and Bomb da Base II. Having finally got a chance to sample the multiplayer action, we're as excited as ever to finally play it on April 29.
Grand Theft Auto IV Updated Impressions: Missions, Mayhem, and Drunk Driving?
Rockstar recently hit town with an updated, work-in-progress version of Grand Theft Auto IV and gave us a look around the promising new entry in its acclaimed series. The game was running on the Xbox 360 and featured a slew of upgrades since the last time we saw it in action. While we still weren't able to get our hands on the controller and get a feel for it ourselves, we got a meaty look at a handful of the game's missions, as well as some of the requisite showcases of its richly detailed environments.
Given our familiarity with the game, our demonstrator just hopped into our first mission demo, which featured a character named Brucie, who was seen briefly in the last trailer released for the game. The mission kicks off with a cinematic that finds GTAIV's mysterious protagonist Nikolai entering a garage asking for Brucie, who needs some professional whacking done (the murderous kind). Niko is tasked with stealing a police car and giving Brucie a phone call once he's done so.
Securing a police car can happen in a few ways--you can choose to either cause a ruckus that attracts the police and carjack one, go out and search for one on the streets, pop over to a police station and help yourself, or call the police to report a fake crime. During our demo, Brucie sent an SMS with the suggestion that you could "dial 911" in order to get a police car to your location.
Once Niko gets a car and loses his wanted level by getting out the range of the police looking for him, you'll be able to access a very cool new gameplay element: the police database, which is accessible via any police car by hitting the left bumper. We watched as Niko entered his intended target's name and was rewarded with his mugshot and last known address (which you could set on your GPS city map). If you've taken a picture of someone with your cell phone, you can also search the database by photo. Upon arriving at his victim's pad, Niko makes his way to the door only to have his intended target run off like a bat out of hell once he realizes Niko isn't there on a social call.
Our demonstrator actually failed the mission initially and let Niko's target get away, allegedly to show off the game's nifty replay option, which takes the form of a text to your cell phone. On our host's second attempt the chase became much livelier, with Niko chasing his victim by car through the Liberty City freeway system and trying to shoot him dead. You can shoot out of the car window while driving, and change weapons while in the car. Besides giving a nice tour of the sights and sounds of Liberty City, the race let us have a peek at the local airport--complete with planes going about their daily business. The dramatic flight for life provided a perfect showcase for the various chase-cam options, such as switching between several views including one that focuses on your target, as well as a refined aiming system while driving. Once Niko's target was adequately perforated and exploded, he gave Brucie a call asking for his payment. The cell phone sequences showed off where the phone fits in on the game HUD: it appears in the lower right-hand corner, across from the map in the lower left.
Before moving on to our next mission demo, we got a look at some of the nonmission shenanigans you can get into, which tie in to some of the game's social aspects related to your relationships with non-player characters. We had a look at a segment where Niko gives his cousin Roman a call and the pair head over to a local watering hole in Bohan, the game's version of the Bronx, and get good and messed up. The trip began with Niko helping himself to a car. Rockstar reps noted that the nicer the car, the nicer the GPS in it--so you can expect the more upscale GPS models to speak directions if you've set a locale for yourself. Once Niko had a swank pair of wheels, he picked up Roman and then used his GPS to look for nearby bars, in this case one called Beer Garden.
As Niko came upon a toll booth on his way to the bar, our demonstrator slowed down and allowed him to pay. As with most things in the game, normal acts like stopping at red lights and paying tolls are optional but can affect your wanted level if you don't abide by them. Once the pair arrived at the bar, we saw them go in and heard Roman proclaim his hope of finding girls with low self-esteem. One short cinematic later, the pair, who were what the Russians might call drunkski, stumble out and, in a goofy minigame sure to raise a few hackles, Niko must get Roman home. Because he's more than a little messed up himself, your challenge is get Niko's sorry butt to his actual car, which is made quite a challenge due to a wavy camera angle and, we're told, an overly sensitive control scheme that makes the act of walking a challenge. Once you get in the actual car you're burdened with the same shifty camera and twitchy controls as you make your way back to Roman's place.
Once Niko's adventures in poor judgment were over, our demonstrator moved on to the next mission, set in Algonquin, the game's version of Manhattan. We saw Niko meet up with a new African-American character named Playboy X who is looking to recruit Niko. The arrangement appears to be a good fit, as we see Niko saying he needs money and doesn't care if he lives or dies. Playboy and Niko's chat is interrupted by the appearance of another new African-American face, Duane Moore. In a good and awkward moment Duane attempts to reconnect with Playboy and "pick up" where they left off, but it's clear Playboy isn't too stoked to have Duane be a part of his business. Playboy eventually goes inside leaving Niko alone with Duane and setting the stage for awkward moment number two as the pair chat a bit about "business." Their conversation is cut short by Playboy, who heads out with Niko to go on an errand.
We see the pair make their way through the city to a parked car and pick up weapons and a radio headset. They then switch vehicles and head over to a waterfront area, where Playboy explains how security is laid out, and his description is complemented by a cinematic showing where lookouts whom Niko has to kill are. Your mission is simple: Kill the lookouts and get inside to take out the Mafioso union leaders in order to impress a character called Yusuf. We saw Niko make his way over to a crane to get a good shot at the lookouts, whom he promptly takes out, resulting in short cinematics of them falling dead from their crane-based outposts. After the lookouts are sorted, Niko makes use of a window-washing platform to reach the roof of a building. Once inside he begins shooting up fools, resulting in blood-droplet effects on the camera.
The sequence also showcased the games new aiming system, which lets you juggle between a free aim and specific body-part targeting. Pulling the trigger lets you free-aim, while holding it down lets you lock on and target specific body parts. As Niko is going on his killing spree, Playboy is heard offering tips via his earpiece. The closer Niko gets to his targets the more the opposition ramps up; thankfully, this provided a good showcase for some of the arsenal you'll be using. We saw Niko use grenades (this level was used as a grenade tutorial) and our old favorite, the rocket launcher, to clear his way. Another nice touch was blind-firing from behind cover, and sliding into to cover on his knees. Once the opposition was cleared, Niko killed his target and rang up Playboy.
The next mission kicked off with Niko and a gent named Ray coming into an office. Ray offers up Niko's services for some work; it seems the Triads want to offload something, so you're tasked with hijacking a truck in Alderney, the game's equivalent of New Jersey, and then checking in with a Mr. Bell. As Niko made his way to the hijack area, Rockstar reps noted that the GPS Niko uses to get there always provides the best legal route, allowing you to make your own less law-abiding shortcuts if the situation requires it. Once Niko is in place, he hides and waits for the truck to come.
When it finally arrives, we see Niko sneak his way to it and start shooting. As he's opposed by various folks, we get another great example of why you should never consider crime without a rocket launcher close at hand--it's pretty handy for wiping out anything in your way. Unfortunately, Niko's truck starts to head out, and the spry Russian leaps for it, introducing a climbing mechanic you'll initiate with the touch of a button. Once you're on the truck you'll have to use the D pad and analog stick to stay on it and make your way to the cab. Once inside, Niko makes short work of the driver and helps takes the truck, calling Mr. Bell for directions. He's instructed to deliver the truck and its contents as a "wedding present" to a specific location, which Niko does.
The last demo we had wasn't of a mission but a small showcase of Liberty City and everything that's getting packed into it. We got a fly-through of the city that took us up past the statue of "happiness." When Niko was controllable again, our rep hopped into a boat and zipped around the waterfront to show off the impressive water effects, physics, and different camera angles. The sequence also featured some subtle water effects that kicked up onscreen, and because it's a GTA game, we got to hear some music.
This particular demo, while still focused on specific elements of the game, offered an effective tease of the game's variety and size. We're liking the mix of missions, even the goofy drunk stuff, simply because the game seems to be a logical expansion of what we've seen in the previous games. All the free-roaming stuff we've liked about the previous games is in, but the promise of the other mechanics we've only seen hinted at--the Internet, the police database, and in-game relationships--is really intriguing. We're also eager to get more of the story, since Niko's obviously got himself a whole set of baggage that seems fit to burst; we're hoping this makes for some good plot twists.
As far as the visuals go, it should go without saying that the game is looking pretty slick on the Xbox 360, with the environments continuing to gain a sexy layer of polish. It looks like the development team is delivering on its promise of a living city with a logical expansion of what we've seen in the previous games. The Xbox 360's processing power has afforded Rockstar North to layer in a hefty number of pedestrians and ambient detail such as street clutter and garbage. We also have to make a special call out to the game's stunning lighting, which, while still being polished up, is some of the most impressive we've seen. While lighting is, understandably, a somewhat played-out element in graphics this generation, GTAIV's is still noteworthy for its subtle shifts.
The character models look good, although we'll be nitpicky and wish the game's animation were a little more consistent. While there are some really nice bits of subtlety, such as Niko's leaning into turns as he runs, there's also some of the slightly jerky stiffness we've seen in previous games. It's hardly a game-breaking issue, but it's noticeable. Overall the game's frame rate is pretty consistent, although it does jerk some. We can attribute some of that to our version's work-in-progress status, as well as the insanely ambitious open-world madness that is a series staple; but we're hoping that the game purrs along at a solid, smooth frame rate when it ships.
GTAIV's soundtrack is arguably just as significant a component as its visuals, due to how key atmosphere is to the whole experience. From what we've heard so far, the game is at the very least on its way to matching the high level of quality we've heard in the previous entries in the series. The voice acting is coming along really well and very effectively sets the game's gritty tone. Niko sounds like one world-weary dude, and the crowd he rolls with sounds pretty lived-in, too. In addition to the assorted characters in the game, Liberty City itself is really getting its own unique personality thanks to a rich, dense collection of sounds that anyone who's been to a city like New York will respond to. Traffic, pedestrians, and the general ambient noise of a bustling city are all falling into place. The other big part of the audio package is the game's soundtrack, which, while still a work in progress in what we heard, seems to be covering all the bases of faux radio stations and genres that we've come to expect from the series. You can also use your cell phone as a radio, meaning the soundtrack doesn't have to stop while you're out of your vehicle taking down some targets.
While this all sounds well and good for the 360 version of the game, we know there are more than a few folks wondering what the deal is with the PlayStation 3 version, which, to date, may as well be a unicorn for all we've seen of it. Well, while we didn't get Rockstar to bust out a PS3 development kit and a version of the game for Sony's platform, we were assured that GTAIV is essentially identical on both platforms in terms of visual quality and content (well, at least until those Xbox 360-exclusive chapters hit). In fact, we're told we should be getting a look at the PS3 version in motion in the next few weeks. GTAIV is currently slated to ship in the next few months. Look for more on the game in the weeks to come.
