Despite the fact that quite a long time has passed since the release of the fourth part of the iconic Grand Theft Auto series , players still manage to find in it a bunch of various secrets and references to the previous parts (Easter eggs). Some are designed to break the gamer into a mean nostalgic tear in the old days, while others help to get through the game in a shorter time. In our article, we will analyze the most famous secrets in GTA 4, as well as give some recommendations on how to use them.
How to stop a taxi for a ride?
Many gamers perceive the taxi in GTA 4 exclusively as a car that can be stolen and driven to its destination. However, this type of transport has a very practical purpose. If the taxi stopped in a traffic jam, you can go to the passenger door (provided that there is no other person inside) and get into the car in the back seat. After that, you will see a scoreboard with which you can choose a place to travel - a very interesting and laid-back way to travel, but the secret is not at all in its presence.
Few people know, but a taxi can be stopped not only by shooting. "GTA 4" provides for gamers the opportunity to stop transport using a special signal to the driver. To do this, you need to stand on the sidewalk, wait for the yellow car to appear on the horizon, and then press the L1 button (for consoles) or E (for personal computers), looking in the direction of traffic. After that, Niko will automatically stop the moving car and you can easily reach your destination.
If not a single taxi is visible in your area, then you can call it using your mobile phone. To get it, press the up key on the keyboard. Your mobile device will appear on the screen, with which you can order a car. Almost every gamer who has played GTA knows about this. However, such a service is usually simply forgotten towards the end of the game. And very much in vain! Indeed, at one point you will have the opportunity to call a real limousine and feel like a rich man.
Skipping taxi rides and starting missions
Did you know that Grand Theft Auto IV has the opportunity to skip a boring taxi ride and be there in seconds? Perhaps, at the very beginning of the passage, monitoring how you are delivered to your destination, stopping at all traffic lights is a very interesting activity, but near the end of the game this action is noticeably boring. To skip it, you can use the shortcut key, holding the space bar for a few seconds. After that, you will instantly be at the destination, and the game will rewind time for several hours ahead.
A similar secret can be used during the passage of boring missions. Sometimes it happens that you cannot complete the task the first time, as a result of which the main character ends up in a hospital or police station. Returning to the mission again, you can skip not only the boring dialogs of the characters, but also travel by transport. For example, you need to pick up your friend from the mission, after which a shootout with the police will begin. If you are completing this task a second time, you can skip the part where you go for the assistant by pressing the space bar at the right time. After that, you will immediately find yourself at the site of the shootout and begin the mission from almost the same place where you failed it the last time.
How to quickly get away from the police?
In GTA IV, there are several ways to evade the police, but only one of them is the fastest. If you happen to run away from law enforcement officers, you can turn on the map and determine the area in which you will be searched in case of loss. Most gamers just look at the radar and drive in an unknown direction, meeting more and more patrols on their way. However, if you pre-evaluate the search area by pressing the M key, you can choose for yourself the perfect route that takes you out of the blinking area. This method is especially relevant if you are being chased from the air.
However, gamers should understand that if another patrol car spots you along the way, the area of pursuit will change. Therefore, such collisions should be avoided, using narrow streets, a dirt road, dried city canals - all those places where you definitely will not meet another patrol. You can even cut the road by jumping from a springboard in a car - just don’t roll over! Once you find yourself in a safe zone, your wanted level will drop pretty quickly and you will be able to return to the area where you almost got caught.
Call police help
Not everyone knows about this secret in GTA 4. If you manage to steal a police car, then you can call for reinforcements when you are in trouble. To do this, sit on the passenger seat of the car, press the E key or L1 button, and then select the "Call For Backup" item in the menu that appears. After a few minutes, several police cars with operatives will arrive in time for the call, each of which will fight on your side until you shoot someone.
A similar secret can be used not only for defensive purposes, but also for offensive ones. For example, in one of the missions you will need to raise your wanted level. The easiest way to do this is by killing a policeman. However, finding a servant of the law may not be so easy. However, if you have a police car on hand, then this task is simplified several times. However, keep in mind the fact that you cannot call for reinforcements while on the wanted list. In addition, as soon as you kill one of the police, the remaining operatives will open fire on you.
How to make a light headshot?
We will give a little advice on the passage of "GTA 4" to our readers, who use a console with a joystick as a platform for the game. If you want to make quick and accurate shots, just click on the Auto-Aim button, and then select with the stick the part of the body that you want to get into. After that, during aiming, it will be enough to just slightly push the stick - Niko himself will aim at the enemy’s head.
