[Jasper Petrol]

The GTA IV Minimal Kill Challenge

Bored of GTA IV & EFLC? Got nothing much to do whilst waiting for GTA V? How about having a go at the GTA IV Minimal Kill Challenge? I know it sounds a bit crazy and it probably is, but once you give it a try it can be very addictive.

The concept of this challenge is to complete GTA IV to 100% with the minimal amount of kills possible – using the people killed stat in your games statistics. This is not a new idea, there are Minimal Kill Challenges for GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas. There was also a short-lived Pacifist Challenge on Gamespot's forums but it fizzled out before the end of the first chapter.

The philosophy of the Minimal Kill Challenge is quite simple. In real life a criminal that kills thousands of people in a short space of time would attract a lot of attention from the authorities. Instead of slaughtering everything in sight, use a small amount of refrain. It is the ultimate challenge for game players who like to play games on the hardest level.

The Rules

1) No cheating – the challenge is based on the honour system. The challenge must be played on a clean install (PC) without the use of cheats, mods or trainers. Legal copies of the game only.
2) No going into unlocked areas of the game before they are open.
3) No exploiting glitches/bugs in the game. (apart from the water cannon glitch used during Concrete Jungle, which I highly recommend because it is better than a close range blast in the face from a shotgun)

The rules are set in place to make the challenge fair for everyone taking part.

General Guidelines

Occupants of vehicles killed by collisions do not count in your game stats as people killed.

Helicopter blade kills do count against you (tried and tested) as people killed.

You can run people down, this doesn't mean that you killed them, always check the stats.

When enemies are in cover (or ducking in and out of cover) it is easy to accidentally make a head shot - be careful, take your time and always aim for their feet if available.

GTA enemies have different attributes assigned to them depending on the mission. Immune to non-player is a type of game character (usually within a mission or side mission) that is scripted not to take damage from other in-game characters. In short they pose much more problems than characters without this attribute.

If GTA IV had a difficulty setting this challenge would be the hard setting, in saying that it is a lot easier to complete than the The San Andreas Minimal Kill Challenge

Jasper's Tips
Use the Taxis to navigate the city (less chance of running someone down)
Use the cops to do your dirty work wherever possible.
Drive on the roads.
Learn where all the armour and health pick-ups are located
Use the 911 feature to get emergency vehicles. They are very useful during the challenge for various reasons.

There are some useful techniques that you can use to kill enemies and targets without their deaths counting in your game statistics.

The Shoot-in-the-leg Trick
It is possible to shoot an enemy in the limbs (arms, legs and feet) until they collapse to the ground. There life meter goes to zero but they are technically still alive. In this situation it is important not to run them over, or deliver a final gunshot as this will count as a kill against you. This means that for all enemies that are not immune to non-player you can use this trick. It is quite bizarre that on several missions you can use this technique to remove all of your targets.

The Push-Object
As the name suggests you can use in game objects to crush your enemies to death. This can be done in a number of different ways depending on the situation. An example is that an enemy that takes cover behind an object such as a car, can be killed by pushing that object with a vehicle, causing the enemy to be crushed. In some cases this can be done in the open but it works best when a target is crushed against another solid object. A good example is when you trap an enemy between a car and a wall, push the car against the wall to kill the target.

Death-by-drowning
The method needs little explanation. If you can get your enemy or targets into the water there is a good chance that they will drown and you will not be credited with their deaths in your game statistics.

The Stampede Trick
If your enemy or target is unarmed (or they are armed but not attacking) you can simply shove them over until they die. Repeatedly barge into the character (not using the push/attack move). This can be used to knock your target down flights of stairs, into the on-coming traffic and into water.

Call-for-Backup
During most missions you are unable to call the police for assistance using your cell-phone. However, if you can get hold of a police car you can sometimes call for police backup during a mission. In some missions the cops will get involved and take out all your assailants. Note that in most cases the police are utterly useless and it can take a long time to complete missions using this technique.