CHEATS,TIPS AND UNLOCKABLES
While playing the game, press Up to display Niko's cell phone. Press Up again to access the keypad. Then, enter one of the following codes to activate the corresponding cheat function. Once a code has been entered correctly, a new "Cheats" menu option will be available on your phone, below "Options", where you can access the cheats without having to enter the phone number again. Note: Do not save the game after enabling a code to avoid unforeseen problems. You can usually only spawn one vehicle at a time. Any previously spawned vehicles will disappear. However, if you spawn a vehicle, save the game, and load again, you can spawn another one and your original will not disappear. You must have it in your parking space in front of a safehouse or it will be gone before you have a chance to spawn another.
- Full health and armor
Dial "3625550100" on the cell phone. If you enter this code while in a vehicle, it will also repair it. Note: This phone number translates to "DOC-555-0100".
- Full health, armor, and ammunition
Dial "4825550100" on the cell phone. If you enter this code while in a vehicle, it will also repair it. Note: This phone number translates to "GTA-555-0100".
- Weapons tier 1
Dial "4865550100" on the cell phone. This will unlock the baseball bat, handgun, shotgun, MP5, M4, sniper rifle, RPG, and grenades. Note: This phone number translates to "GUN-555-0150".
- Weapons tier 2
Dial "4865550150" on the cell phone. This will unlock the knife, Molotov cocktails, handgun, shotgun, Uzi, AK47, sniper rifle, and RPG. Note: This phone number translates to "GUN-555-0100".
- Remove Niko's wanted level
Dial "2675550100" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "COP-555-0100".
- Add one star to Niko's wanted level
Dial "2675550150" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "COP-555-0150".
- Spawn Annihilator police helicopter
Dial "3595550100" on the cell phone. The Annihilator is armed with rockets. Note: This phone number translates to "FLY-555-0100".
- Spawn Cognoscenti
Dial "2275550142" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0142".
- Spawn Comet
Dial "2275550175" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0175".
- Spawn FBI Buffalo
Dial "2275550100" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0100".
- Spawn Jetmax
Dial "9385550100" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "WET-555-0100".
- Spawn NRG-900
Dial "6255550100" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "MBK-555-0100".
- Spawn Sanchez
Dial "6255550150" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "MBK-555-0150".
- Spawn SuperGT
Dial "2275550168" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0168".
- Spawn Turismo
Dial "2275550147" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0147".
- Change weather and brightness
Dial "4685550100" on the cell phone. Note: This phone number translates to "HOT-555-0100".
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.whattheydonotwantyoutoknow.com" as a URL to view maps that reveal all weapon, health, armor, vehicle, pigeon, ramp/stunt, and entertainment locations.
Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding bonus:
Annihilator police helicopter: Collect all 200 pigeons (flying rats).
No ammo limit: Get a 100% completion.
Rastah Color Huntley SUV: Successfully complete 10 Package Delivery missions.
Reach the indicated level of friendship with the corresponding character to unlock their special friendship ability:
Alex (screen name "LiberatedWoman")
Method: Look for the personal ad from "LiberatedWoman" in the "Women seeking men" section of the "www.craplist.net" website. Alex is somewhat of a self-centered, spoiled rotten rich girl. She will compliment Niko for wearing expensive clothing and driving expensive cars. She will also write about her exploits with Niko in her blog at "www.blogsnobs.org". Reach 80% friendship with her.
Special ability: 50% off at all clothing stores.
Brucie
Method: Take him bowling, drinking, eating, strip clubs, shows, helicopter tours, and boating to reach 70% friendship.
Special ability (Chopper Ride): Call Brucie, and he will fly his helicopter to you. This allows you to fast travel to various portions of the city.
Carmen (screen name "SoboHoe")
Special ability (Health Boost): Restores Niko's health over the phone. She will call Niko every chance she gets.
Dwayne
Method: Take him to strip clubs, eating, drinking, shows, and bowling to reach 60% friendship.
Special ability (Extra Help): Call Dwayne to have a car full of gang members follow you.
Kiki (screen name "LawChick")
Method: Date LawChick via "www.love-meet.net" through the in-game internet. Take her out a few times to reach 75% friendship. When dropping her off, select the "Try your luck" option. Afterwards, she will call you and say she can clear the feds.
Special ability (Remove Up to 3 Wanted Stars): Call her on your cell phone, and select "Clear wanted levels".
Little Jacob
Method: Take him to darts, shows, pool, drinking, eating, and strip clubs to reach 60% friendship.
Special ability (Discount Guns): Call Little Jacob, and he will drive out a car full of guns for you to buy.
Packie
Method: Take him to strip clubs, shows, darts, drinking, bowling, pool to reach 75% friendship.
Special ability (Boom?): Call Packie, and he will make a car bomb for you.
Roman
Method: Take him to bowling, darts, drinking, eating, pool, shows, and the strip club to reach 60% friendship.
Special ability (Free Ride): Call Roman, and he will send a free cab.
Stevie
Method: Successfully complete all 30 of his vehicle thefts.
Special ability: The South Bohan garage will now offer money for any vehicle you deliver. The better the condition, the more money you will earn.
The following is a list of how to get a 100% completion:
Successfully complete all 90 story and procedural missions to get 68% complete.
Successfully complete all 30 vehicle thefts to get an additional 2%.
Successfully complete all 50 stunt jumps to get an additional 2.5%.
Collect all 200 pigeons (flying rats) to get an additional 2.5%.
Find all random characters and complete their missions to get an additional 5%.
Successfully complete all 20 vigilante crimes to get an additional 2.5%.
Kill all 30 people on the list to get an additional 2.5%.
Beat friends or computers at every activity to get an additional 5%.
Get all your friend's special abilities and do all their activities to get an additional 10%. Note: This does not include Dwayne or Roman.
Dial "911" on your cell phone. You will reach a voice menu. Dial "2" for an ambulance. When the ambulance arrives, the paramedic will restore your health for approximately $1,000. After he refills your health, kill him to get your money back. -From: Mike
Go to an ATM, then cause a traffic jam to the area. Wait for someone to take money from the ATM, then kill him or her. Make sure to block any nearby roads so the ambulance cannot get to the murdered victim. Take the money they dropped on the ground. Then, run a short distance away, and go back. The money should have respawned on the ground. You can repeat this as many times as desired. You can also kill more people taking their money from the ATM to increase the amount of money that respawns. -From: Khairol161
Find an area with a lot of people. Then, position yourself a decent distance away, and enable the "Spawn Jetmax" code. The boat should spawn above the people, fall on them, and kill them without raising your wanted level. You can then pick up the money dropped by the people killed. Repeat this process as many times as desired. -From: Vernon Reis
After completing all of Stevie's 30 vehicle thefts, go to the garage in south Bohan. Then, enter one of the "Spawn" vehicle codes, and take the vehicle to the garage to get the indicated amount of money as long as the vehicle is in perfect condition. Repeat this as many times as desired. -From: Elan Gedalia
- Cognoscenti: $9,000
- Comet: $6,000
- NRG-900: $2,500
- Sanchez: $1,200
- SuperGT: $11,000
- Turismo: $11,000
After completing all of Stevie's 30 vehicle thefts, take a taxi to the Perseus on Pyrite Street and Bismarck Avenue. Walk to the Grotti car dealership with a baseball bat. Use your baseball bat to break open the window on the east side of the building near the tree that has a Turismo parked behind it. Try not to damage this car. Take the Turismo, and drive it to Stevie's car shop. Taking the Charge Island bridge to Bohan is the best route. Stevie will give you approximately $10,000 for the car, depending on its condition. You can then take a taxi back to the dealership and do it again.
Steal an armored truck, and blow it up to get approximately $1,100 from the piles of money surrounding the wreckage.
There is a glitch in Aldeney at the intersection of Tudor and Port Tudor, close to the prison where you visit Gerald. You can find a total of nine armored trucks arriving back-to-back. Highjack one, then block the road. Another one will appear. Blow them up one-by-one. There is a total of approximately $1,100 on each truck, which is especially useful when just starting out or if you need money.
Steal a Securicar, and blow it up to get approximately $1,000 from the piles surrounding the wreckage. To do this without getting a wanted level, you must drive it and get it damaged until it catches fire and explodes. Do not attack it with a weapon or you will get a two star wanted level. If the smoking Securicar stops running and still is not on fire, use your cell phone to call anyone, then hang up while it is dialing. The Securicar will start again, allowing you to do the last amount of damage to get it to catch on fire and explode.
Go to a strip club, and kill the strippers. Each one drops about five or six wads of cash, but all the guards will attack you.
If you want to get rid of your wanted level, simply start a mission. Your wanted level will instantly go away. If there were any police cars chasing you, the police will be gone but the cars will still be there. -From: D2
To lose your wanted level, simply enter a safehouse, and save your progress. When you wake up, your wanted level will be gone.
If your vehicle breaks down and will not start, call any number saved in your cell phone or "911", and your engine should start again.
While in a vehicle, if you drive over a health pack, your health will be restored and any damage to your car will fully repaired. This is very useful while playing online in a vehicle that has caught fire.
Outside your first hideout is a small parking area to park your vehicles and save them. Instead of parking your vehicles fully within the lines, you can park your vehicles partially within the lines to allow for more vehicles to be parked and saved. -From: Zane
At the start of the game it would appear that you can only save two vehicles parked in the "Residents Parking Only" parking spaces in front of your safe house. However, if you can find other "Residents Parking Only" places around the city, you can also save vehicles there even if you do not have a safe house at those locations yet.
If you attempt to use the trick to keep more than two vehicles in any one parking space, it will only work until you leave the current game session. If you shut off your system, play a multiplayer game, or load your most recent save, all but two of your vehicles will have disappeared. It seems to either save the two vehicles closest to the center of the parking space or two at random.
To avoid wasting time driving all the way across the city, call a taxi. They will take you to your destination for your mission, stores, safe houses, or even a waypoint marker. You can skip through the taxi ride, allowing you to travel across the entire city in about ten seconds. This can also be done during missions.
Most of the Assassin's missions can be completed easier by using a helicopter. Land on a high position overlooking your target, and use the sniper rifle to kill them.
It is sometimes difficult to get headshots, which do count. With some practice, doing the following is an easy way to get headshots. Press [Auto-Aim], then use the Right Analog-stick to move the auto-aim target around your victim's body. Barely move the Right Analog-stick as you are shooting. This puts bullets in the chest and head, and results in an easy instant kill.
When you can, call Roman, and have him send a taxi to you. Let the taxi drive you around. You will be able to shoot at people without the driver stopping. He will also run past the cops and blockades as much as possible. When you get stuck, choose to end your ride at a destination without a wanted level.
Dial "911" on your cell phone. You will reach a voice menu that allows you to call the police by dialing "1", an ambulance by dialing "2", or a fire truck by dialing "3". Select the vehicle of your choice, and wait for them to arrive. They will stop and look around for the emergency, allowing you to easily steal their vehicle.
Bring up your phone, and go to the SIXAXIS Tutorial. Once you have entered the tutorial, exit it, and you will be just outside the airport. Note: If you have a vehicle you want to keep, put it in a parking spot as this trick will not transfer the car with you. You must also lose your wanted level before performing this action, thus you cannot use it for an easy get away.
