Grand Theft Auto: Best Franchise Tips

With Grand Theft Auto V weeks from release, we’re thrilled to see what the game has to offer with its expansive new world, three main characters and hours of missions. 

If you’re feeling nostalgic or just getting into the previously released games for the first time, we’ve got a few tips. Have fun, even if it means breaking the law.

Finding Everything

Exploring plays a huge part in the Grand Theft Auto games, as you’ll usually find cool stuff you may have overlooked. In Grand Theft Auto III, for example, you’ll discover a number of ramps scattered throughout Liberty City. If you’re in a car, you can jump off these ramps, with the camera doing a dramatic cutaway while you’re flying through the air. Even if you don’t land successfully – or somehow end up in the water – it’s still fun to see. Best of all, the game tracks your progress, so make sure to find every ramp in the city.

Likewise, hidden packages off the beaten path are also available. The hidden packages in earlier GTA games for PlayStation 2 and Xbox are enough to keep you busy for hours on end, and trying to find every last one – including that final package that eludes you from completing the game – adds to the replay factor.

Living for Chaos

With the Grand Theft Auto games, there are several ways to get in trouble. You can attract police attention by doing something as simple as running over a few pedestrians in the street, but that’s child’s play.

For instance, rival gangs pose a real threat. Cross them and they’ll have no problem hopping into their cars and chasing you down. It’s cool squaring off against them, then stealing their vehicles and going after their buddies. Sure, the cops may show up to spoil the party, but that adds to the chaos.

On top of that, keep an eye on your Wanted meter. If you only have one star, you’re bound to lose the police after a few turns, or ducking into a garage. Once that escalates, however, more squad cars and trigger-happy police officers will appear; even helicopters will track you down. If you manage to reach the four or five star tier, you’re in deep. It’s even better if you manage to get away and lose your pursuers.

Not every activity in the game will draw attention. You’ll want to seek out the smaller activities available in the series as well. Case in point – in Grand Theft Auto III, you’ll find a truck where you can dispatch remote control cars that explode on command. These are a lot of fun to play with, as you unleash destruction in your neighborhood. Blow up a few cop cars or gang vehicles and you’ll see a crowd gather, wondering what’s going on – making them prime targets for even more R/C explosives. Best of all, you get unlimited turns. Just don’t blow yourself up. 

Live a Little

Finally when it comes to activities in Grand Theft Auto games, you have more to choose from than the usual missions for gangs and ne’er-do-wells.

Grand Theft Auto IV is chock full of them, enabling you to have a life outside of your criminal history. Feel like bowling or shooting a game of pool? You can do that. If you’re up for it, you can also do a little dating, even if you’re putting the girl you’re seeing in harm’s way. When it comes out, Grand Theft Auto V will take these actions even further, introducing race events – both within the game itself and submitted by fellow players – and more sporting activities, such as yoga and golf, that you can take part in. Don’t always go for the mission – take the time to explore and have fun.

In addition, nothing beats getting vertical. Sure, it may take some time to reach the top of a tower, but the second you perform a base jump in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the adrenaline rush sets in. If you prefer, you can go all the way to the bottom and go “SPLAT!” on the sidewalk, if you don’t necessarily feel like opening your parachute at the right time. Don’t be afraid to get in the air and try something new – you might just like it up there.

These tips not only play a pivotal role with classic games, but will also relate in some form to Grand Theft Auto V.  We certainly hope the remote control bomb van makes a return.

Grand Theft Auto V releases on September 17th for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.