Grand Theft Auto IV - Measuring My Geekness

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

So, Ive never really played the whole GTA series (except Vice City on my PSP and that only lasted about a day). I see Futureshop has a bundle where you get SA, VC and GTA 3 (PC) all in one pack for $40. Seems like an ok deal I guess. If I load all that up tonight any recommendations on which game to start with?

GTA III would probably be a little dated now, and it doesn't have things like motorcycles. But I play it once in a while because it was just innovative and had some pretty cool missions (sniping bad guys while your buddy runs through them with a bomb to plant on a floating drug factory). The main character is the typical man with no name who doesn't say a thing, and you actually don't learn his name until he pops up in GTA San Andreas. You can fly a plane in GTA III but its impossible to control.

Vice City was probably one of the best games in the series, but it had some insanely impossible missions like using a remote control toy helicopter to plant bombs in a building. The setting really sets it apart as it takes place in the 80's, and the main character that you play is a non redeemable psychopath. Again you run into characters that show up in San Andreas.

In terms of sheer scope and story line San Andreas is the best of the bunch, its a massive game world with three cities plus a bunch of little towns that you can explore. This game is all about character development, as your character is a common street thug who hates drugs and has a good heart. The voice acting is amazing and features the late Chris Penn and Sam Jackson and an awesome James Woods as a shadowy CIA agent. There are some exceedingly tough missions but non that aren't beatable the first time around, its the sheer number of missions that makes SA a great value.

If I was going to play them again, I would do what I'm doing now, I played San Andreas first, then I'll play Vice City then GTA III for fun.

[LChoy]

Agreed
SA was the first GTA serties I completed 100%
They added a lot of new things for the frist time, girl friends, planes, vehicle schools, martial arts. Some of those aren't found in 4 anymore.


SPOILER (maybe):

<haha, Niko finally tracked down Florian Cravic last night. He wasn't what I expected >

[Flames_Gimp]

I was having fun with the in car view and slowly crushing peds into buildings hahaha just for a laugh with my friends. Man is it sick hahahaha

[Russic]

Originally Posted by HelloHockeyFans

Thanks dude... I have the PS3 but I'm sure it works in a similar way

Yes it is similar. waypoints are very necessary, especially when you start dealing with the overpasses that seem to form 3 level cloverleafs from the highways. the gps will show you the direction in very useful ways!

[KevanGuy]

Today I picked up the trilogy I mentioned. I decided to start with GTAIII, then do Vice, then SA. Pretty happy with it so far, it will be interesting to play through the progression of the games.

[Rhettzky]

Sweet! Vice city is my personal favorite, probably because I'm a big fan of scarface though.

Also, you might want to take some time off between games because you can get pretty overloaded with the GTA formula by the time San Andreas rolls around. It is a pretty basic... cut scene, run/fly/drive somewhere, kill a guy/bunch of guys/lawyer, repeat... Also, it's easy to get sidetracked in San Andreas because the map is so freaking huge. It seems like you drive forever to get somewhere, then hit a cop car, then run from the cops, then get frustrated and kill a bunch of innocent people because you crashed your damn car in the middle of the freaking desert and there isn't another car anywhere to be found and you have to walk all the way back into town.

[Russic]

I'd just like to say that the cheating system in gtaiv is phenomenal. I wouldn't recommend it for 360 users who want to get 100%, but if you've finished the game and just want to tool around cheating is a must. Last night I spawned a helicopter just to get over a really tall fence.

Vice city is up there with me too, but more due to the soundtrack then anything else. That and property owning is just about the best thing the series ever did imo.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Originally Posted by Russic

Yes it is similar. waypoints are very necessary, especially when you start dealing with the overpasses that seem to form 3 level cloverleafs from the highways. the gps will show you the direction in very useful ways!

The waypoint thing has helped tons... thanks dude!

[LChoy]

Waypoints definitely improved over SA
I only recently discovered you can zoom with regular weapons by pressing right stick...