When running away from the cops, you will have a circular area in which they look for you. However, if you get out and another cop sees you, it changes. To use this to your advantage, barely get out of that circle, which you will see on your radar. Then, just sit there for about five seconds instead of flooring past it.
If you are at a four star wanted level or less, find a place with grass or sand. The cops will follow you in, but they usually cannot get back out. You can then just drive away.
When you are being arrested by a cop, instead of pressing X immediately, press L3 to crouch. You will still be able to walk away, but you will not get a two star wanted level. -From: reaver456
Steal a police car, and any time you are in trouble, press L1 while your car is stationary. Select "Call For Backup", and within minutes you will have two cruisers full of police who will fight on your side unless you shoot someone. Note: They will turn on you when they realize you are not a cop.
To take out an enemy that is blind firing, aim for his shooting arm or hand while it is exposed. Once you wound him, he will usually stumble out of cover, giving you an easier kill.
You can kill most pedestrians by repeatedly running into them against walls. This is a good way to get easy money without alerting the police.
You can leave the mission area and go to a Cluckin' Bell, hotdog stand, etc. and eat food to replenish your health if you are low and cannot find a health pack. This is especially useful on missions where there are no health packs in sight. Note: You can also take a taxi to those locations during missions.
Drive through any toll booth with any emergency vehicle with the sirens on. The booth attendant will open the gate, and you will save $5.
Drive a normal car up to the toll booth. As you get close, slow down and jump out while making sure the car passes through the booth. Then, walk past the booth, and get in your car. -From: Mike
While in a vehicle or on a motorcycle, drive up to the toll booth. Stay on the far side of the booth. Niko will stick his arm out but not put money in the basket, and the gate will still open.
Drive a motorbike to the side of the pay toll wall. You will not pay a toll if you can drive through the small gap on the sides.
Get in a taxi, but do not skip the ride after choosing your destination. When you are approximately two blocks away from your destination, break the window, and start shooting. The cab driver will get out and run away, allowing you not to have to pay for the ride. You can also kill the cab driver and take his money, so he is actually paying you for the taxi ride. -From: DemonUrameshi 
Some of your safehouses have a computer in them that will not charge the $1 fee. The Algonquin safehouse has a laptop in it, and is somewhat far away from some of the internet cafes.
Enter an ambulance to get a small health increase.
Enter a police cruiser to get five shotgun shells.
Use a helicopter, boat, or simply swim to reach Happiness Island. Go inside the first door of the Statue Of Happiness. There will be a security guard with a carbine rifle. Kill him to get the Carbine rifle.
To get the Desert Eagle before you can buy it, kill the gun salesman in Broker that has it equipped, and then take it from him. Note: Doing this will prevent you from making any future purchases at this location. This will also cause bodyguards with shotguns to chase after you.
Go to the Easton area in Algonquin. At the Grand Easton Terminal, go up the stairs in front. Keep going around that floor until you see a small pond. Move past it until you see a turn going left. Go to the left to get in between a tall building and a smaller one. At the end of the passageway is a dead end. Turn and you will see a glowing orange garbage can. Behind it is an M-4 assault rifle.
The following is an easy way to start the game with full pistol and shotgun ammo. Unlock the ability to save by sleeping on the bed in Roman's home. Getting the knife is also helpful. Go outside Roman's home, and kill a few people. The police will appear. Kill a police officer. He will drop his gun. Take it, then immediately run into Roman's home, and sleep on the bed. You can choose to save the game if desired. When you wake up, your wanted level will be down, and you will still have the pistol. Go back outside, and kill more pedestrians. When the cops appear, run up the stairs. Turn around at the top of the stairs, and face the door going outside of Roman's home. The cops will come through that door, and you can simply pick them off with your new pistol. Watch your health, and do not worry about picking up the guns. If your health gets low, you can sleep on the bed. Wake up, and when you go outside there will be lots of weapons. The shotgun will take longer because not every cop uses it. However, if you enter the police cars that have been abandoned outside the apartments, you can easily get five shells for the shotgun for each car you enter.
You can get the good shotgun early in the game by simply going to the strip club. On the way out, there is a manager's office that you can enter. There is a large Remington shotgun on the floor you can take.
Kill Playboy X and get his penthouse. Then, save the game, and restart the
There is a secret Happiness Island shirt laying at the highest point on the statue's base that can be reached by foot. It looks like a glowing red rectangle. Once it is picked up, Niko will automatically put it on. It is a navy blue sweatshirt. The front shows the statue and reads "Happiness is..." and is continued on the back with the word "...land".
To wear a bra, go to the clothes store called Modo, and walk up to the cashier. It must be a female cashier for this trick to work. Knife the cashier, and stand over her body for one game hour. Travel back to Roman's apartment, and go to the wardrobe. You should now have an option to wear a bra. Wearing the bra will change NPC dialogue, and they will start saying things to you like "What the hell are you wearing man?!"
To unlock the ski mask so you can wear it anytime, successfully complete the "Three Leaf Clover" mission. It then becomes selectable as a hat in your wardrobe.
Use the following method(s) to obtain the corresponding vehicle:
- Admiral
Search in Meadows Park, Dukes.
- Air Tug
Search at Francis International Airport.
- Ambulance
Found parked outside hospitals.
- Banshee
Search Galveston Ave. near Middle Park.
To get a unique gray Banshee with a black stripe, play the "Meltdown" mission. Niko automatically carjacks this vehicle after the intermission sequence at the first destination. Drive it to a parking spot to save it when you are supposed to meet Ray at the bridge. You will not fail the mission; just make sure to reach that point with it intact.
- Bobcat
Search the top of the Francis International Airport's parking lot.
- Brute
Search near banks.
- Buccaneer
Search near the Industrial District.
- Bus
Search Star Junction or at the bus station near the Helitours site.
- Cavalcade
Search the street Westdyke Memorial Hospital is on.
To get a unique Cavalcade with black wheels, play the "Deconstruction For Beginners" mission. This is the vehicle that Playboy X has the weapons stocked in. After getting in and retrieving the weapons, drive it to a parking spot to save it, then continue with the mission.
- Comet
Search between the Burger Shot and the Swingers Golf Club.
To get a unique yellow Comet, play the "No. 1" mission. This car is used in the street race. It is the same car as the DP Comet. Simply drive it to a parking spot to save it after the mission.
- Contender
Search near the Twichin's Sugar Factory.
- Coquette
Found outside the church.
- DF8-90
Search near the amusement park's parking lot.
- Dilettante
Search near the Canyon Magaplex in Willis, Dukes.
- Dinghy
Several can be found around the coast of Acter Industrial Park.
- Enforcer
Get a four to six star wanted level and it will find you.
- Faggio
Search by the Dragon Heart Plaza on Diman Street in Chinatown.
- Flatbed
Search near industrial areas.
Use the following trick to get a maroon Flatbed. In the "Rigged to Blow" mission (the truck with the bomb), park it at your safehouse parking spot, and shoot at it until it explodes. Quickly save the game, then reload. The truck should be waiting for you, shiny and new, even though it was dirty in the mission.
- Fork Lift
It can occassionally be found on the street to the left of the bridge under construction (island in top right).
- Freeway
One is parked in front of the Willis Wash and Lube.
- Helitours Maverick
Found at the Helitours company in Fishmarket South.
- Hakumai
Search in Steinway, Dukes.
- Hellfury
To get a unique cherry red Hellfury, play the mission "Ruff Rider" mission. Shoot Jayvon when he is driving the cherry red Hellfury. Then, drive it to a parking spot to save it after the mission.
- Huntley Sport
Search near the LCPD station in Northern Gardens.
- Infernus
Search in Outlook Park by the Pizza Salad restaurant.
- Intruder
Search near the Liberty City Transport Authority in Rotterdam Hill in Broker.
- Laundromat Van
In the "Hung Out To Dry" mission, instead of going to the front of the Laundromat, go around to the back first. The Laundromat Van will be sitting there. Break in, and steal it. Note: This will cause the mission to fail, but it is the only way to obtain this vehicle.
- Lokus
Search the East Island City neighborhood in Dukes.
- Manana
Search near the Burger Shot on Huntington Street.
- Marbelle
Use the following trick to get a unique light blue Marbelle. In the "Uncle Vlad" mission, Vlad drives this car during the chase. After completing the mission, take it back to your parking spot to save it. Be careful as it starts out heavily damaged.
- Maverick
Search in the top area of the residential district on the third main island.
- Merit
To get a unique silver Merit, after completing the "First Date" mission, take it back to your parking spot to save it.
- Moonbea
Search Charge Island near the water treatment plant.
- Mr. Tasty
The ice cream truck can be found strolling around Broker and Dukes. When you steal an ice cream truck, turn the music on. It will change speed depending on how fast you are driving. If you reverse, so will the music. To cycle through the song played while driving, press L3 to start and stop it. The songs that are cycled through are "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies", "Greensleeves", "Scarborough Fair", "Flight Of The Bumble Bee", and "Flight Of The Valkyrie".
- NRG 900
Search the corner of Bismark Ave and Topaz in Lancaster.
- Patriot
Search by the Castle Gardens.
A NOOSE Patriot can be found in the "Tunnel Of Death" mission. It is part of the convoy. You can take it, but this will cause the mission to fail.
To get a unique yellow Patriot, play the "Blow Your Cover" mission. This vehicle is provided for you and is parked outside as soon as the mission begins. Simply drive it to a parking spot to save it, then proceed with the mission as desired.
- PCJ 600
To get a unique red PCJ 600 with gold rims, play the "I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots, and Your Motorcycle" mission. Gerry provides this bike for you at the start of the mission. Simply drive it to a parking spot to save it after completing the mission.
- Phantom
This is an eighteen wheeler cab and can be found outside the first floor of the GL&S lawyers office building.
- PMP 600
Search the alley by the Exchange District Bank in Algonquin.
- Police Cruiser
A unique NOOSE Police Cruiser will appear randomly when your wanted level is at least four stars. This car has a different paint job than normal police cruisers, and the row of siren lights are a flat, small row, as opposed to the more prominent V-shaped row on normal cars. It can be found in the "Three Leaf Clover" mission.
- Police Maverick
Found on top of the police station in Algonquin.
- Presidente
Search at Castle Gardens.
- Rancher
Search by the docks in Port Tudor.
- Rebla
Search Fanny Crab's near Grand Easton Station.
- Reefer
Several can be found around the coast of Acter Industrial Park.
- Ripley
Search at Francis International Airport.
- Roman's Taxi
This vehicle is unlocked when Roman's Respect stat reaches 100%.
- Schafter
Search East Hook in Broker.
- Securicar
Go to the Boabo neighborhood, and look at the map. Look directly north of Brucie's location, and find the roads that form the letter "P". Park near the "RON" gas station to find the Securicars that spawn regularly in that area.