Dwayne's Backup
Dwayne's Backup is a useful way to complete various missions and side missions with zero kills.

The Exploding Car Trick
The exploding-car-trick is possibly the most valuable method of killing enemies without gaining the credit in your statistics. It is essentially the same trick from previous GTA games but the game mechanics are different in GTA IV. It is more difficult to damage a car to the point of almost ready to explode, as the car must first set on fire, then burn for a while, side licks will appear before the car finally explodes (you don't have long to get out either). The car will set alight to the ground and other vehicles in the vicinity. This can be advantageous and disadvantageous depending on the mission or situation. The exploding car trick is much less predictable or controllable in GTA IV but is still one of the most effective tools at your disposal. It is possible to set an enemy alight with the side lick flames, but they won't die if immune to non-player, however being on fire keeps them close to the vehicle which means they will be killed when it explodes! If you shoot the vehicle to set it on fire the explosion will count against you, but you can damage vehicles with weapons and set them on fire by crashing thereby accelerating the process. Killing characters that are not immune to non-player with the side-lick flames will probably count as a kill in the game statistics.

An important (and well known) additional technique (known as the 911 trick) is essential for some missions. When the vehicle is damaged enough the engine will sometimes stall. You can restart stalled vehicles by making a phone call on the cell phone. This is vital when you are deploying the exploding-car-trick and the vehicle stalls leaving you in a vulnerable situation.

There are some other tricks and techniques that you can use as well. Unlike previous challenges there is not going to be a mission strategy thread. This is because there are a lot of people who haven't completed the game and it would just become a festival of spoiler tags. If you get stuck or are having problems I've thrown together a mission strategy blog. I've completed the challenge but not written up all the strategies. Good Luck!

Are you in Show me you've got big cojones and not some little bitty chiquita ones!

This post has been edited by Jasper Petrol on Wednesday, Jun 6 2012, 14:41

[Karjerker]

[REMOVED BY USER]

This post has been edited by Karjerker on Saturday, Dec 24 2011, 18:23

[Jasper Petrol]

I'm writing a strategy guide that might help with the more difficult missions.

Good Luck to anyone considering giving this a try.



This post has been edited by Jasper Petrol on Wednesday, Dec 28 2011, 11:13

[Karjerker]

[REMOVED BY USER]

This post has been edited by Karjerker on Saturday, Dec 24 2011, 18:23

[CrowBarZ]

SO wait, you mention PC in your post. DOes that mean console players are excluded from the challenge? Because that would suck for me :/

[Jasper Petrol]

I only mention PC in relation to a clean install, meaning no mods or trainers.

The challenge is open to everyone. You will need to disable auto-aim which I imagine will make the challenge more difficult as it requires a lot of very accurate shooting.

I've just gone through all the missions for a second time to write up the strategy guides and currently working through the most wanted police missions. I've completed the storyline mission up to A Dish Served Cold since posting the minimal kill challenge thread. I've also done all the assassin missions for the fixer but no other side missions towards 100%.

One more game tip, when a friend calls for an activity accept it, and then call back to cancel plans. This keeps respect levels high and saves time later in the game.

Good Luck

Jasper

[CrowBarZ]

Lucky for me I have my auto-aim off already, cuz I'm such a pro...anyways I will give it a shot. But I am only going to start around wednesday, or thursday.

[Karjerker]

[REMOVED BY USER]

This post has been edited by Karjerker on Saturday, Dec 24 2011, 18:24

[CrowBarZ]

Okay so I started a new game trying this minimal kill challenge and I think the hardest mission for me is going to be where Little Jacob gets jumped in the alleyway with a bunch of people shooting at niko and him. I will update my progress when I get further in the storyline.

[Jasper Petrol]

Jamaican Heat - you can use an exploding car to kill the attackers for this mission. This is quite an easy mission to complete with zero kills. When the attacker appears high up shoot him in the foot, he will stumble and fall. It is sometimes worth practicing the missions (particularly the endings of the most difficult missions).

You should still have zero kills at this point in the challenge.

