Achievement Get Issue 1: Grand Theft Auto 4
Welcome to Achievement Get, a new QJ column that focuses on helping our readers find ways to bump their gamerscore a couple of notches! Join us after the jump, as we tackle achievement hunting for one of the biggest games this year: Grand Theft Auto 4.
Welcome to Achievement Get Issue 1, the first in (what I hope) will be a series of articles focusing on grabbing those hard-to-reach or seemingly unattainable achievements for your Xbox 360.
For those most part, expect us to scour the internet for information and videos that’ll let you guys pick up an extra achievement or two for the various games that are out for the 360.
In this first installment of Achievement Get, we’ll focus on one of the biggest games to grace any console this year: Grand Theft Auto 4. It’s a big game, with varying kinds of achievements that are either easy to get (via natural progression through the game) or seemingly difficult to pick up. Hopefully, the information found below will help you net a couple of extra gamerscore points that should make life in Liberty City a little more fun.
Achievement 1: Wheelie RiderAchievement Description: Do a wheelie lasting at least 500 feet on a motorbike.
Gamerscore Points: 30
Finding a stretch of road to do a wheelie is easy enough, and finding a motorbike is probably even easier, but did you know that there’s a way to get this while playing that doesn’t have to mean driving a motorbike at high speeds?
The answer to all your wheelie-driving needs is the Faggio, a moped categorized as a motorbike in GTA 4. The Faggio allows you to drive relatively slowly while maintaining a wheelie, so once you find one, you can basically perform the Wheelie Rider achievement on any stretch of road, as the Faggio is easier to maneuver than the motorbikes. Just don’t make any sharp turns.
Achievement 2: Walk Free
Achievement Description: Lose a 4 star wanted rating by outrunning the cops.
Gamerscore Points: 50
For big gamerscore points, look no further than the Walk Free achievement. There are various ways to do this, but the first thing you have to remember is that the statement, “outrunning the cops,” can easily be misinterpreted as literally losing them on foot. That definitely isn’t the case.
There are various ways to get this achievement, but the one I found that worked best was the one that took the least work to set up. Simply find a relatively fast car and head to the airport. Get a four-star rating by driving on the actual runway of the airport from one end, and then race to the opposite end of the airport, following the curve of the runway to reach the other end. It might take a couple of tries to do it, but it’s the way that offers the least amount of trouble.
To show you how it works, DJp1989 has a video up on YouTube that explains everything:
Achievement 3: Chain Reaction
Achievement Description: You must blow up 10 vehicles in 10 seconds.
Gamerscore Points: 20
While not offering the same payoff as Walk Free, Chain Reaction offers a lot less trouble, and can be done relatively early in the game with some fuss, or relatively late in the game with very little trouble.
The two main methods I’ve used on different playthroughs depend on your progression. If you don’t have a rocket launcher yet, but can buy a ton of grenades, you can head to Star Junction, steal a bus, and then block off the nearest bridge. Once the road is blocked, cars will start piling up (You can get even more cars by looking away from the pileup, and then looking back after a couple of seconds. This makes the game load more cars.).
Once that’s done, get on top of the bus and start lobbing as many grenades as you can at the various cars. Once the grenades blow up in succession, you should pick up the achievement. If the grenades take you out as well, don’t worry: if the explosions keep on happening after you die, you’ll still get the achievement. Just reload afterwards and you’ll be fine.
The other method, which is actually tons less trouble, is to wait until you can buy a rocket launcher and a full set of rockets. Steal a helicopter from the helicopter tours station, head to star junction, and find a ledge that’s relatively close to the ground and near an intersection. Wait for 10 or more cars to show up, and start firing between the cars, aiming for the farthest ones first to give you more time to shoot. That should net you a decent wanted rating, but also get you the achievement. From there, use the Walk Free guide above to get you to safety.
Videos are also available for those two different scenarios, courtesy of DJp1989 and 007craft on YouTube. View them below and learn how to do it yourself:
In any event, those two videos herald the end of Achievement Get Issue 1. Check again soon for a new game to be featured here. Happy achievement hunting!
Achievement Get also wants you to send in your requests and achievement tips. If there’s a particular achievement you have a trick for, or an achievement for a game that you want help with, email us at [email protected] and we’ll give you credit for the find!
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