- Sentinel
Search near the docks in Normandy.
- Stallion
Use the following trick to get a unique black Stallion. In the "Escuela Of The Streets" mission, the dealers drive this vehicle during the scene after they arrive at the warehouse, when they get in and drive off. This car disappears after finishing the mission; you must fail the mission to keep the vehicle.
- Sultan
Search the driveway of a green house in Berchem.
- Sultan RS
This car can only be found sitting in the northeastern-most part of the final island. It is stashed in some bushes behind the small shack up a dirt road.
- Super GT
Search on Calcium Street in front of the 69.
- Trashmaster
Several can be found in the depot under the west end of Broker Bridge, east of the fire station.
- Tropic
It can be found moored along the north coast of Acter Industrial Park.
- Tug boat
Get in a boat, and search along the water between Alderny and Industrial Island to find a tug boat parked in front of two barges. Get near it, then jump on it, and press [Enter Vehicle] to steal it.
- Turismo
You can find a Turismo parked outside a home in Owl Creek Avenue in Westdyke, or next to Faustin's house on Shinnecock Ave. in Beachgate, Broker.
- Vincent
Search in Schottler.
- Voodoo
Search in East Island City.
- Washington
Search by the pool in Steinway, Dukes.
- Zombie motorcycle
They can be found driving around by the Pay 'n' Spray near Port Tudor in Alderney.
Use the following trick to get unique black and red Zombie. During the "No Love Lost" mission, these are the bikes used by the gang. Take one from a fallen gang member after or during the mission.
Set a way point to one of the locations described in the "Stevie vehicle theft locations", then have a taxi drive you to the location. You will then only have to spend time driving to the garage in south Bohan.
The following is a list of all 30 vehicle theft locations for Stevie's missions. Once you get a vehicle, take it to south Bohan, a bit east of the safe house there. The entrance is on the east side of it, where it says "S&M Auto Sales". To get the listed reward, you must bring the vehicle in perfect condition. Note: If you have to break the window to steal a vehicle, it does not devalue the vehicle reward. The vehicle reward only goes down when you bump into things.
Banshee
Reward: $26,400
Location: Algonquin, Middle Park West. Parked west of a building that says Mammon Heights, facing north. On the other side of the street is the art gallery. The easiest way to find this is to go to the southwest corner of Middle Park, go one block west, and then turn right to the north. The orange Banshee is on your right side.
Bobcat
Reward: $8,250
Location: Dukes, Francis International Airport. It is on top of the multistory car park, west of the terminal. Go up to the roof, and you will find it in the south area, parked on the middle part in front of a pay station.
Buccaneer
Reward: $5,940
Location: Bohan, Industrial. Look at the map of Bohan, in the southeast corner is a two lane highway going southwest and then just ends out on the water. Go under that highway, on the road that goes northwest to southeast. At the corner where that road turns east, just south of it, is the car.
Cavalcade
Reward: $23,100
Location: Alderney, Leftwood. The car is just north of the hospital. If you look at the map and see the northern Pay 'n' Spray, locate the road to the northwest that starts going west, makes a hairpin curve southwards, and then goes to the northwest. Where that road ends is a house with a small wall, and behind that small wall (visible from the street) is the car, parked facing west.
Cognoscenti
Reward: $29,700
Location: Alderney City. From the north Pay 'n' Spray, go west, and take the first south. At the third corner where the thin street meets the thicker street that goes south to west, stop here. Look east into the alley. It is parked on the south side of it in the middle.
Comet
Reward: $19,800
Location: Algonquin, Westminster. Look at the southern Pay 'n' Spray at the west coast of Algonquin. There is a set of three docks to the west and a bit south of here. The northern one of the three has a big parking lot (darker street, looks like an alley on the map) to the east. Go there. To the northwest is a big domed building where the car is located.
Contender
Reward: $8,250
Location: Dukes, Boabo. This is the same location you went for the "Bleed Out" story mission. The guy dropped his car here and ran up the stairs. If you do not remember where it is, look where the Algonquin Bridge hits the land. Follow the first road that goes under it in the west a bit north. Before it curves to the east, look to the west through the gate of a factory with two large buildings. The car is in between.
Coquette
Reward: $13,530
Location: Algonquin, Suffolk. Take the road north of the weapons shop, and go west. At the fifth intersection, go north, then look to the west to see a church. The Coquette is parked here on the west side of the road. This road is also directly two blocks south of the big sky scraper.
DF8-90
Reward: $5,940
Location: Broker, Hove Beach. Southeast of the broker safe house is a train station. You can see the symbol for it overlapping a building to the north on the map. On the ground level of the train station is a parking garage in the south-eastern corner, where the DF8-90 is parked.
Dilettante
Reward: $6,600
Location: Dukes, Willis. Take the road west of the northern car wash to the north. At the third road that goes west, turn left. The Dilettante is parked on the right side (north) here. If you look to the east, you should see the "Big Willis Mall" sign.
Dukes
Reward: $7,260
Location: Algonquin, East Holland. Go to the northern Modo clothes store. Across the street to the southeast, the Dukes is parked facing east just as the street goes downward. You can see the clothes store from where the car is parked.
Faggio
Reward: $2,310
Location: Algonquin, Chinatown. The Faggio is one block south and a bit to the west of the gun shop, on the north side of the street.
Freeway
Reward: $6,600
Location: Dukes, Willis. Go to the northeast car wash. The bike is just south of it parked on the street, on the eastern side, facing north.
Huntley Sport
Reward: $13,200
Location: Bohan, Northern Gardens. In northern Bohan, where the two lane high way from the east merges into one lane again, a small road goes south. At that corner to the southeast is a police station. The car is parked in a parking lot with a wall around it in the north of the station. It opens up to the west, which is also the direction the car faces. Be careful as there is a cop standing right next to it.
Infernus
Reward: $33,000
Location: Dukes, Downtown. Look for the circle in Outlook, with the big arch on it. Go north from it, and you will see the Infernus parked on the east street side facing north, in front of a place that has a "Pizza Salad" sign on it.
Intruder
Reward: $8,250
Location: Broker, Rotterdam Hill. Take the road that is south of the weapons shop, and go west on it. Follow it generally to the northwest then west again. The road then makes a curve to the southeast. Before the curve is where the Intruder is parked. There is also a hot dog stand there. The car faces west.
Manana
Reward: $3,960
Location: Dukes, Heights. One block east of the Cluckin' Bell in Cerveza Heights, you will see an old burger shop that is no longer open. The Manana is parked on the south side of it facing west. The block it is on has an alley on the map that goes from east to south.
Moonbeam
Reward: $7,260
Location: Charge Island. The street on Charge Island in the northeast goes close to the water front. Just as it curves back to the southwest, there is a parking lot (darker grey area on the map). The Moonbeam is in the middle of the southern end, facing north.
NRG 900
Reward: $8,250
Location: Algonquin, Lancaster. From the northeast corner of Middle Park, go east one block, then turn south. The bike is parked on the east side of the street in the middle of this block, facing north.
PMP 600
Reward: $10,560
Location: Algonquin, The Exchange. Look at the map in southern Algonquin. In the block just north of the Perseus clothes store is a bank (occupying the south-eastern part of that block). Just north of that is an alley (same colored street as the surrounding streets though) in which the PMP 600 is parked.
Patriot
Reward: $16,500
Location: Algonquin, The Exchange. Go one block west from the southern Perseus clothes store and then one block south. On the southwest corner of the next block to the south, on its south side, facing west is a yellow Patriot.
Rancher
Reward: $8,250
Location: Alderney in the Port Tudor area. Look at the map, and locate the weapons shop. To the east from there are two docks that have roads on them. To the west of those docks are two buildings with roads around them. The southern of the two has the northeast corner missing. The Rancher is in that corner.
Rebla
Reward: $11,550
Location: Algonquin, The Triangle. From the Cluckin' Bell, go south, and take the second road east. Stop at the next corner, and look to the southeast. There is a restaurant with a crab logo. The Rebla is parked outside it, on the east side of the road, facing north. Across the corner to the northeast is the Daily Globe building.
Sabre GT
Reward: $8,250
Location: Parked in a drive way facing north, in Dukes. Drive on the road that is to the east of the large circle in Meadows Park to the north. At the corner of the street that goes east in a slight southward wave, stop. It is well south of the two large circles. Look to the northeast, there is a house there with a drive way and a two door garage. The Sabre GT is parked in front of the right one.
Sentinel
Reward: $8,250
Location: Alderney, Normandy. Go west from the Booth tunnel, take the second one south, and then turn left again. There is a Tudor Port sign on your right. The car is behind the sign and before the gates ahead. It is parked facing north, on the west side of the road leading into the gated area.
Sultan
Reward: $11,550
Location: Alderney, Bechem.
Super GT
Reward: $36,300
Location: Algonquin, The Exchange. Go from the southern Perseus store to the north (through the street that is a bit wavy). On the third street, after the 69 Exchange, turn west, and you should see it parked on the northern side of the road facing west. Right next to it is a bank.
Turismo
Reward: $36,300
Location: Alderney, Westdyke. Go from the northern car wash. Take the road south of it to the west, then south. Turn east, and when the next road goes off to the south, stop. Just to the north of here in that block is a house that has a marking of an alley in a T shape on the map. It is the western most one. In the northeast corner of that T is the Turismo.
Voodoo
Reward: $6,600
Location: Dukes, East Island City. As you come off the East Borough Bridge, follow this road until it ends and you run right into it. It is parked on the east side of a street; to the east is a large tower form LC24; to the southeast a hotdog stand; and a bit to the southwest is a police station. Be careful of those cops.
Washington
Reward: $7,260
Location: Dukes, Steinway. Look at Dukes. There is the large elongated circular park in the northwest on the western shore. Go to its west side. The Washington is parked on the west side of the road here, facing south.
Dail one of the following numbers on Niko's cell phone to call the indicated business or person:
Businesses
- Bean Machine Coffee: 555-0110
- Emergency Services: Dial "911" to summon the police, fire department, or an ambulance.
- Express Car Service: 555-2222
- Express Car Service: 555-3333
- Fire Proof Doors: 555-5700
- Hero Shop: 555-8575
- LCPD Recruitment: 555-RECRUIT
- Liberty Construction: 555-1274-73
- No Problemo Bail Bonds: 555-945-733-92
- Storage: 555-221-3877
- Superb Deli: 555-4674
- The Serrated Edge: 1-800-555-5555
- Used Auto Parts: 555-7300
- Vinewood Laundromat: 555-5123
- Zit Song Identifier: Dial "948-555-0100" if you hear a song you like on the radio, dial this number to get a text message with the name and artist of the song.
People
- Blackmailer from "Call And Collect" mission: 843-555-0124
- Drug dealer from "Lure" mission: 545-555-1022
- Roman Bellic: 718-926-7215
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.libertycitypolice.com" as a URL to go to the Liberty City Police Department website. Click the "Database" tab at the bottom of the home page to get information on all characters, including Niko and Roman.
