Tips to Help Avoid Frustraton with GTA IV

Ok, so you’ve been reading the hype and GTA is supposedly the best game of all time now. IGN, 1UP and Gamespot have given their highest marks possible. You’ve been waiting for this game for months…maybe even years. Then, you get home from the store, pop it in, and the excitement reaches climax as the opening scene sets the tone for what will be an awesome story filled with interesting and dynamic characters. Great. Everything is going well.

Then, you start to play the game. You hop in a car, and instantly speed headlong into a dump trunk and are ejected through the front windshield. Or, you embark on a mission to take out some thugs, only to find that you are gunned down by a bunch of posers. Hmm. Next, you have to track down a guy on a motorcycle through 20 city blocks, and he loses you ever time. After failing to catch him 9 times in a row, your controller seems like it would be more fun to use as a mallet to smash your console to bits. Point is, for the uninitiated, GTA IV can be tough. However, there are some tips that can help make your trip through Liberty City a peaceful one, if you considering committing multiple homicides peaceful. Maybe not, but it’s more rewarding than receiving a text message asking to “try again” or ending up busted and losing all your guns.

Here are some tips to help you succeed on the mean streets of Liberty City:

1. Invest in body armor.
Yes, in the early going it costs a lot at $500. However, it won’t be long before you are rolling in cash and that $500 will not be an issue. It essentially doubles your hitpoints and greatly increases your chances of managing any task set for Niko. It’s always nice to be able to survive a shotgun blast to the face.

2. Use the cover system.
New to GTA, the cover system works very much like Gears of War. As you progress though GTA, you’ll find Niko is faced with increasingly more thugs and bad guys toting increasingly punishing weaponry. Don’t be afraid to hide behind objects and take them out methodically. It’s better than charging in, getting pwned and having to do the whole thing over again.

3. Try driving using the first person camera mode.
Let’s face it, the cars in GTA handle like shopping carts. And not those fancy ones you see bums and transients fighting for in the streets. While some of the higher end cars do offer better handling and braking, lots of the time you’ll find yourself in a car that is plain awful to drive. And you will drive a lot. Try using the first person mode. Not only does it serve to further immerse you into the story and game world, but it really is an easier way to navigate the busy streets of Liberty City.

4. Go down with guns blazing.
It’ll happen to you a lot. You’ll hit a cop car or miss the toll booth and find yourself pursued by half the cops of Liberty City. If you find you can’t shake them and will inevitably be busted, go out in glory. Hope out of your vehicle and unleash hell. Yes, you will likely be killed. However, ending up in the hospital is far better than getting busted. You only have to pay your medical bills and get to retain all of you guns…which is a huge bonus.

5. Build your relationships in the game.
So having to take Kiki out for a date may not seem like the best use of your time. It’s definitely not the most exciting part of the game. However, Rockstar has made sure to reward you for playing out these missions by giving Niko special bonuses and abilities that can prove to be invaluable. For example, get Kiki to like you enough and you will be able to call her and have her clear your wanted level. Other abilities include being able to heal your wounds over the phone and being able to call a friend for a weapons drop.

6. Use Roman’s cab service.
At every point in this game you will have to get from point A to point B. This can get tedious, especially once you’ve invested over 30 hours of your time. To save yourself some headaches, use Roman’s cab service to instantly jump around the map. It will save you time and leave you less frustrated, especially when you are working to get through a tough mission that requires a lot of tries.

There you have it. If you combine all of these tips as you progress through the game it will become a far more enjoyable experience. Finally, remember to save lots, especially after a really tough mission.

Feel free to leave your own tips for getting through GTA in one piece. I know lots of people will appreciate them!

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Psst, GTA IV is out

If you are reading this, you may have missed an important memo. GTA IV just got released this week. The hype for this game was through the roof…and it has more than delivered. Besides becoming the highest rated game of all time (see metacritic scores here), it also smashed sales records on it’s first day.

I’m already 20% into the main mission and I can safely say that this game merits the high scores. It is truly amazing. I got mine for the 360 simply because that is the system all my friends will be playing on. I can’t wait to try out the multi-player this weekend.

If you feel like romping through the streets of Liberty City drop me a line. Gamertag Panzer Pev.

I feel sorry for any game that releases in the next few weeks…it will be completely overshadowed by this masterpiece of interactive entertainment.

So say goodbye to your family and friends for the next few weeks. All you’ll need is Niko Bellic.