Wanted Level in GTA IV Era: Difference between revisions

[[File:Radar-GTA4-wanted.png|thumb|250px|Upon gaining a wanted level a police search radius is centered around the player.]]

 

A '''Wanted Level''' in [[Grand Theft Auto IV]] and its expansions is a measure of how much the player is wanted by[[Liberty City| Liberty City]] law enforcement, and therefore how much force will be used in pursuit of the player. As in previous games, the GTA IV's Wanted Level is measured on a six-star scale, ranking police lethality from the non-lethal one star to the extremely aggressive six stars.

:*Attacking a police officer with a firearm or explosives (wounding or killing an officer leads to three stars)

:*Repeated physical assault of a police officer

:*Destroying many vehicles at once

:*Killing many people in a short space of time

:*In TBoGT, Punching someone with the explosive punches cheat enabled

A [[Police Maverick|police helicopter]] is now called in, which can be heard on the radio as "Dispatch air unit from _______", The helicopter will shine a spotlight on the player at night and opening fire if officers on board get a clear shot. The helicopter, however, periodically breaks off from pursuit. The helicopter retreats if the player goes underground, stays inside a large structure for a long time, or kills both sharpshooters on board. In the Ballad of Gay Tony, sharpshooters are equipped with [[M249|Advanced Machine Guns]] instead of [[AR-15|Carbine Rifles]]. [[Predator|Police boats]] are dispatched if the player is in or near water. Like the Police Maverick, the Predator has a sharpshooter on board. The player is now unable to board the [[Subway in GTA IV|subway]].

:*Entering the [[Alderney State Correctional Facility]] (only in [[The Lost and Damned]] and [[The Ballad of Gay Tony]])

At four wanted stars, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FIB]] and [[NOOSE]]'s Tactical Response Unit join the fray, and the player is confronted by [[Enforcer#GTA_IV|NOOSE Enforcers]] and [[FIB Buffalo]]es in addition to the previously mentioned forces. Tactical Response Unit officers and FIB agents come four to a vehicle and are typically armed with Carbine Rifles, although some agents carry [[SMG]]s and Pump Action Shotguns, and wear body armor for protection. The search radius covers an area approximately the size of [[Bohan]]. It is speculated that a player's vehicle of choice will dictate the police vehicles spawned -- FIB Buffaloes dispatched when the player is in a small, quick car, and NOOSE Enforcers dispatched when the player is in a larger vehicle. None of this speculation is confirmed; sometimes, both services chase the player.

Note: In The Ballad of Gay Tony, all law enforcement officers start firing upon the player while in pursuit at this level, and NOOSE and FIB officers use [[Assault SMG]]s and [[Explosive Shotgun|Automatic Shotguns]] as well as the aforementioned weapons against the player. Also, rooftop snipers start to appear.

At five wanted stars, the [[Police Maverick]] is accompanied by a [[Annihilator|NOOSE Annihilator]]. In the main game and The Lost and Damned, all law enforcement officers [[Drive-By Shooting|fire upon]] the player while in pursuit (In [[The Ballad of Gay Tony]] they will do this at Four Stars), making getaways difficult — FIB or NOOSE are particularly perilous to engage, as their SMGs are likely to make short work of the player's getaway vehicle. Due the increased risk of being shot to death, use of a motorcycle as a getaway vehicle is especially not recommended. All officers employ more advanced driving techniques, such as the PIT maneuver, as they try to make the player spin out of control and crash. NOOSE/FIB cooperation is more apparent at this level, both forces spawning and pursuing the player in equal numbers.

At six wanted stars, the [[Police Maverick]] is replaced with a second Annihilator, making escape from the search radius extremely difficult. The search area is approximately the size of the [[East Island|Broker-Dukes island]] in Liberty City. More NOOSE Cruisers, Patriots, Enforcers and FIB Buffaloes pursue the player, with only a smattering of LCPD cruisers and patrol cars. The number of police patrols and police cruisers reduces so more FIB Buffaloes and NOOSE Enforcers can join the chase/shootout. Survival and escape is most difficult, and a very fast and/or durable vehicle is recommended. All law enforcement vehicles fire upon and ram the player relentlessly with very little regard for collateral damage. The player must not hang around too long in a busy area of the city, or else they will rapidly lose heath due to the rooftop snipers. On foot, the player must move and/or retaliate quickly to avoid being cut down by gunfire; however, fleeing is the better option when pitted against several officers.  

==Achievements/Trophies==

*'''Walk Free''' — Evade/lose a four-star wanted level. (50G/Bronze Trophy)

*'''One Man Army''' — Survive a six-star wanted level for five minutes without saving and/or getting wasted or busted. (40G/Silver Trophy)

* At lower wanted levels, steal a helicopter or a boat if near water as a means of escape. It is easier to escape by air or water than by land. However, above 3 stars, the player is always visible if in a helicopter, and [[Police Predator]]s will follow alongside if on or near water, making it impossible to escape via these methods.

*Typically, the player should avoid engaging and/or provoking the police, especially if NOOSE and FIB are involved; however, if a confrontation cannot be avoided, especially during some missions, it is recommended to engage them with either the [[M16|Carbine Rifle]] (long range), [[AK-47|Assault Rifle]] (medium-long range), [[MP5|SMG]] (medium range), [[Micro Uzi|Micro SMG]] (short-medium range), [[Combat Shotgun]] (short range), [[Grenades]] (anti-personnel, area of effect) or [[Rocket Launcher|RPG]] (anti-material, area of effect).

*When in a gunfight with the police, make full use of the [[Cover System|cover system]]. Unless the player is proficient in non-cover combat, not using it can result in the player getting wasted in a matter of seconds, due to the advanced weaponry of the NOOSE and the FIB.