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.littlelacysurprisepageant.com" as a URL to get an instant five star wanted level as a pedophile.
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter one of the following URLs to visit that site:
- limevenus.blogsnobs.org
- mail.eyefind.info
- pychakilla.blogsnobs.org
- www.americantravelguide.net
- www.antfarmcam.net
- www.area53site.com
- www.artthrob.org
- www.a-thousand-words.net
- www.autoeroticar.com
- www.babiesovernight.com
- www.beanmachinecoffee.com
- www.bigdog.blogsnobs.org
- www.blogsnobs.org
- www.bruciesexecutivelifestyleautos.com
- www.bulimialovers.com
- www.burgershot.net
- www.chiropracticovernight.com
- www.craplist.net
- www.darksoullock.blogsnobs.org
- www.designerslave.com
- www.domestobotlovers.com
- www.dragonbrainthemovie.com
- www.easterislandcoverup.com
- www.eatbiglogs.com
- www.eddielowfilthslayer.blogsnobs.org
- www.elchamucoroboto.com
- www.electrictit.com
- www.electronicwritingtablet.com
- www.erisfootware.com
- www.eugenicsincorporated.com
- www.eunux.net
- www.eyefind.info
- www.fantasyleaguebatswingers.com
- www.fefighter2008.blogsnobs.org
- www.fistfans.com
- www.flyhighpizzapie.com
- www.freejames.org
- www.friendswithoutfaces.net
- www.fruitcomputers.com
- www.gloryholethemepark.com
- www.goldberglignerandshyster.com
- www.golfloversonline.net
- www.grype.org
- www.hand-jobs-online.com
- www.happyfarmersupplies.com
- www.heritagenothate.org
- www.homecremation.com
- www.homeworkfriend.org
- www.hornyhighschoolreunions.com
- www.huganimals.com
- www.ilovetoblow.org
- www.inyapuper.blogsnobs.org
- www.krapea.com
- www.leftover-vacations.com
- www.liberatedwoman.blogsnobs.org
- www.libertycitypolice.com
- www.libertycityrealestate.net
- www.libertytreeonline.com
- www.liesdamnlies.net
- www.lipurgex.com
- www.littlelacysurprisepageant.com
- www.lootandwank.com
- www.love-meet.net
- www.loveyourmeat.com
- www.modderstotallyrule.com
- www.money2makemoney.com
- www.myonlineme.com
- www.myroomonline.net
- www.onlineradiorevolution.com
- www.our-own-reality.com
- www.outdatedtastes.com
- www.outsourceforamerica.com
- www.peepthatshit.com
- www.pinktorpedo.org
- www.piswasser.com
- www.pointclickshipabitch.com
- www.poker-in-the-rear.com
- www.publiclibertyonline.com
- www.redwoodcigarettes.com
- www.roidsforlittleboys.com
- www.rustybrownsringdonuts.com
- www.sh*tster.de
- www.sprunksoda.com
- www.stopshavingnow.net
- www.thebankofliberty.com
- www.tobaccofacts.net
- www.vipluxuryringtones.com
- www.weazelnews.com
- www.whattheydonotwantyoutoknow.com
- www.whymommygotfat.com
- www.yourmexicandoctor.com
- www.yournewbabysname.com
The following is a list of what can be seen when you turn on a television:
CNT
- CNT commercial
- Fear The Dark Finger movie commercial
- I'm Rich
- LCPD Recruitment - Join LCPD
- Patriot 500
- The History Of The Civil War And Beyond
Weazel
- John Hunter political commercial
- Republican Space Rangers cartoon
- Terror Marathon
- Venturas Poker Challenge
- VIG Insurance commercial
- Vinewood Cunts
- Weazel Wednesdays
Note: A PCJ600 or NRG900 is recommended for this trick. To drive faster, accelerate, and just as your bike is about to shift into third gear, tap the Left Analog-stick repeatedly about every second. Do not tap it too fast or you will lose rear tire grip. If done correctly, the engine will gradually get near to the end of its last gear. When it gets to the end of its last gear, the revs will jump to indicate that you are travelling at the bike's top speed.
Instead of running up a set stairs, try jumping up them to move faster.
If your fire truck catches on fire, use its water cannon to put out the flames and prevent it from exploding.
To avoid being interrupted during a mission by a friend or wanting to explore the city without getting a call for another mission, bring up the cell phone menu. Enter the "Options" menu, and turn "Sleep Mode" on.
Get in a police car, and turn on the sirens. Hold [Horn] to cycle through alternate siren sounds until released.
Steal a fire truck, then press [Fire] while driving around to shoot the super water cannon at people around you. You will get many funny reactions from the people that you shoot with it.
Steal a Blista Compact or another small sports car, and drive to the abandoned roller coaster in Broker on Firefly Island. Knock down the section of fence next to the road near the ticket booths. Drive onto the section of tracks that is almost level with the ground. Drive your car around the roller coaster. You may get stuck on the turns, but you can carefully squeeze by them with careful driving.
Invite a friend to hang out with you. Gently nudge him with your car, enough to knock him over but not enough to hurt him. After a few times, he will open the car door and throw you out.
If a friend gets run over by an NPC on the way to see you, you will only be able to get his voice mail. A few in-game days later he will call, asking to be picked up from the hospital.
When you see a cop on the sidewalk, you can push past him like any other pedestrian while walking. However, if you continue to push and pester a cop, even if you do not have a weapon or throw a punch, he will attempt to arrest you.
While in a car, hold [Accelerate] + [Brake] to do a burnout. If you keep doing this, the smoke will change color and eventually your tires will burst.
Gain some speed in a car, then hold [Handbrake] until you have completed a full 180. Just before you complete the 180, release [Handbrake] and hold [Brake], which will spin you the next 180 degrees. However, some vehicles cannot do this. Also, with some vehicles, holding [Brake] will spin you back the way you came while using the handbrake, resulting in back-to-back 180s.
Select the first lane (all the way to the left). Take two full steps to the left. Hold Right Analog-stick Down for about a half second, then press Right Analog-stick Up. Do not add any aftertouch to the throw.
Once you gain access to Happiness Island, find the Helicopter Tours, which is directly east of Happiness Island, and steal a helicopter. Fly to Happiness Island and over the Statue Of Happiness, then jump out of the helicopter at the statue's feet. You should land on the top-most tier of the statue, which is basically a square platform with a door in the center of each side. Run around the platform until you see a door with a plaque on either side of it that reads, "No Hidden Content Here". It may seem like you cannot go through the door, but you can -- it doesn't open, you simply walk through the door. You will find an empty room with a tall ladder inside. Climb it, and when you reach the top, look up to see a huge beating heart, held in place by chains.
You can date people from the in-game internet. When looking at their profile, click "Date". You will then have to wait a few in-game days for a negative or positive reply via email. If your date accepts, reply to their email, and meet them.
Go to a strip club, and reserve a lap dance. After the performance is done, she will ask if you want another, accept twice, and she will bring another girl into the room for a duet.
The tattoo on Brucie's breast means "I" in Chinese. The tattoo on his right forearm means "straightforward person". The tattoo on his left forearm means "unqualified". The tattoo on his waist actually means "shemale".
Lola is a prostitute in the game. She can be found near the docks. Search the Police Database for Lola del Rio, and it will tell you her location.
Throughout the game the radio, television, and internet talk about a serial killer. You can meet him in an alley close to the Auto Eroticar dealership in Alderney. When you get close to the alley, a circle called "friend" will appear. He will ask you for a ride. You can then hear all the crazy things he has to say.
While driving through southern Alderny soon after completing Garry's kidnapping missions, you my noticed a blip on the radar. Drive to the small house, and you will see the mob daughter who screams and calls for help. Her father and several gangsters will appear and attack you.
Steal a helicopter, and fly over the top of the prison. Land on the basketball courts to avoid getting a wanted level. After entering the prison, you can see prisoners talking with each other, eating on the benches, a crazy prisoner, and correctional officers on patrol.
Pink vibrators can be found all throughout Liberty City. A good place to look is in the warehouse where the final mission takes place. Search in the little bundles of trash on the ground on the inside of the warehouse. They can be found elsewhere, but this is a good place to look as it is also the starting location of Party mode.
There is a purple dildo sticking out of a pile of trash under the stairs by Salvatore's mansion.
There is a funny hospital poster in the north Alderney hospital on Long John avenue. You will go inside the hospital for a mission. On the left hand side when you walk in, read the sex poster. It may help if you use your camera or a sniper rifle to zoom in.
Zoom in on the magazine in Playboy X's penthouse coffee table. Brucie is on the cover of "Money Maker" magazine with the subtitle "How To Spend It Wisely".
While in a helicopter, preferably the Annihilator, enable a code to spawn a vehicle. The vehicle will either float in the air motionless, fall at high speeds, or hit your rotor and spin off.
Shoot out a police car's lights with a gun to make the siren malfunction.
Use the following trick to ride a motorcycle without Niko wearing a helmet. Tap Triangle at any point during the animation where Niko puts the helmet on, but before the helmet actually appears. Doing this cancels the animation, and Niko will not wear his helmet. If you wait too long and press that button after the helmet has appeared in Niko's hand, it will still cancel the animation, but the helmet will immediately appear on Niko's head.
Drive up to an intersection, and start honking your horn. Other vehicles will join in and honk as well. If you honk your horn near a police car, they will run their siren to honk with you.
While stopped in a vehicle in a large traffic jam, tap out the rhythm of the musical phrase "Shave and a haircut" with your horn. Another car in the traffic jam or pedestrian will answer it with the standard two beep "two bits" response.
Certain vehicles have funny notes on their license plates cover or border. For instance, the "Ruiner" 1980's Camaro clone has the saying "Ruining Imports Since '67".
On Lockowski Ave., there is a British man in the auto car dealership. If you bump into him he will shout things like "You wanker" and so forth.
At the bottom area of Broker is a beach. Continue to the edge nearest to Algonquin to see a pedestrian practicing karate.
Walk in the darkest parts of the subway, and you might find someone called "Ratman". When you get close to him, he will say said he is Ratman but will then run very fast down the subway. You will not be able to catch up with him.
Drive a large vehicle, such as an SUV, to Francis International Airport. Drive sideways under a moving plane so that the wheels are pushing into you. Sometimes you and the car will drop below the world. After a few seconds, you will respawn back on land with the vehicle gone.
Get to the part where you go into the subway about halfway through the mission "Your Shirt, Your Boots, Your Motorcycle". Stay to the left. When the subway car comes towards you, keep left, and try to get in-between the wall and the subway car. Doing this will drop you into "blue hell" for a few seconds before popping you back up.
Go to "Fishmarket South" (where you do one mission for Bernie). Find the Anchor statue near the sea. Go towards the water and over the little dock into the water. Swim to the right (south) until you see a wooden "pier" against the wall. It should have square gaps that you can hop through. Jump through the one to the far right (the first one you swim past), and move towards the wall. You will fall down into "blue hell".