It is the next Little Jacob mission Concrete Jungle when the Minimal Kill Challenge gets more difficult! If anyone makes it past concrete jungle they are addicted to the challenge.

[CrowBarZ]

QUOTE (Jasper Petrol @ Thursday, Dec 22 2011, 19:53)

It is the next Little Jacob mission Concrete Jungle when the Minimal Kill Challenge gets more difficult! If anyone makes it past concrete jungle they are addicted to the challenge.

Is that a challenge for a challenge? Because I can probably make it without any kills in concrete jungle. Btw, do we need picture proof of how many kills. or can we state how many we have?

[Jasper Petrol]

QUOTE (CrowBarZ @ Thursday, Dec 22 2011, 19:57)

Is that a challenge for a challenge? Because I can probably make it without any kills in concrete jungle. Btw, do we need picture proof of how many kills. or can we state how many we have?

You don't need to provide a picture as proof

Maybe at the end of the challenge I will verify the save files to check that the game stats are genuine. Although a determined cheat would still be able to edit the data.

I never had reason to suspect anyone of cheating during the San Andreas Minimal Kill Challenge. There is no prize on offer and nothing whatsoever to gain. I'm not into the Billy Big-bollocks of who's the best game player or anything like that, it's just a way to get more value from a game that you've paid good money to play.

Jasper

[JasonBrody]

I'll see what I can come up with. This definitely an interesting challenge.

[Jasper Petrol]

I've completed the GTA IV Minimal Kill Challenge! [Game completed to 100%] This is the second time that I've done this challenge.

There are only two missions in the game that I could not complete with zero kills. In theory, it may be possible to complete these missions with fewer kills.

Concrete Jungle [3 kills]
Waste Not Want Knots [3 kills]

I have killed all the enemies in the second part of Concrete Jungle - with an exploding motorcycle without gaining credit, just never done it all in the same mission attempt. Also managed to block the doors to the warehouse in Waste not Want Knots with vehicles inside (for the exploding car trick) but never managed to escape in one piece with the Mafia's cash. There comes a point when you have to move on to the next mission.

The low score is largely a reflection of the shoot-in-the-leg trick. Many of the enemies that you shoot or run down in GTA IV are injured but not actually killed. Whereas in GTA San Andreas, when you shot someone or ran them down they were almost always 100% dead. So, I've completed the entire game with a grand total of 6 kills. I suspect that it may be possible to reduce this number but it certainly would not be easy.

In the context of this challenge - The toughest mission's are not always the ones you might expect!

[CrowBarZ]

Well I just completed the challenge with a grand total of.......15 kills. Not bad right?

[Jasper Petrol]

QUOTE (CrowBarZ @ Friday, Jan 6 2012, 22:16)

Well I just completed the challenge with a grand total of.......15 kills. Not bad right?

That is a great score CrowBarZ. Well Done! [...cuz you're such a pro!]

Did you complete the game 100% or just the storyline?

Do you know where you picked up the 15 kills - for example did you keep a score for each mission (or side-mission).

Keep a copy of your Minimal Kill Challenge save file/s. These will be needed to verify the scores later.

I might have to make a leaderboard or something now...

Jasper

[CrowBarZ]

QUOTE (Jasper Petrol @ Saturday, Jan 7 2012, 11:29)

QUOTE (CrowBarZ @ Friday, Jan 6 2012, 22:16) Well I just completed the challenge with a grand total of.......15 kills. Not bad right? That is a great score CrowBarZ. Well Done! [...cuz you're such a pro!] Did you complete the game 100% or just the storyline? Do you know where you picked up the 15 kills - for example did you keep a score for each mission (or side-mission). Keep a copy of your Minimal Kill Challenge save file/s. These will be needed to verify the scores later. I might have to make a leaderboard or something now... Jasper

It was just soryline. I haven't even got 100% completion in ANY of my games. I might try. I got most of the kills (around 11) in 3 leaf clover. The other 4 were from freaking out on the last mission because I had low health.

