Health

Health is the measurement of your character's physical condition. It's default maximum is 100%, but in some of the games in the series this can be extended, usually as a reward for completing some side mission.

Many things can damage the player; being shot, stabbed or beaten, fire, explosives, being struck by a vehicle, drowning, being thrown from a motorcycle or bicycle, and falling from heights are all dangers. When your health is depleted, you are wasted, you fail any mission that you may have been undertaking at the time and are taken to the nearest hospital. Health can be replenished by picking up a health power-up, employing the services of a prostitute, or - in GTA VC, GTA SA and GTA IV - by eating food or visiting a Safehouse to save your game.

Health power-ups restores the player's health to the maximum level. The health power-up is a heart within a circle, and can always be found at the hospitals.

• GTA III The health power-up can be found in front of all hospitals and are also scattered around the city, often in recreational areas such as rest stops and in parks and shopping centers. Employing the services of a prostitute also replenishes health to a possible total of 125%.

• GTA Vice City: The health power-up appears in Vice City primarily in front of hospitals and replenishes your Health to maximum (default 100%, but can be extended to 200%).

• GTA San Andreas: The health power-up appears in San Andreas during Gang Warfare and also during some long missions such as The Da Nang Thang.

• GTA IV: Health packs are found all over Liberty City. Generally in out of the way places.