Go to the north part of the map, just northwest of Butterfly Street in Bohan. Then, get down to the outskirts of the land, and walk towards the corner between the brick wall and the cliff. You can walk through the invisible wall. Lookup towards the city to see the city from below. You can also continue onwards and swim under the city.
Position Packie between the camera and Niko. Move until the camera is inside Packie, and look at the center of his head to find a box with skulls.
There are a total of 22 total random character missions. All except Jeff, Cherise, Ivan, and Clarence count towards 100% completion. There are six on the first island (three for Brian, and one each for Mel, Ilyena, and Badman), twelve on the second island (three for Jeff, two each for Marnie, Sara, and Pathos, and one each for Hossan, Clarence, and Cherise), and four on the third island (two for Eddie Low, and one each for Gracie and Ivan). Note: The missions for Ivan, Clarence, and Cherise are only available if you allow them to live during the storyline missions. The random characters only appear after the following missions:
- Brian: It's Your Call
- Badman: Shadow
- Mel: Escuela Of The Streets
- Ilyena: The Puerto Rican Connection
- Hossan: The Puerto Rican Connection
- Sara: The Puerto Rican Connection
- Pathos: The Puerto Rican Connection
- Jeff: Photo X
- Cherise: The Holland Play
- Marnie: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
- Eddie Low: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
- Ivan: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
- Gracie: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
- Clarence: Blood Brothers
The missions can be picked up at the following locations. If a person has multiple missions, you must wait at least one or two days before trying to find them again.
- Brian 1: Close to Roman's taxi cab stand
- Brian 2: Near Vlad's bar
- Brian 3: Middle left on the map, off Munsee Ave. and Dillon
- Badman: Top center of the map off Morris Dr
- Mel: Near Vlad's bar on Iroquois
- Ilyena: Firefly Island on the bottom of the map, near the park
- Hossan: Off Garnet St
- Sara 1: At night, near Hossan spot on Feldspar
- Sara 2: At night, near the Broker Bridge.
- Pathos 1: Middle of the map, off Burlesque and near Lorimar
- Pathos 2: Near the previous location, except off Manganese and Denver-Exeter
- Jeff 1: Near Bismarck and Uranium
- Jeff 2: Will call you on the phone near Bismarck and Topaz
- Jeff 3: Denver and Feldspar
- Cherise: Exeter and Wardite
- Marnie 1: Diamond and Liberty
- Marnie 2: Union Drive and Quartz
- Clarence: Astoria and Vauxit, near Jeff's first encounter
- Eddie Low 1: Between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. at Panhandle and Lockoqski
- Eddie Low 2: Between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. at Aspdin and Cockerell
- Ivan: Near Farnsworth and Fleming area
- Gracie: Near Babbage Dr
Bohan Dukes and Broker
Maxwell Caughlin
Crime: Gang Related Violence
Location: He is just one block north of the safehouse in Bohan. As you near him, he will pull out and drive away. Shoot him and his friend. Aim for the driver and the tires. If you cannot aim precisely, just keep shooting the car until they bail out.
Scott Guzowski
Crime: Gang Related Violence
Location: He and his gang are hiding out in Steinway, in the large park to the west. Go to the road east of them, then hop over the wall. There is a small wall down there that will give you cover. You can take all four of them out from there.
Antoinio Rivette
Crime: Racketeering
Location: He and his friends hide in the train station at South Slopes. Go there, and go up the stairs. He has three helpers with him. Be careful as it is very crowded.
Rodrigo Stavnes
Crime: Racketeering
Location: He and three friends are on foot. Look for the blip location, and go to the road west of it. The GPS will lead you to the one east of it. As you get close, they will run to the street here. Run them over or shoot them. They will go north and split up at the end of the street. Kill them before that happens to save time.
Fernando Tisdel
Crime: Human Trafficking
Location: He hides out in Hove Beach. He will come out in a car with three of his friends to the south of the blip. They will then make a run for it. Keep up with them. Try to kill the driver as that will get them to stop and get out, or just spray the car with bullets.
Tyler Pickrel
Crime: Human Trafficking
Location: He is in Meadows Park, to the northeast of the big circle. He will make a run for it when you are close, but on foot. Run him over or gun him down.
Preston Pecinovsky
Crime: Credit Card Fraud
Location: He hides out in the northeast of Bohan. Approach him from the east. You can then gun them all down or blow up their two cars with a rocket launcher. The rockets are expensive; only use them if they try to get away. You can usually just snipe them, even out of the car as they move. If they take off, steal a car, and follow and kill all of them.
Alonso Goralski
Crime: Burglary
Location: There are two people at the airport. When you approach, one is in a car. The other person stays near the gatehouse where the blip was. Hunt down the one in the car first, then return for the other person. Do not get too close to that second person because he has a shotgun.
Bert Reker
Crime: Drug Trafficking
Location: They hide out in a junkyard in Bobao. Approach it from the southeast. As you go down the road, stop and pull out a sniper rifle. From up here, you can kill a fair number of them. With their ranks thinned, go down, and take out the rest.
Freddy Paparo
Crime: Grand Theft Auto
Location: Freddy is north in a parking lot in Steinway close to the waterfront and to the west of the bridge going north. As you get closer, you will see Freddy and three friends pull out in a car. Shoot the car until it explodes or they bail out, then kill them all.
Algonquin
Shon Kikuchi
Crime: Gang Related Violence
Location: He is in North Holland, in the block across the northwest corner of Middle Park. As soon as you get close, he will make a run for it in a Banshee. At first, he is rather slow. Try to get close, and shoot him out of the driver's seat. If that does not work, he will speed up. Keep shooting his car until it breaks down so he goes on foot or it explodes.
Jimmy Kand
Crime: Gang Related Violence
Location: He is in the northern area of the X building in Northwood, the same one Dwayne is at. Enter it through the south, and use the stairs, just to the right and then around the corner to your left. On the first floor, you will notice that the red target icon changes from an up arrow to a circle. That means you are on the correct floor. Ignore everyone else, and shoot Jimmy in his room as he lays there passed out.
Simon Nashly
Crime: Racketeering
Location: He and his gang hide out in Fishmarket South in the building with the sign Pier 45 on it that looks like a "#" sign on the map. You will find them all over the different levels of this building, and they move around. Watch the radar closely to get their positions to find them all. Do not worry if cops show up as you can also kill them. Your wanted level goes away as soon as you kill the last of the gang.
Tommy Francovic
Crime: Racketeering
Location: As you approach him in Castle Garden City, he will take off on a bike driving north form his starting position. Ram him with your car, then drive over him or shoot him.
Barry Lamora
Crime: Human Trafficking
Location: He is standing with two friends on the northeast corner of the apartment building on the south area on Colony Island. Kill his friends while he runs away, then chase him down. He moves south towards the old hospital.
Lino Friddell
Crime: Hit and Run
Location: He and two of his friends are close to Middle Park. As you approach the blip, they will run to the east in the alley, then go north to an SUV parked there. If they make it, they drive off, and you have to chase them down. Two easy ways to kill them are to drive into that alley and run them over or drive to the alley in the north, and as they go for the SUV, and kill them. This also helps you block the SUV in case they do make it there.
Juan Haimo
Crime: Burglary
Location: He is found near the north end of Star Junction. When you get close, three bikes will take off from there to the east. Stand where they come out, and shoot them before they can get anywhere. Kill any that you can. If one makes off, chase him. Bump the bike to make him fall off, then drive over him or shoot him.
Darren Covey
Crime: Arms Dealing
Location: He hides with five of his friends in a parking garage in Purgatory. You can get up there over a ramp to the south. When you get the red targets, stop, and get out of the car. Take out your sniper rifle, and shoot the people from this distance. Stand east of the barrier. By doing this, they will most likely not have a chance to hit you. You can also use the RPG on one of the cars to kill them, but the sniper rifle is cheaper and almost as effective.
Leo Brodell
Crime: Drug Trafficking
Location: He is in a building just south of the three X buildings in East Holland. The entrance is on the north side, to the very east of the building. When you stand in front of it, the entrance is to the left and to the right is a blue banner on the buildings reading "Real Loose Clothing". The first one is just on the first landing. The second one is on the other side where the steps go up again. Exactly one level above that one is the third person. The next level is clear. Another person stands at the landing of the next level. Then, go up to the door leading to the roof. Shoot the door, and immediately to the right behind it is the next person. The last person hides on the roof, to the right around the corner and behind a small wall when you get out there.
Christov Mahonvic
Crime: Grand Theft Auto
Location: He is in a building in Fishmarket South, just north of the Broker Bridge near the waterfront, with a lot of garbage trucks parked to the south. One of the story missions also brings you to this exact building. All of them are hidden in there. Snipe them from the south when you get past the fence. Anything that is not reachable that way (for example, the person in the upper level just to the left when you enter) will need to be killed close up. The rest should be easy kills with the sniper rifle without you getting hit.
Alderney
Marty Boldenow
Crime: Gang Related Violence
Location: He is hiding out in Acter, north of the gun shop. Approach it from the south. He has an entire crew there helping him out. Kill them all, but be careful as they are equipped with assault rifles.
Noel Katsuda
Crime: Gang Related Violence
Location: He and his gang are in southwest Tudor. Approach it from the south and west. Throw a grenade over the wall, then go in and kill the rest. His gang has SMGs', so use cover here.
Rodney McEniry
Crime: Racketeering
Location: He and his crew are in a back alley in Berchem. Approach it from the south, and go into the alley to take him and his three friends down.
Glenn Lushbaugh
Crime: Human Trafficking
Location: He is in Alderney City, just south of the highway across from the Auto Erotica. As you get close, he will pull out of an alley and drive off. Chase him, and shoot his car until it is destroyed.
Phil Bacerra
Crime: Hit and Run
Location: He is close to the Booth tunnel, just to the southwest of it near the marina. You will see two trucks there. Each has two men in them. You must kill all four to complete this task.
Sergi Szerbin
Crime: Burglary
Location: He is hiding next to the Pay And Spray in the north. Drive to the first street to the south of the one in front of the shop. You can use a rocket launcher to blow up the car in front, doing a lot of damage to them. However, this is very expensive with little pay off. Instead, use the sniper rifle, and kill what you can from here. They will not come at you. Get closer, and kill those still hiding. You can do this easily without a single shot hitting you.
Danny Hatmaker
Crime: Arms Dealing
Location: He hides out at the port area in Normandy. These people also stay in place, around the large tanks close by. Watch the map to see targets that are above you, but most are on ground level. The last two hide between the containers to the southwest.
Mervin Eskuchen
Crime: Drug Trafficking
Location: He sits with his friends in two Patriots to the west of the TW@ Internet Cafe. Approach them from the north using the street just east of the blip. When you get the red targets, get out of the car with an assault or carbine, and target the men in the cars. You should be able to kill at least one of them by doing this. They often also stop, and you can easy pick all four off the streets. If they get moving, get in your car again, and hunt them down. They drive very close around the blocks all the time. You can also try to wait at a corner and blow them up with a rocket launcher, but that is unnecessary expensive.