[Russic]

Originally Posted by lchoy

Waypoints definitely improved over SA
I only recently discovered you can zoom with regular weapons by pressing right stick...

what!?

[LChoy]

Originally Posted by Russic

what!?

The waypoint? SA was only a dot on your map. Now you get drawn line that auto-recalculates to your destination.

The zooming? Well you have normal free aim by half holding left trigger, do that and hit right stick, and you'll have a further zoom (at least with assault rifles). Auto-lock + zoom works too (again only did it with M-16)

I also learnt that you can't out swim a police boat, as one ran me over

[Russic]

sorry, I should have bolded your statement. It was the zooming of weapons that astounded me. Played through the whole game without even knowing that!

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by lchoy

The zooming? Well you have normal free aim by half holding left trigger, do that and hit right stick, and you'll have a further zoom (at least with assault rifles). Auto-lock + zoom works too (again only did it with M-16)

It works with pistols and SMG's too, just not as close up of a zoom as with the M-16.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

I'm at 85% finished and have only a few complaints.

Some of the stunt jumps are ######ed. I have no idea how you're supposed to build enough speed to do it "good enough" to count. Like ones on the tops of parkades or around corners.

200 friggin' pigeons? Did they really need to make so many? And some of them are impossible to find if you're not using some kind of cheat sheet.

Finally, why do cars even have hoods? It seems if I go just over a curb too fast my hood comes flying off.

[Ro]

Has anyone successfully completed the "Blow Up 10 Cars in 10 Seconds" achievement?

I swear, I've done this 3 or 4 times and no achievement. One time I counted 15 torched cars before the second hand on my watch reached the :10 mark, and no dice.

And that is after a dozen or so attempts. You can only steal so many cars and then park them side by side before they disappear or the cops decide they want in on the fun.

Any advice? Locations? Cheats/no cheats?

[Flames89]

Originally Posted by Ro

Has anyone successfully completed the "Blow Up 10 Cars in 10 Seconds" achievement?

Try this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmyvN6QMphM

Or read here:
http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/gen...topic=43247081

[Russic]

Originally Posted by PowerPlayoffs06

I'm at 85% finished and have only a few complaints.

Some of the stunt jumps are ######ed. I have no idea how you're supposed to build enough speed to do it "good enough" to count. Like ones on the tops of parkades or around corners.

200 friggin' pigeons? Did they really need to make so many? And some of them are impossible to find if you're not using some kind of cheat sheet.

Finally, why do cars even have hoods? It seems if I go just over a curb too fast my hood comes flying off.

For the stunt jumps I don't know that you need much speed at all. As long as it goes to the slo-mo view you're technically doing the stunt jump. All you have to do is land on your wheels to complete it. Personally I find the bikes to be the best ways to do them because their the easiest to level.

Agreed with the pigeons. Way too many in my opinion (and I'm using a map with the pigeons on it). I might just use a helicopter with a machine gun on it. Find a little red glow and light it up.

Never noticed the hoods but I guess you're right, they do come off a little easy. Can't say it really has ever bothered me though.

[metallicat]

Spoilers:

What did you guys think of the mission where you have to break the guy out of police custody in the tunnel? I thought the concept was really cool, but it took me forever to out-run the police in that slow transport vehicle. Is there an easy way to get rid of wanted stars? Past versions of GTA used to have things to collect to reduce the number of stars...

[peter12]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

Spoilers:

What did you guys think of the mission where you have to break the guy out of police custody in the tunnel? I thought the concept was really cool, but it took me forever to out-run the police in that slow transport vehicle. Is there an easy way to get rid of wanted stars? Past versions of GTA used to have things to collect to reduce the number of stars...

Grenades...

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by peter12

Grenades...

You mean dropping them out of your vehicle? I actually tried that, only had one left, and couldn't remember how to release it anyway. How do you get more? I don't think you can buy them at the firearms shops can you?