As for those gamers who use a personal computer as a gaming platform, Rockstar (a developer company) did not provide such an opportunity for auto-aiming. However, PC owners have one huge privilege - modifications. With their help, you can install third-party programs in the game folder that not only expand the gameplay capabilities, but also improve the graphic component of GTA 4. Mods for calling firefighters or ambulances, replacing textures for cars and weapons, fixing various bugs and shortcomings is far from a complete list of what can be downloaded and installed in addition to the original game.
If you want to get into the head only, using the keyboard and mouse for the game, it will be enough to go to the website with the mods and download the plugin, which is designed for this. Detailed installation instructions usually come with the file. However, download such programs only from trusted sources, as they often place various viruses that harm your computer or even send your personal data to third parties.
The way to restore health in the mission
We continue to learn secrets in GTA 4, which will help a novice gamer get through the game. If you can’t go through some kind of mission related to the shootout due to the eternal lack of health, then you can take advantage of a little trick that will allow you to restore the HP score as many times as you want. Just leave the mission area and go to the place where hot dogs are sold. Tasty and satisfying food will restore your strength and you can return to the shootout with a full supply of health.
This technique can be used an unlimited number of times. This will be most relevant in those missions where the gamer is experiencing a serious shortage of first-aid kits. However, what to do if you cannot find a single kiosk with hot dogs nearby? Just get your mobile phone and go to your place of residence. To the right of the entrance there will be a small counter where you can restore your supply of strength. After that, just board another taxi and head back to the mission.
Quick money
GTA 4 money has always been a big problem for gamers. They are quite difficult to earn in a natural way, but there are many options where you can invest several thousand dollars. So how to earn finances in GTA as quickly as possible? To do this, you can take advantage of a small bug using the algorithm of actions described below.
- We find an ATM and create a traffic jam near it.
- We are waiting for someone from the NPC to want to withdraw money and let him in.
- We are waiting for the withdrawal of funds from a passerby and kill him in any way.
- We take the money and close the trap.
After that, an ambulance will definitely arrive at the crime scene, but the nurse will not be able to get inside and will stand near the cars. We run back a short distance, after which we return to the ATM and see that the NPC is alive again. We kill him again, take the money and repeat the procedure. This way you can earn quite large amounts until the police notice you.
Parking spaces for cars
Thinking about what tips in "GTA 4" left for gamers developers? At the beginning of the game, we have the opportunity to save one car in the parking lot called Residents Parking Only. In fact, even two vehicles can be put on it, if their dimensions allow it to be done - this is not the secret. As the game progresses, gamers can also buy new real estate and put cars on it, but few people think that it is not necessary to buy property or use the parking lot located directly in front of your house to save vehicles. Scattered around the city are places marked "Residents Parking Only". In such parking lots you can leave any motorcycle or car, and then return for transport after a certain time - it will be in order. So do your exploration of the city to assemble your own fleet of rare cars.
References to previous parts
Now you know a little more about the secrets in GTA 4. All of them will help you through the game, but there is also a huge set of different Easter eggs that developers have left all over Liberty City. Some of them remain unknown to this day, so carefully explore the city to find interesting objects and inscriptions. For example, you can try to find something from the following list.
- The heart of the statue of liberty. If you get a helicopter and fly towards the island of happiness, then sooner or later you will reach the statue of liberty. We jump in such a way as to get to the upper level, after which we need to find in the door with the inscription "There is no hidden content". We go inside and get into the room with a heart, which is chained on all sides by chains. When fired at the "internal organ", even traces of blood appear.
- Clack Norris album. If you go to Bohan’s apartment, be sure to bring a sniper rifle with you to take a closer look at the small objects that are inside. On the floor is a bunch of different discs, among which you can find an album from the famous rapper from Los Santos OG Lock. Players know him from GTA San Andreas, but the real easter egg is that this album is a reference to the work of the famous rapper Eazy-E.
- Phrases from Saint's Row. For a long time, GTA and Sain's Row competed among themselves for the attention of fans, so it is not at all surprising that in the fourth part of the GTA, you can find many references to a competing product. In most cases, these are phrases that can be found during the passage of the storyline (including in the final of "GTA 4"): "I's a Cunt" or "See more funny". Perhaps in this way Rockstar wanted to show their confidence that their product will surpass the competition.
And this is not all the easter eggs that can be found in the game. Many gamers know how developers like to insert the number 69 wherever they can (reference to a known pose). Gamers from all over the world are posting hundreds of different screenshots from Grand Theft Auto IV, which depicts this number in the names of streets, organizations or food. Perhaps you should search too?
Video and conclusion
We hope our article helped you learn more interesting Easter eggs and secrets in GTA 4. If this information did not seem enough to you, then be sure to watch a short video, the author of which talks about many interesting nuances that migrated to the game from past parts. If you are a fan of this series, then by all means remember most of these points. We wish you a pleasant game!