[Jasper Petrol]

After reading Xeth's post in another thread about the Crimeless Challenge, it appears that it is possible (as suspected) to complete GTA IV to 100% with zero kills (I haven't done it myself - yet, but I am working on it). I've investigated the strategies for getting zero kills in the missions Concrete Jungle and Waste Not Want Knots

Waste Not Want Knots (Zero Kills)
This mission is difficult to complete with zero kills but after reading carefully what Xeth said in his post and the information from the Crimeless Challenge FAQ, I refined the strategy and techniques that I was already using and can confirm that it is possible to complete this mission with zero kills. I've done this twice in a short space of time in practice games.

Concrete Jungle (Zero Kills)
I have finally devised an easier strategy to complete this mission with zero kills. It is basically the same concept of heading into the house on a burning motorcycle but I've refined it all to make the outcome more predictable. In other words, it should be possible to do this in a few attempts rather than a few hundred. The method of killing the drug dealers in the first part is already known and there is a strategy guide for it on the Minimal Kill Challenge Blog. So this only applies to the last part of the mission at the house in Meadows Park. Prior to the mission save the game with full armour and a PCJ 600 (easily obtained by doing Brucie's side mission).

After dropping Little Jacob at the house go to your safehouse and get the PCJ 600. Shoot it twice with a shotgun and six times with a pistol. When you arrive back at the house use the lines on the concrete pavement to work out the correct distance to ram the green pillar with the bike. You need to crash into the pillar approximately 13 times from about an average car length distance (there is a section line at this distance). You hit it quite hard but not hard enough to fall off. Use the 911 trick to make a call if the bike stalls. If the bike catches fire you've crashed one time too many (you need to get another one) When the bike churns out thick black smoke leave it smouldering outside the house, its a good idea to line it up with the stairs. Go to the door and go into cover to move the mission on to the next part.

Shoot the guy on the stairs in the upper leg to make him climb higher then shoot him in the lower leg or foot to make him fall, depending on how he falls he will most often die when he lands (but not always). I always try to make him fall towards the banister. If this fails either continue as a practice run or re-load and start again.

Now go to the window and shoot the shotgun guy once with the pistol to stop him aiming at Little Jacob. Call 911 and request a Firetruck. When it arrives steal it and use it to spray the shotgun guy through the window. Spray him on and off in short blasts - you are trying to move him into a small gap beteen the end of the couch and the wall. Eventually there will come a point when it looks like he is standing up on an invisible ledge/table. This can take a long time - but he will begin to fall and the graphics will look glitchy, it takes practice but you can tell when he is stuck. Sometimes you can force him to get stuck just with the water cannon, or when he is on the ledge (which is just the green couch unrendered) shoot him (from the window) in the upper leg (you have no choice, his feet are out of view). This is often the best way. It sometimes looks like he is dead because there is a blood stain on the wall and he is down on the ground - but there are still three red blimps on the map! He doesn't always stay trapped but when you get this right he is trapped 100% (well perhaps 85%). Also if Little Jacob shoots him he magically becomes free again! So, lets assume that he is fully trapped for now.

OK, now get the PCJ 600 and park it close to the doorway inside the hall. You can see the shotgun guy is still trapped from here. Gently hit the bike into the wall until it sets on fire. This works best if you donut-power-slide the PCJ 600 to face the opposite direction to the door, when it catches fire power slide to face the doorway. Now wait (yes, wait on a burning motorbike - oddly, please don't ask me why, but you will not catch fire), the flames burn in three stages - wait until the final stage (and a few seconds for good measure) Then ride the bike slowly into the room with the 3 assailants and park the bike close to them, where the rooms are separated by that silly wall with a hole in the middle. (note if the bike is in the wrong place it is likely not kill all the dealers but might kill Little Jacob) Run back back to the safety of the hallway and wait for the bike to explode. If you have timed it correctly and positioned the PCJ 600 in the right position all 3 dealers will die in the explosion. Now leave the house and take Little Jacob back to the Homebrew Cafe to complete the mission with zero kills.

