GTA:IV Official Thread

[christaylor]

I keep making up stuff in this game now. Maybe because I'm a little drunk. But I just recreated the fast food scene in Falling Down.

Any other ideas?

Do the intro to Sex and the City. There must be a ladies clothes shop somewhere, you could get a frilly dress, tight top and a pair of high heels and swagger down 5th Avenue.

Man, wouldn't it be great if there was somewhere you could buy women's clothes from! Then you could try to date some of the guys on the internet dating thing, with hilarious consequences!

Also, nick a chopper, get over the water, fly straight up as high as the game will let you... and then jump out! Incredible.

[Twyford]

Probably me being a mong, but is there any way to create a new game room in multiplayer so that you're the host? I can't see the option and it seems to just happen by chance rather than by choice.

[Fugitive]

The lack of a Movie Director mode is jarring.

I mean, Driver had it all those years ago on the PS1 and in an age where all sorts of genres have those options, to not even have a replay function kinda sucks.

I'd forgotten about that. [rose tinted spectacles] Driver was an excellent game. Even though you never got out of the car, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Cool looking car with 'cinematic' handling and nicely implemented handbrake, some sparse but decent jumps and the Director Mode on which I wasted more a few hours knocking up some mini-movies. And I got out of the car park on my second or third try. [/rose tinted spectacles]

As you say, a remarkable achievent for the PS1. So, why hasn't GTA got a replay mode again?

[therev]

I finished the story last night. Brilliant, brilliant game. One of the best ever. Loved it all. Final mission was frustrating - mostly in the right way, but sometimes in the wrong way (

don't spawn an extra fucking speedboat if you're not going to let me use it, you cocks

).

Right, now I need to check the Achievements list and see if there's anywhere online that lists what the different consequences are for your actions.

[Puck]

If you're having trouble with them there is an awesome guide on GamesRadar detailing in specifics where to find each and every one.

Yeah I’m looking forward to my usual GTA post main game wind-down; get a guide and spend a few hours collecting all the hidden packages, or in this case shooting pigeons.

Then I’ll probably immediately start a new game, keeping one save file of my completed game.

I'm enjoying myself, with a police car and the cop computer

Yeah, I did a few of those last night for the first time. So much better than the cop missions in other GTA’s, which I hardly bothered with, I can see me doing all of these.

Well, I finally got Three Leaf Clover done last night. 4th attempt was the charm, but I think I could’ve done it in three if the game had behaved the way I expected it to. Basically,

I headed straight back to Packie’s house, with my 4* rating, as instructed, thinking the challenge was to simply make it there, after which mission would end and wanted rating would be dropped, (as often happens at the end of missions). Not so though! Managed to get the safe house, (still with 4*) in a car that was beat to shit only to be instructed to lose my wanted rating.

Then I died. Didn’t make that mistake again.

Question about the heli tours: Are the choppers only there at certain time of the day? I wanted to try a mission with a chopper, but on the last two occasions I went there to get one, there were none to be found. Are there any other methods of safely and quietly acquiring choppers?

Opened the third island last night too, although not yet explored it at all. 31hrs to get this far, I hope I really am only half way through.

[therev]

Took me 56 hours to complete the game. I went quite slowly at first, but the last ten hours or so was mostly missions with the bare minimum of socialising and fucking around. I found the story reached a point where everything ramps up and made me desperate to know what was going to happen.

Definitely the most I've been emotionally invested in a game ever, I think. Looking back, the only game that comes close is Suikoden II.

[Cosmic_Guru]

Any tips for controlling helicopters please? I keep making forced landings at sea - cant seem to make any forward progress (I am sure it is something extremely obvious).

Also I love the T shirt you get after visiting one of the major tourist attractions

happiness island

Yers, I have busted out into the second island (love the way that is done) after intially plannig to clear up all the Exotic exports and drug runs on the first beforehand. And the first thing I did was buy new clothes. And the second was head to heli tours.

It is so big its gonna take ages to explore thoroughly.

[robdood]

As you say, a remarkable achievent for the PS1. So, why hasn't GTA got a replay mode again?

Yeah, it's not like there's about a million times as much shit going on in GTA to record or anything!

Sigh.

[Mr. Gerbik]

Are there any other methods of safely and quietly acquiring choppers?

