I just finished a 2 1/2 hour crime spree in
Liberty City. Mind you, I haven't touched this game in months, but I slipped back into it effortlessly last night through the wee hours. I can't believe how 'bottomless' the gameworld is, that you can gracefully travel back and forth between the major levels (Portland, Staunton Island, and Shoreside Vale) by car, subway, or boat, find new things you never noticed before, and take on new minigames as you stumble upon them. It's insane! I finally accomplished the required mission that Yazuka presented me to prove my total severence from the Italian mafia back in Portland, that of assasinating my former boss Salvatore Leone before he reaches his house:
Spoiler:After dying or failing several times, I finally figured I could prevent him from getting inside his house, instead of chasing him by car. I hijacked an armoured van, drove to his house, and blocked the garage door with it. As further security I used the two Sentinels parked nearby, and waited for him. When Leone and his entourage appeared I lambasted them with Molotov cocktails. Leone wouldn't leave the car so I shot it until it blew up, partially fueled by the Molotovs. It wasn't easy, half my health was gone in the end.
BTW, I have the PC version, where you can of course create your own custom mix of mp3s for your personal radio station. It was kinda perverse of me to be mowing down gang members, destroying property, and outrunning cops while Mr. Rogers sang
It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood. I even rode the subway trains a few times just to see the pretty cinematic panoramic cutscenes. A bit of advice: the prostitutes mostly come out at night and will more likely approach you if you have a shiny expensive car. I prefer the Stinger (solid maneuverability, speed) or the Banshee (precise steering, acceleration) for getting around quickly and efficiently. If you're not in the mood for missions and just wanna hang and waste time, cruise around in cinematic camera mode - very nice views await you.
So, what particular strategies did you guys employ during your reign of terror in Liberty City? Any minigame victories you're particularly proud of? Did you find any cool secrets?
