Well, having braved cops, thugs, mobsters, bombings, hit men, angry citizens, and an assortment of other colorful characters in Grand Theft Auto IV, I have gained wisdom from the school of hard knocks and have made a list of things that may make your trip through Liberty City more productive and fun.
I had a blast playing the game and these are the little tidbits of knowledge that I acquired while dying needlessly or playing through a level a bizilion times because I didn’t think through what I needed to do.
Look Both Ways Before You Cross the Street
It’s such a simple rule and something that we all have been taught since childhood. But in GTA IV, you get the feeling that you’re invincible… until a car slams into you while you’re running across the street. I know you’re a heavy dude and all, but you still have to look both ways before crossing the street.
Hey Taxi! You Gonna Stop Man?!
A lot has been said about having to drive all over town in order to go to your mission locations plus the pain and tediousness of doing it. One way to avoid this, unless you like to drive across town, is to just hail a taxi. Select your destination, hit the button to skip the real-time ride, and voila, you are there. It’s almost better than a transporter on Star Trek.
Go to a Weapons Shop If You’re Running Low on Ammo During a Mission
On some missions, you can actually leave the scene to go to another part of town. If you can get away without getting killed, you can go to the nearest weapons shop and reload on all your ammo and return to where you left off in the mission. The baddies won’t respawn, so you’ll have a leg up when you continue your mission.
Ditch the Cops Easier
So you decided to shoot a few cops during your mission, and now you’ve got at least a three-star alarm on you. One way to lose the cops more effectively is to avoid driving in straight-line patterns. If you keep making turns and drive in a broken pattern, you can end the pursuit faster.
Always Buy the Body Armor
At a certain point in the game, the body armor will be made available to you at the weapons shop. The body armor effectively shields you from damage and paying the extra $500 in cash is well worth the extra protection. Don’t leave home without it.
Use the Waypoints Feature on the Maps
Going to the menu and selecting a waypoint on the map will help you get around Liberty City easier. Just click on where you want to go and a route is highlighted for you to follow. This is also pretty effective when you want a taxi to go to a specific place.
Watch TV for a Break
You’re a busy criminal and you need to take it easy sometimes. Why not sit on the old couch and enjoy a few shows? In your safehouses and different locations in Liberty City, you can watch poker games, reality TV, movies, and cartoons. Some of the stuff is really funny, like Republican Space Rangers, so make sure you don’t miss out.
[Creighton DeSimone]