Become good friends with

Brucie

[Laine]

Definitely the most I've been emotionally invested in a game ever, I think. Looking back, the only game that comes close is Suikoden II.

Woah, it gets that good?!

Suikoden II is my favourite game ever. I'm going to have to stop dicking about and do some missions!

[christaylor]

Are there any other methods of safely and quietly acquiring choppers?

there's always a chopper available on the third island, on the east coast, about 2/3 of the way up.

[Puck]

Any tips for controlling helicopters please? I keep making forced landings at sea - cant seem to make any forward progress (I am sure it is something extremely obvious).

The right trigger, as I'm sure you're aware, accelerates your main rotor, which is how you achieve lift, but the main rotor is also responsible for thrust and works by pitching forward with the left stick. You only need to pitch forward slightly as the mechanics mean that there will always be a trade off between thrust and lift; the more forward acceleration you achieve (the further forward you push the left stick) the faster you’ll fall. Basically its all about gentle nudges, and unless you’re racing or chasing you may find it helps to just take your time an move slowly, using the left and right bumpers to turn whilst moving at a low forward speed rather than banking with the left stick, which can often, if pushed too hard result in you losing a lot of height very quickly. Then it becomes second nature an you find you’re able to tear about like a mile high loony.

[robdood]

Plus it's so easy to nick one from the Helitours place, I've never attracted police attention while stealing one from there.

[Puck]

Become good friends with

Brucie

Cheers, got that, but

he never seems to let me fly, whch is no good when I want to land on a roof top

out of the way somewhere.

there's always a chopper available on the third island, on the east coast, about 2/3 of the way up.

That sound like just the ticket.

[K]

How many helitours are there? I thought there were only three, but I did all of them and didn't get the achievement.

[Mr Do 71]

Just got the "Under the radar" achievement. Some of the "trophy" icons will just disappear off of the map (temporarily) depending on

which order and direction you go under the bridges in

. The last one for me was a knut because I had to go through a

specific section of a particular bridge

. The game map isn't helpful at all in this instance.

I did it from memory, mannnnnnnnnnnnnn. The really low bridge was a bit of a git, though.

[geldra]

Any tips for controlling helicopters please? I keep making forced landings at sea - cant seem to make any forward progress (I am sure it is something extremely obvious).

Ok so you know the controls right?

Right trigger = speed the top blades up

Left trigger = slow the top blades down

Right bumper = rotates the heli right (controls the blades on the back stem of the Chopter)

Left bumper = rotates the heli left (might be the opposite way round, I forget)

Left Stick = controls the orientation of the top blades and thus the tilt on the main body of the chopper.

The best and most obvious tip is to get some forward motion going, this is done by pushing the left stick forward and tilting the nose down. Don't push too far when you're just lifting off, just enough to start moving then the faster you go the more you can push forward and gain speed.

To gain height while keeping your speed up let the left stick go neutral for a moment, this puts the blades flat and increases upwards thrust, after you gain your required height whack the left stick forward again.

To lose height and keep your speed up just whack the left trigger in while keeping hold of forward and right trigger, to lose height faster let go of the right trigger (though you'll sacrifice a touch of speed).

Best thing to do is just whack the game into free mode and grab a chopper and follow the roads as best you can (well, thats what I did). I've spent equally as much time pissing about in a Chopper as I have playing any other game mode

To do funky fast turns whack the left stick back and left/right and hold the opposite bumper to pull the tail around, once you're pointing roughly in the right direction push the left stick forward to continue in that direction.

[Fugitive]

Yeah, it's not like there's about a million times as much shit going on in GTA to record or anything!

Sigh.

Look, we realise you're the officially appointed rllmuk GTA IV apologist, but come on, both consoles have hard drives, whereas the PS1 had only a meagre amount of internal memory - which was also busy with the rest of the game - to store replay data. Hell, even 10 seconds of GTA replay would be fantastic.

Even my SKY+ box can handle replays. When I've recorded a MotoGP race, for example, the humble Sky box has to remember the track, the bikes, their positions, the riders and hundreds of thousands of people in the crowds. All with their own individual facial characteristics, mannerisms and clothing choices, etc.

And that's just a humble Sky box, for crying out loud!

[Mr. Gerbik]

Look, we realise you're the officially appointed rllmuk GTA IV apologist

I thought I was the official rllmuk GTA IV apologist Must try harder.