Frederick Harrison
Crime: Grand Theft Auto
Location: He and his friends hide in Tudor, near the old bridge. One of the men is to the south under the bridge itself. The rest all hide up on the bridge. As you go up, check behind you. They like to shoot you in the back. Use your sniper rifle when you can see them from afar.
Keenan Burdett
Crime: Armed Robbery
Location: He and a lot of his gang are hiding out in a multi-storey car park in Leftwood, slightly to the north from the Pay And Spray. Go to the southwest corner here, and enter through the door in the south wall. In here is a Sprunk soda machine. If you need some health while doing this, it will help. Go through the next door to the north. Follow the ramps just slightly to your right. Go up the levels. There are a few hiding behind pillars here, but the main force is on the roof. As you go up, use your sniper rifle to kill them. The last of them make a stand in the northeast corner. Remember the Sprunk machine at the entrance to refill your health if needed.
The following vehicles can be found in the game:
Cars
- Admiral
- Albany
- Banshee
- Blista Compact
- Blista
- Bucanneer
- Chavos
- Cognoscenti
- Comet
- Coquette
- DF8-90
- Dilettante
- Dukes
- Emperor
- Esperanto
- Faction
- Feltzer
- Feroci
- Fortune
- Futo
- Infernus
- Intruder
- Lokus
- Manana
- Marbelle
- Merit
- Oracle
- PMP 600
- Phantom
- Premier
- Presidente
- Primo
- Roman's Taxi
- Romero
- Ruiner
- Sabre GT
- Sabre
- Schafter
- Sentinel
- Stallion
- Stratum
- Sultan
- Sultan RS
- Super GT
- Turismo
- Uranus
- Vigero
- Vincent
- Virgo
- Voodoo
- Washington
- Willard
SUVs, vans, and trucks
- Biff
- Bobcat
- Boxville
- Cavalcade
- Cavalcade FXT
- Contender
- Flatbed
- Habanero
- Huntley Sport
- Landstalker
- Minivan
- Mr. Tasty
- Moonbeam
- Noose Patriot
- Packer
- Patriot
- Perennial
- Rancher
- Rebla
- Ripley
- Securicar
- Speedo
- Steed
Commercial and emergency vehicles
- Ambulance
- Brute
- Bus
- Cabbie
- Enforcer
- FIB Buffalo
- Firetruck
- Forklift
- Police Cruiser
- Police Patrol
- Police Stockade
- Predator
- Sky Tram
- Subway Tram
- SWAT Van
- Taxi
- Trashmaster
Motorcycles
- Faggio
- Freeway
- Hellfury
- NRG 900
- PCJ 600
- Sanchez
- Zombie
Boats
- Dinghy
- Jetmax
- Marquis
- Tropic
Aircraft
- Annihilator
- Helitours Maverick
- Maverick
- Alderney: Westdyke Hospital and North Tudor Hospital Center
- Algonquin: Holland Hospital Center, Cerveza Heights Medical Center, and Easton Medical Center
- Bohan: Bohan Medical & Dental Center
- Broker: Schottler Medical Center
- Bell Tower Apartments
- Goering Hotels
- Grand Northumbrian
- Hotel Underbrucker
- Opium Nights
- Pythagoras Apartments
- The Abattoir Apartments
- The Big House
- The Celtica
- The Libertine :The Emissary
- The Majestic
- The Matterhorn
- The Nicoise
Alderney
- Alderney City
- Alderney State Correctional Facility
- Acter
- Acter Industrial Park
- Berchem
- Leftwood
- Normandy
- Port Tudor
- Tudor
- Westdyke
Algonquin
- Castle Garden City
- Castle Gardens
- Chinatown
- City Hall
- Easton
- Fishmarket North
- Fishmarket South
- Hatton Gardens
- East Holland
- Lancaster
- Lancet
- Little Italy
- Lower Easton
- Middle Park
- Middle Park East
- Middle Part West
- North Holland
- Northwood
- Presidents City
- Purgatory
- Star Junction
- Suffolk
- The Exchange
- The Meat Quarter
- The Triangle
- Varsity Heights
- Westminster
Bohan
- Boulevard
- Chase Point
- Fortside
- Industrial
- Little Bay
- Northern Gardens
- South Bohan
Broker
- Beachgate
- Downtown
- East Hook
- Firefly Island
- Firefly Projects
- Hove Beach
- Outlook
- Rotterdam Hill
- Schottler
- South Slopes
Dukes
- Beachwood City
- Boabo
- Cerveza Hights
- East Island City
- Francis Internal Airport
- Meadow Hills
- Meadows Park
- Steinway
- Willis
Islands
- Charge Island
- Colony Island
- Happiness Island
In the mission "Do You Have Protection", when you enter the building with three men, look at the television they were watching. It will show the porn movie the men were watching.
As you are going up the stairs to chase Clarence, you will see a green health kit. Do not take it. Continue chasing Clarence, and follow the advice of McCleary about not using your weapon until you are on the second floor; otherwise, Clarence will just get into a vehicle and leave. If you wait until you are on the second floor, he will climb to the roof. After you have chosen Clarence's fate, you will instantly get a three star wanted level regardless of what you selected. You must battle your way out. Since you are going down, you have a distinct disadvantage in cover and will take lots of damage. To give yourself an advantage, park a fast car on the street near the opening in the gate at the start of the mission. Do not pull up to the gate. Use the stairs to your right to give chase. Once you have gotten to the roof and chosen his fate, descend to the level with the first aid kit (green box). Since you left it there on your way up, you will know what level you are on and can power up. Go to the side of the building where your car is parked, and jump over the railing. You will not lose much health when you land. Sprint to your car, and get away from the cops. If done correctly, you should not take a single bullet from police. The health pack is a requirement to survive the fall.
In ranked online Multiplayer mode, either reach rank 2 or kill a Rockstar employee. Bring up the cellphone menu, select "Multiplayer", then scroll down to "Player model", and select it. Press L1 to access a costume that turns you into a zombie wearing only Rockstar underwear. While in the costume, press L1 to make sounds.
You can find a secret car in Party, Free For All, Story Line, Bomb da Base II, Cops 'n Crooks, Car Jack City, Mafiya Work, and Deathmatch modes.
Reach rank 1 in all events to unlock all clothes and items. Then, use the following options to create Lara Croft:
- Gender: Female
- Hair: 2/5
- Head: 3/4
- Torso: 4/4
- Legs: 6/6
- Glasses: 1/2
- Hats: None
- Cherry Popper
Look at the side of an ice cream van. It reads "Cherry Popper".
- Jizz!
Inside the laundromat, the detergent being used and prominently displayed above the back washing machine is "Jizz! Big Washing Power", an obvious attempt at crude humor.
- The Brown Note
Near Faustin's house is a reference to a legendary musical note. When you are in the area, proceed to the dead end about a block away towards the water. Hop over the fence on your left while facing the water, and a man should be sitting on a bench reading a book titled "The Brown Note". Musician's joke that this is a note that when played causes bowel movements by the person playing it.
- Bowling alley logo
During the bowling date with Michelle, when you enter the bowling alley, notice the neon bowling alley sign. Look closely to see that it resembles male genitalia.
- Cop names
During the intermission sequence for the "I'll Get Her" mission, look closely behind Gerry Mcreary. There is a whiteboard for shift changes for the prison guards. Some of their names are Phil McCrevis (feel my crevice) and Richard Head (dick head).
- 300
Reach the part of the game where Niko and Roman have a safehouse in South Bohan. In the house on the left of the table near the television is a pile of books. The middle purple book in a stack of three is titled "Madness & Blasphemy: The Do's and Dont's". This is an reference to the movie 300 where in the "This is Sparta!" scene, the lines "This is blasphemy! This is madness!" are spoken.
- Le Fin Absolue Du Monde
This film is referenced in the city and in the in-game internet. Go by Frankfort Ave. in Algonquin to find a poster of a movie called "The Flying Whore". That poster is a reference to Le Fin Absolue Du Monde, the fake deadly-film featured in the short movie Cigarette Burns by John Carpenter in the Masters Of Horror series on TV. To see a funny review of that movie, search for it at the online cultural magazine of Liberty City through the in-game internet.
- Point Break
In Packie's "Three Leaf Clover" mission, while Michael is watching the hostages, one of the men on the floor turns to a man next to him and tells him that he is a member of a gun club and when the time is right they will fight back. When Michael is distracted, the man stands up, shoots Michael, then in turn is killed by Packie and his brother. This is a reference to the bank heist in the movie Point Break.
- Reservoir Dogs
When shooting at cops, you will sometimes hear them yell "I'm going to be OK!", just like Mr. Orange in Reservoir Dogs. -From: Dom Scarpa
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The mission "I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots, And Your Motorcycle" is a reference to the line spoken by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
- The Big Lebowski
While you are bowling, you can hear random conversations in the background. If you listen closely, you can occasionally hear someone order a White Russian, The Dude's favorite drink from the movie The Big Lebowski. The Dude was an avid bowler, and several scenes from the movie take place in a bowling alley.
- The Revenger's Tragedy
The final mission, "A Revenger's Tragedy", is a reference to the play and movie based on the play titled The Revenger's Tragedy.
- To Live And Die In L.A.
The mission "To Live And Die in Alderney" is a reference to the movie To Live And Die In L.A.
- Versus
The numbers on blue armored prison transport truck are KSC-303, which is a reference to the main character of the Japanese film Versus, who is known as Prisoner KSC2-303.
- Weekend At Bernie's
The mission "Weekend At Florian's" is a reference to the film Weekend At Bernie's.
- Banksy
You can find street art in the style of Banksy, a British street artist, at various locations in the city.
- Chuck Norris
Go to any Cluckin' Bell to find a plastic covering with a man in a chicken suit inside of it. Read the label. It says free "Cluck Norris" toy with every meal.
- Kat Williams
Go to the Split Sides comedy club in Algonquin. You will find Kat Williams doing some sketches from American Hustle.
When listing to WKTT, you can hear Kat Williams being interviewed about injustice in Liberty City.
- Ricky Gervais
Take a friend such as Packie or Little Jacob to the Split Sides comedy club near the Star Junction area in Algonquin to see a virtual stand up routine featuring Ricky Gervais.
- Spider-Man
Sometimes when you walk past a pedestrian they will say "Looks it's your friendly neighbor..., oh no never mind."
- Daz
In any of the launderettes, you will be able to see an advertisement for the washing powder "FUD", which is a parody of "Daz", which is a laundry powder in England.
- Bully
Jimmy from Bully can be found walking outside the Hove Beach railway station at certain times.