Jasper

Edit - I've just completed Concrete Jungle with zero kills (what a buzz)...

I have also completed Waste Not Want Knots with zero kills (on the first attempt this time - all those practice runs paid off). I decided to get some armour before saving and accidentally took a call from U.L. Paper along the way - only inches from the safehouse. I had no option but to also complete Paper Trail before being able to save the game.

I've found quite a few improvements for some of the zero kill strategies along the way.

Using Dwayne's backup for the mission, Undertaker makes it very easy to complete with zero kills.

I also found Dwayne's backup useful for completing Hating the Hater - I just played it normally but with one of the new Holland Hustlers riding pillion on the Faggio the hater was soon face down on the concrete.

Dwayne's backup is useful for completing the final part of Pegorino's Pride. It also comes in handy for Entourage - use Police backup first then call them in towards the end. You can also use the new Holland Hustlers for Pest Control if Ray or any of his Bodyguards survive the initial explosion.

I took them along for Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend and they did very little to help during the mission.

I've tried using them for most missions - they have a tendency to get in the way!

I have now completed all the story missions with zero kills. Dwayne's backup is not available during most of Chapter Four missions. It does become available again after completing Out of Commision - the revenge ending is the easiest to get zero kills.

Dwayne's backup can be used for the Assassin Missions, Most Wanted,Vigilante and Little Jacob's deliveries. During Little Jacob's side-missions it is best to arrive solo and call for Backup if it is needed. It is worth knowing how to complete these missions without Backup because the New Holland Hustlers are fairly unreliable at times. I tried to use Dwayne's backup for one of the random character missions but they vanished during the cut-scene. I will test this again before confirming for certain that they can or can not be used for Random Characters (most of which are easy enough to complete with the shoot-in-the-leg trick anyway).

I only have Random Characters left to complete before doing the Pigeons, Stunt Jumps, Friends and Activities, Stevies Cars.

So, I have effectively completed the game with Zero Kills but just have to finish the game to 100% to complete the challenge.



This post has been edited by Jasper Petrol on Sunday, May 13 2012, 08:52

[lzw3]

Sorry for the bump, but how did you complete Escuela of the Streets?

[Jasper Petrol]

QUOTE (lzw3 @ Monday, May 14 2012, 00:43)

Sorry for the bump, but how did you complete Escuela of the Streets?

No need to apologise lzw3

Escuela of the Streets is a very easy zero kill mission. This is because you can use a technique that I have named the Shoot-in-the-leg-trick. This means that you can shoot your enemy in the their limbs (foot, leg, arm or body) until their health segments are gone but effectively they are still alive. They will either lay on the ground or stumble around in pain. (There is more information about this in the main post). This technique works on most enemies but not all, if you want to know more about this there is a link in my profile to the GTA IV Minimal Kill Strategy Guide.

A pistol or an assault rifle are good weapons to use for the shoot-in-the-trick because you can fire single shots easily.

To complete Escuela of the Streets with zero kills, climb onto the warehouse roof and use the shoot-in-the-leg trick on all the drug dealers that you can see from the open skylight. Then drop down into the warehouse and use the same technique on all the others. To force enemies to break cover shoot them in their feet, knees or hands and be careful not to accidentally shoot anyone in the head as they duck into cover.

It is as simple as that - in addition there is a vending machine in the warehouse and a health pick-up in the office so it is hard to fail.

Another way to complete this mission (although it literally takes hours) is to obtain a police car (although you can't go and get one and you can not use one for the first part either). So you have to wait for one. (I can't remember if you can call 911 and request Police during this mission). If you can get the police to come to the warehouse they will respond to any gunfire and attempt to clear the warehouse. The cops are utterly useless...

Jasper

EDIT: (to save double posting etc)

I have now completed GTA IV to 100% with zero kills.

Anyone interested in The Lost and Damned Minimal Kill Challenge?

This post has been edited by Jasper Petrol on Saturday, Jun 2 2012, 12:26