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A Wanted level in Grand Theft Auto IV and its expansions, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, is a measure of how much the player is wanted by police in Liberty City, and therefore how much force will be used in pursuit of the player. In GTA IV, like in previous games, the Wanted level is measured on a six-star scale, which measures police lethality from the non-lethal one star to the extremely aggressive six stars.
Relatively minor crimes committed within sight of the police may attract one star. Committing serious crime is likely to attract multiple Wanted stars immediately -- for example, killing or wounding a police officer with a firearm results in an immediate three star Wanted level.
Wanted level stars are cumulative -- repeatedly committing "one-star" crimes within sight of police may lead to a two-star rating, and so on.
Once the player has a Wanted level, LCPD officers give chase and attempt to arrest the player; if arrested, the player is transported to the nearest police station and released a few hours later after a fine (10% of the player's current cash balance) and the confiscation of all weapons. Police officers can arrest the player by holding them at gunpoint -- if the player is in a vehicle, the protagonist surrenders immediately, but if on foot, the player can resist arrest by running away and/or fighting back, however this escalates a one-star wanted level to two-stars (three if the player chooses to retaliate with a firearm) and causes the officer to open fire, which is highly dangerous at close range.
As the player's Wanted level goes up, law enforcement try less and less to arrest the player, instead attempting to kill the player at all costs. As such, it is almost impossible to get arrested at a Wanted level of 4 or higher, although police will attempt vehicular arrests if the opportunity arises.
Police are in constant radio contact with one another, which is reflected in the 'search radius' system -- when the player attracts a Wanted level, a 'search radius' will appear on the map, in the form of a flashing red and blue circle centred on the player. While within this radius, the player's Wanted level does not decrease; the goal is to move outside of this circle without the police catching sight of the player again -- if they do, the circle re-orients itself around the player again. If the player escapes the circle and avoids the police for several seconds, the player's Wanted status is removed.
Unlike GTA III era games, Wanted levels cannot be lost by picking up police bribes, as these no longer exist; the Pay 'n' Spray service is, however, still available. Unlike in previous games, Pay 'n' Sprays cannot be used in sight of police, even for vehicle repair; visibility to police is indicated by whether the Wanted stars on the HUD are white (visible) or grey (out of sight). Pay 'n' Sprays instantly remove the player's Wanted level, and their use advances the in-game clock three hours.
Police in GTA IV are better-equipped, smarter, and more lethal than in previous GTA games; they can even respond to crimes committed out of their sight, as civilians can call police on their cell phones to report crimes. Police use their available weapons intelligently -- an officer with a Pump Action Shotgun will move in closer to the player to compensate for the weapon's short range, while a NOOSE agent with a Carbine Rifle will hang back to take advantage of distance. During a chase, police officers will coordinate themselves and will attempt to box the player in with several cars, driving faster and trying harder as the players' wanted level increases. Also, police can commandeer civilian vehicles (parked or occupied) if their vehicles are destroyed, or if a police car is unavailable; they may even commandeer the cars parked in front of the player's safehouses.
Police radio messages are an additional audio indicator of a player having one or more police stars. These messages reflect the crimes being committed by the player; for example, firing a pistol will lead to mentions of "firearm discharge" over the radio, and firing an assault rifle (or successfully hitting an individual with any gun) is described as "a shooting".
When the player attains their first Wanted level, the game displays information to briefly explain the Wanted level system.
The area cops search is shown by the flashing red and blue zone. Cops are shown by the flashing red and blue icons.
To lose your wanted level, escape the flashing zone.
The cops are less likely to identify you if you swap vehicles or run through alleyways and side streets.
If the wanted stars are grayed out then the cops have lost sight of you.
At a one star Wanted level, any LCPD police patrols will give chase and attempt to arrest the player on sight. Officers only shoot at one star if they feel threatened (for example, if the player aims a firearm in their direction), and most commonly attempt to arrest the player. Police cars follow the player at relatively lower speeds. The search radius for one star is approximately two city blocks wide. The player is unable to buy any items (weapons, clothes or food [except from vending machines]), enter a taxi as a passenger, enter bars or clubs, or partake in activities like TV, darts, bowling, etc..
A one-star Wanted level is attained by committing the following crimes:
Officers now shoot to kill more often. Officers in cars now chase the player, rather than simply following behind, and often try to overtake the player or run them off-road.
Two Wanted stars are attained by:
At a three star Wanted level, police vehicles become more aggressive in their pursuit, attempting to pin the player's vehicle against buildings and ram them off the road. NOOSE now begin to assist the LCPD in setting up roadblocks on main roads and bridges; they also send NOOSE Cruisers and NOOSE Patriots in pursuit of the player. NOOSE Patriots may attempt to ram the player from the front, putting the player at risk of a windshield ejection from their vehicle. Strong, fast vehicles are recommended -- motorcycles are not suggested, due to the aggressive driving of the police. Officers on foot now use Pump Action Shotguns against the player.
A police helicopter is now called in, shining a spotlight on the player at night and opening fire if officers on board get a clear shot. The helicopter, however, has limited fuel and periodically breaks off from pursuit. The helicopter retreats if the player goes underground or kills both sharpshooters on board. In the Ballad of Gay Tony, sharpshooters are equipped with Advanced Machine Guns instead of Carbine Rifles. 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.
Three Wanted stars are attained by:
At four Wanted stars, the FIB and NOOSE's Tactical Response Unit join the fray, and the player is confronted by NOOSE Enforcers and FIB Buffaloes 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 SMGs and Pump Action Shotguns, and wear body armor for protection. 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 SMGs and Automatic Shotguns as well as the aforementioned weapons against the player.
Four Wanted stars are attained by:
At five Wanted stars, the Police Maverick is accompanied by a NOOSE Annihilator. In the main game and The Lost and Damned, all law enforcement officers fire upon the player while in pursuit, 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 at this level and beyond is especially not recommended. All officers employ more advanced driving techniques, such 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.
Five stars are attained by:
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 eastern 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. 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. On foot, the player must move and/or retaliate quickly to avoid being cut down by gunfire.
Six stars are attained by:
The player can earn two Achievements/Trophies associated with the Wanted Level, however the use of specific cheat codes blocks the rewards. GTA IV Tips can give help on obtaining these achievements/trophies.
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