[Wallace]

Ok so you know the controls right?

Right trigger = speed the top blades up

Left trigger = slow the top blades down

Right bumper = rotates the heli right (controls the blades on the back stem of the Chopter)

Left bumper = rotates the heli left (might be the opposite way round, I forget)

Left Stick = controls the orientation of the top blades and thus the tilt on the main body of the chopper.

The best and most obvious tip is to get some forward motion going, this is done by pushing the left stick forward and tilting the nose down. Don't push too far when you're just lifting off, just enough to start moving then the faster you go the more you can push forward and gain speed.

To gain height while keeping your speed up let the left stick go neutral for a moment, this puts the blades flat and increases upwards thrust, after you gain your required height whack the left stick forward again.

To lose height and keep your speed up just whack the left trigger in while keeping hold of forward and right trigger, to lose height faster let go of the right trigger (though you'll sacrifice a touch of speed).

Best thing to do is just whack the game into free mode and grab a chopper and follow the roads as best you can (well, thats what I did).

To do funky fast turns whack the left stick back and left/right and hold the opposite bumper to pull the tail around, once you're pointing roughly in the right direction push the left stick forward to continue in that direction.

Nice guide there. Damn helpful for beginners.

[geldra]

its all about whacking

[Rowan Morrison]

Yeah, I did a few of those last night for the first time. So much better than the cop missions in other GTA’s, which I hardly bothered with, I can see me doing all of these.

I'm enjoying the vigilante missions too, but I find that perps in cars are so keen to pepper you with bullets that you don't really have the time to engage in the long, ram-filled chases that characterised police missions in the earlier games. That's a shame, but the game makes up for it when it leads you to a huge shoot out, and it's nice to have a bit of variety.

[Matt]

so what gives... ive just unlocked the 3rd island and all of a sudden i cant find either of the safehouses. neither are on the map and that taxis dont list them either.

[christaylor]

so what gives... ive just unlocked the 3rd island and all of a sudden i cant find either of the safehouses. neither are on the map and that taxis dont list them either.

Are you in the middle of a mission/taking someone out?

[robdood]

Look, we realise you're the officially appointed rllmuk GTA IV apologist.

Seriously though - do you think they left it out on purpose? Just for the lols?

It was most definitely considered, it's just when your game has a deadline and other more important parts need to be finished first (and let's be honest, PS3 online is a bit of a joke), you can't always have every fucking feature.

I'm not an apologist, I'm a realist.

[Yoshimax]

Probably me being a mong, but is there any way to create a new game room in multiplayer so that you're the host? I can't see the option and it seems to just happen by chance rather than by choice.

From the SP game open your phone and select multiplayer->player match->custom match then decide if you want to allocate private slots for mates (you can reserve them all effectively making it a private room) then you're away.

[Ste Pickford]

Is there a write up anywhere of what the multiplayer is all about? I didn't notice anything in the manual, and the one time I went online I was quite befuddled by all the different game types Couk was flicking through when choosing what to play.

[Fugitive]

It was most definitely considered, it's just when your game has a deadline and other more important parts need to be finished first (and let's be honest, PS3 online is a bit of a joke), you can't always have every fucking feature.

I'm not an apologist, I'm a realist.

Bah! Another case of the PS3 dragging an otherwise excellent product on the Xbox down to its own sewer-like level of mediocrity and compromise.

Oh, and apologists can be - and often are - realists.

[Blue Screen Error]

How many helitours are there? I thought there were only three, but I did all of them and didn't get the achievement.

4 possibly 5.

They are stationed something like -

1

2 4 5

3

[Straps]

I love the guy who does the helitours..

"And down to your right we have the chapel. Now, when you've been to war, God becomes a joke... but would you look at that architecture!"

I also have a question, because I'm confused about the places you can go (restaurants etc.) I was taking Roman out to darts, and I drove past a place I hadn't been to before, so I popped in and had a meal. Generally, this would now appear permanently on my map, right? Well it isn't there, for some reason. Likewise, some of the places I've been to when not on a mission (a couple of Burger Shots) don't appear. And when I take that frigid bint Kate out, not everying appears on my map and of the things on my map, some places don't have yellow entry sections. I want to take her on a helicopter tour, but can't!