Go into any of Niko's safehouses, and watch the television show "I'm Rich". Every so often a blonde girl's story will start, explaining her life. It says what school she went to as a child, which happens to be Bullworth Academy from the Rockstar game Bully.
When Niko hands his CV into the lawyers, it states he attended Bullworth University in England. The Bully game was set in Bullworth Academy in New England.
At the end of the opening sequence for Elizabeth's second mission, you can see Jimmy Hopkins, the protagonist from the game Bully, dancing in the back.
- Grand Theft Auto 3
In the first mission, when you give Roman a ride to a betting shop, on the other side of the road is a shop called "Mr. Wong's", which is reference to Mr. Wong in Grand Theft Auto 3. Also, there are Furgons in the city.
Salvatore's run-down mansion can be found in Alderney, near Beaverhead Ave. and Cassiar Ave.
Across the road from the Bank Of Liberty is a building with some artwork of El Burro, D-Ice and 8-Ball from Grand Theft Auto 3 and the GTA 3 box art, all mixed in with some generic graffiti.
Once you are free to go anywhere, on the first island, go to the map to see an 8-ball logo. When you go there, it is a bar called 8-Ball, an obvious reference to 8-Ball from Grand Theft Auto 3.
Go to Brucie's auto shop. Then, go south down the road. Just before the turn, you can find a wooden Belly-Up fish crate on the sidewalk. Belly-Up Fish was one of the Triad controlled businesses in Grand Theft Auto 3.
In the "Portrait Of A Killer" mission, look opposite of all the gang members you have to kill, at the wall on the big house with three fire stairs on it. You can see an image of a woman holding a gun. She can also be found on the cover art from Grand Theft Auto 3.
On the last island is a destroyed boat and factory. In Grand Theft Auto 3, you destroyed a drug boat for the mob. The boat is at the very top part of the island.
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Some of the ringtones you can choose for the more "modern" phones are actually songs from GTA: Liberty City Stories.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
After you have access to the Bohan apartment, look on the floor next to the table using a sniper rifle. You will see some albums, one of which is by Og Loc. Og Loc was a character from GTA: San Andreas.
Watch the Weazel and CNT channels on the television at your hideout. You will see various locations from San Andreas.
The "www.freejames.org" and "www.area53site.com" websites allude to James Pedeaston and Marvin Trill, DJs on WCTR in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. James has been arrested and has a charity set up for his legal funds (with only $23 in it), and Marvin Trill has shut down his show to protect his research.
While watching television in a safehouse, a commercial featuring a NASCAR-like racing event will appear. All of the clips showing the racing are shot from GTA: San Andreas at the airport in Los Santos, using a Hotring Racer.
While watching television in a safehouse, flip through the channels until the "I'm Rich" show is on. After it ends, another episode of it will return, but is not the same episode. Watch through it. At one point you will hear the narrator say "Your life will be as exciting as a soda commercial". At that point, you can see CJ briefly in a multicolored suit freefalling above San Andreas.
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.whattheydonotwantyoutoknow.com" as a URL. Go to the thread titled "Health is a gift from space. Worship the Worm". You will see a response from "The Truth", or his online username "Trooth".
Exit your safehouse on Broker, and go to your right down the street. When you get to the intersection, turn right. The second shop is called the "Hot Coffee Shop". This a reference to the "Hot Coffee" mod from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
After your first date with Michelle, try to take it further when dropping her off at home. If you fail, Niko will ask if he can come in for some coffee, and she will reply that he would need $2 million for it, referring to the legal settlement for the "Hot Coffee" incident arising from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Go on a date with Carmen. She might talk about how she hates living in Bohan and wanted to live in Algonquin. She will then say how Algonquin was too expensive, and says that she would like to live in Los Santos.
Go behind the Memory Lanes bowling alley on Firefly Island, and explore the golf course. Walk around until you see a chicken. It is a miniature version of the giant Feed Seed chicken located in the desert in Las Venturas. You can also find a wind turbine from the game.
When you are in Playboy X's mansion, look under the television to find a blurry Madd Dogg album.
In Algonquin near Star Junction is a billboard with "Prolaps" on it. Prolaps was a clothing shop in GTA: San Andreas.
The porno shop found in San Andreas also appears in Liberty City. It is at Star Junction near the corner of Lorimar St. and Denver-Exeter Ave., almost directly in the middle of Algonquin in a very bright area.
There is a bar called the "Vinewood Bar & Grill".
Behind Funland are the Hippo garbage cans from GTA: San Andreas.
On Applewhite St. there is a sign that reads "Visit Las Venturas, $200".
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Go behind the Memory Lanes bowling alley on Firefly Island, and explore the golf course. Some of the attractions are actually small models of familiar landmarks from previous games. You can find the Ocean View Hotel from GTA: Vice City.
Across the road from the Bank Of Liberty is a building with some artwork of a motorbike from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City mixed in with some generic graffiti.
The "Pager" ringtone is the same as the Rockstar theme used in the introduction sequence in GTA: Vice City.
When you enter any of the bars, you can see postcards of Vice City.
- Grand Theft Auto series
After you kill the drug dealers in the "Shadow" mission for Little Jacob, leave the room, and go back the way you came. On the wall just before you go down the stairs, you will see graffiti which has the name of every previous Grand Theft Auto protagonist on the wall; Claude from Grand Theft Auto 3, Tommy from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Carl from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Tony Cipriani from Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, and Victor Vance from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. The text says things like "Victor - never forget you / always remember you bro", "RIP Claude", "RIP Toni", "remember Tommy - u r still my hero", "Carl I love you RIP everyone miss you", "RIP Vic".
Got to the museum in Algonquin. In front of the museum you will find drawings of characters from previous Grand Theft Auto series games.
- Halo
While watching television in a safehouse, flip through the channels until you find the cartoon show called "Republican Space Rangers". The design of their spacesuits resemble Master Chief's suit from Halo.
- Red Dead Revolver
Watch the Weazel and CNT channels on the television in a safehouse. You will see a commercial that uses scenes from Red Dead Revolver, which is another Rockstar game.
- Rockstar Games
On Vauxite St. there is a storefront called "Rock Star Music and Video" that alludes to Rockstar Games.
- World Of Warcraft
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.myonlineme.com" or "www.myonlineme.net" as a URL to see a parody of World Of Warcraft. "myonlineme" is shortened to MOM which is WOW (World Of Warcraft) upside down.
- Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines
There is "NURB RENDA" graffiti in Dwayne's building. This is a reference to the NURB rendering that has replaced standard polygons and is commonly used in newer video games. NURBS (or Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) are mathematical representations of 3-D geometry that can accurately describe any shape.
- Apple computers
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.fruitcomputers.com" as a URL to see a parody of Apple computer products, including the iFruit Phone.
- Craigslist
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.craplist.net" as a URL to find a full Craigslist.com parody, complete with missed connections, personals, jobs, and housing.
- Linux
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.eunux.net" as a URL to view a Linux parody site.
- MySpace
Go to a TW@ Internet Cafe, log into a computer, and enter "www.myroomonline.net" as a URL.
Successfully complete one of the following tasks to get a trophy:
- Off The Boat (Bronze): You have completed the first mission.
- One Hundred And Eighty (Bronze): You scored 180 with 3 darts.
- Pool Shark (Bronze): You beat a friend at pool.
- King of QUB3D (Bronze): You beat the high score in QUB3D.
- Finish Him (Bronze): You completed 10 melee counters in 4 minutes.
- Genetically Superior (Bronze): You came first in 20 singleplayer street races.
- Wheelie Rider (Bronze): You completed a 500 foot wheelie on a motorbike.
- Gobble Gobble (Bronze): You got a turkey in 10-pin bowling.
- Rolled Over (Bronze): You managed 5 car rolls in a row from one crash.
- Walk Free (Bronze): You successfully lost a 4 star wanted rating.
- Courier Service (Bronze): You completed all 10 package delivery jobs.
- Chain Reaction (Bronze): You exploded 10 vehicles in 10 seconds.
- Order Fulfilled (Bronze): You completed all 10 Exotic Export orders.
- Manhunt (Bronze): You completed the most wanted side mission.
- Cleaned The Mean Streets (Bronze): You caught 20 criminals through the police computer.
- It'll Cost Ya (Bronze): You made a taxi trip from one island to another without skipping.
- Sightseer (Bronze): You have taken all variations of the helicopter tours of Liberty City.
- Warm Coffee (Bronze): You were invited into your girlfriend's house.
- Half Million (Bronze): You have amassed a fortune of $500,000.
- Full Exploration (Bronze): You unlocked all the islands.
- You Got The Message (Bronze): You delivered all 30 cars ordered through text message.
- Assassin's Greed (Bronze): You completed all 9 assassin missions.
- Under The Radar (Bronze): You flew under all the main bridges in the game.
- Teamplayer (Bronze): You killed 5 opposing team members.
- Cut Your Teeth (Bronze): You were successfully promoted up a rank in multiplayer.
- Join The Midnight Club (Bronze): You won a multiplayer race without damaging your vehicle too much.
- Fly The Co-op (Bronze): You completed "Deal Breaker", "Hangman's NOOSE" and "Bomb da Base II" in time.
- Taking It For The Team (Bronze): You were on the winning team in all multiplayer team games.
- Top Of The Food Chain (Bronze): You successfully killed 20 players with a pistol in a deathmatch.
- Top The Midnight Club (Bronze): You won 20 different multiplayer standard races.
- Auf Wiedersehen Petrovic (Bronze): You won in all variations of multiplayer games.
- Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie (Bronze): You killed a Rockstar in multiplayer.
- One Man Army (Silver): You survived a 6 star wanted level for a full 5 minutes.
- Dare Devil (Silver): You completed all the unique stunt jumps.
- Endangered Species (Silver): You collected every hidden package in the game.
- Liberty City (5) (Silver): Your friends all like you above 90%.
- Liberty City Minute (Gold): You finished the story in less than 30 hours.
- Key To The City (Gold): You completed GTA IV to 100%.
- Wanted (Gold): You achieved the highest personal rank possible in multiplayer.
Additionally, there are twelve secret trophies:
- Driving Mr. Bellic (Bronze): You unlocked the special ability of Roman's taxi.
- Retail Therapy (Bronze): You unlocked the special ability of buying guns from Little Jacob.
- Lowest Point (Bronze): You completed the mission "Roman's Sorrow".
- Fed The Fish (Bronze): You completed the mission "Uncle Vlad".
- That's How We Roll! (Bronze): You unlocked the special ability of Brucie's helicopter ride.
- Impossible Trinity (Bronze): You completed the mission "Museum Piece".
- Dial B For Bomb (Bronze): You unlocked the special ability of Packie's car bomb placement.
- Gracefully Taken (Bronze): You completed the mission "I'll Take Her".
- No More Strangers (Bronze): You've met all the random characters.
- That Special Someone (Bronze): You completed the mission "That Special Someone".
- You Won! (Bronze): You have completed the story.
- Taking A Liberty (Bronze): Sorry for taking liberties with your time
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