Wanted Level in GTA 2

Revision as of 09:30, 20 November 2008 by JFletcher (talk | contribs) (GTA 2 Wanted Level moved to Wanted Level in GTA 2: consistency)

Overview

GTA2 was the first GTA with six wanted levels, which, with only minimal changes, appeared in all modern GTA's. The idea was great - as in GTA1, there was only a minor difference between the first and last, fourth wanted level. Now, the player can easily run away when only one police head is present, and almost unable to survive level sixth. This changed slightly in Vice City and San Andreas, where army is not so dangerous as in GTA2 and GTA3, but will always remain as dangerous as this can be.

Wanted level, same as in GTA1, is displayed and measured as "heads", but now the player can also see them shaking when police know of the player's location whether trying to evade them or not.

Wanted Levels

  • One head - This is displayed when the player commits a "minor" (in terms of GTA) crime - such as shooting/running over some few pedestrians, attacking a cop or exploding a car. One police car is sent to your last known location, eg. they are checking the wrecked car or the place of murder. If they don't find you they will drive away and your wanted level will disappear. A maximum of one cop car chases you and cops run slower than the player.
  • Two heads - Very similar to one head, but it won't disappear, despite hiding in some alleys. Now, cops can use a maximum of two cop cars to chase the player and will either shoot or arrest the player on sight. To reach this level, destroy more cars, kill two cops, or a few more pedestrians.
  • Three heads - The first "serious" wanted level. Now, cops will form road blocks with armoured cops armed with pistols. Normal cops will run at full speed and will be a little more bulletproof. They will deliberately force the player off the road and will either kill him or arrest him. To reach this level, neutralize as many cops or pedestrians as you can.
  • Four heads - Now, in additio to two cop cars, the player will be chased by heavy armoured SWAT Vans with four SWAT troops in it. They are armed with pistols, but they also wear full armor. Their objective is to kill or arrest. Only one of them will try to pull you out from your car; the rest of them will keep shooting at your car. Their van seems to be as fast as cop cars, but only when it is driven by a computer. When the player is driving it, it's maximum speed is very low. This is the first level at which you should worry if you are not inside a vehicle.
  • Five heads - At five 'heads', the FBI get involved. SWAT and regular cop cars disappear from streets and, sometimes, only walking cop can be found. The FBI use black Eddy's with hidden emergency lights inside called "Special Agent Car". As a normal Eddy, this car has very little armour - when not damaged too much it can survive an explosion. Every FBI car is driven by two Agents - one with a Shotgun, and one with a Silenced S-UZI Machine Gun. They both wear body vests. They also form road blocks with agents armed with silenced machine guns. FBI agents from roadblocks will also try to pull you out of the car and will then kill you. The only way to get arrested with five heads is to find a cop walking on the pavement - this may be useful when you have a "get out of jail free card".
  • Six heads - At six 'heads', the army replace all police forces before it. Peds and normal cars disappear and instead of them the player encounters soldiers armed with uzis who shoot at the player, and all kinds of army vehicles driving on the roads. These include Tanks, Pacifiers, Armed Land Roamers and Land Roamers. Luckily, tanks and armed Jeep's won't chase or shoot at the player, only Land Roamers are driven by armoured soldiers and they will do whatever it takes to take down the player, as arresting them won't do. Not even sports cars are good for escapes as a single touch from the tank will destroy it, as well as the player inside. There are also road blocks made from tanks. The tanks will shoot at the player, and it is a death toll when the player encounters a tank roadblock. The player only has one chance to escape before being killed by a squadron of tanks. It is very difficult to decrease the wanted level now - army vehicles cannot be resprayed, and as almost no civilian cars are present on roads (sometimes one car is generated with "Land Roamer" - it's a game bug), so the player is on a search for parked vehicles to drive as fast as he can to get to the respray shop, or for Cop Bribes (in GTA2 they remove the entire wanted level and are very rare). Clearing a wanted level with six police heads is extremely difficult as the player is forced to drive along the highway as the army forces pursue them.

Getting rid of police

  • Max Paynt respray shops - Here the player can respray car to immediately lose any wanted level the player receives. Remember that public service cars cannot be resprayed (Taxi's are okay), as well as gang cars. This is also a reference to a character from the action movie Max Payne.
  • Hiding - Works only with one head wanted level. Hiding for a while will make cops cancel their chase and then completely remove the wanted level. Having more than one police head will only cause them to freeze and not disappear, despite having to hide in a secluded area.
  • Cop Bribes - Green, round "Dollar" pickups which cancel any crime the player commits, even without a wanted level - this means even when you steal a car and then step on this pickup, you will collect it.
  • Completing a mission - When you finish any mission the police heads will be cleared, just as long as the player doesn't do anything wrong.