The Grand Theft Auto series has come a long way since the first game was released, and the police are definitely no exception to this in the newest installment — Grand Theft Auto V. Honestly, it is as if Rockstar made all of the police officers attend a more aggressive police academy class.
Here are some of the tactics that law enforcement use in Grand Theft Auto V:
*Aggressive and Tactical Driving. In previous games the law enforcement would bash into you, yes, but in Grand Theft Auto V they seem to have more tactics built in. Officers seem to be able to successfully pit maneuver your vehicle much easier, or hit you at a high rate of speed hard enough from behind that your vehicle crashes into a wall. Still trying to get away? The officers will then box you in intelligently to the point you have nowhere to go and open fire. Their vehicles are also pretty fast.
*Spike Strips. Although not new, it should be said that these bad boys are still used. The law enforcement trucks carry these, so be aware if you see an officer standing stationary next to a truck on a road. Your best bets are to to far left around the strip, to the right around the truck, make a turn down a side road if you have time, or pull a 180 and burn rubber in the opposing direction. If you run over the strips, your vehicle will be severely damaged and your ability to maneuver and hit a decent speed will be substantially decreased.
*Intelligent Searching. Once a crime is committed, the police will commence on that area in a rapid manner. When they see you drive away, they’ll give chase, obviously. If you bail out on foot the police will give updates that can be heard over their police radios in vivid detail.
There are many tactics they use, especially once you get into the upper star range. But here are some tips that players can use to evade law enforcement in this game:
*Zig Zag Navigation. In previous games you could easily outrun police by speeding away in a linear fashion. In this game it is a bit different; I’ve found that taking a multitude of side roads away from a particular area gets me away from the police much easier. On a main road, such as a highway, it seems that there are active patrols when they’re searching for you, so you can easily get stuck getting caught by marked units.
*Behind a bush! Hiding in a bush can be a successful way to evade police. Imagine that you are almost away from the police, but your car somehow gets damaged and a couple of tires pop. There you are, driving at the speed of a snail to get away. You see a bush — it’s like salvation! Merely hop into the bush and ensure that your whole body is hidden. I’ve personally used this tactic successfully. However, it should be on the bottom of your list of tactics to use to evade police.
*Hide in “Layers”. I call them “layers.” By this I mean that there are some places that are underground or under a bridge, a “normal” layer where the main roads are, and then there is upper levels, such as on top of buildings. For example, you have a star or two are need to evade police. You have a lead of a couple of blocks and see a ladder on the side of a building leading to the top of a building. You hop out, climb the ladder to the roof and take cover. It works, I’ve done it. Other times I’ve ran off the side of a bridge and have hid under it — the stars eventually went away.
*Head Into The Wild. If you’re near the area where the land transitions from the “city” to the “wilderness,” you can use it by heading North into the open to try and avert law enforcement. This works best if you have an off-road friendly vehicle.
*Alleyways and Other Stealthy Spots. There is an abundance of alleyways and small little spots to hide when trying to evade police. Of course this will only work if you have a certain lead on the police and they do *NOT* see you gain access to these areas. I’ve used parking garages, spots behind fences and buildings, and private driveways.
*Basic Practice. Get practice handling the vehicles in Grand Theft Auto V. How can you use flashier tactics if you cannot handle the fundamentals? Try weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds, learn to pull quick 180 degree turns, learn the map and specific maneuvers that you can do in these particular spots (Such as spots where there is a large drop off or ramp), and so on. Also, try to intentionally crash and recover from the crash. This will help you when police officers successfully pit maneuver you or push you into a wall, as you’ll have to quickly recover and get out of there before you get boxed in and turned into Swiss Cheese.
Of course it’ll get much more difficult to evade the police with the higher ratings, but it is possible. Use these tactics and others out there to successfully evade law enforcement. This is especially true with how easily police will start to chase you for, well… anything. Eventually you’ll learn what works best for you and your driving/playing style.