28 weeks after it was originally slated for release, 5 Twenty-dollar bills and change, 3 bottles of carbonated beverage in the fridge, and one well-plied controller in hand, this travel writer dives into Liberty City and emerges with an account of his brief romance with the new greatest city on Earth, where thing are truly different!

1. Orientation

Having undergone a city-wide reconstruction veiled under secrecy, and I swear, some impossible terraforming, the rebirthed Liberty City will be nigh on unrecognisable to all but its residents – who, by the way, I’m not even sure are the same folks that occupied the Liberty City of yore. Once I recovered from this acute case of the Stepfords, I was eager to get to know this reinvented city of over-saturated colours, sounds, and hyperactivity.

2. Arrival

If you are fortunate enough and can afford to fly, you will be arriving in Liberty City via Francis International Airport. For a budget-conscious traveller such as myself, it meant spending several months at sea aboard a fishing vessel that stunk of grease and crustacean, working for my keep. In hindsight, I might have preferred a more… elegant solution.

3. Transportation

The legitimacy of my arrival aside, the first order of business here is of course to obtain a set of wheels for getting around. And in this regard, the new Liberty City is couched in the downy comfort of familiarity. Every car in the city is up for grabs, provided I was able to flag it down and catch up to it in time to enthusiastically relieve the driver of his seat. While most citizens are as complacent as ever and will give up their cars (and often their spouses) without much hesitation, a few put up some resistance. Needless to say, they always come out of it worse for wear – especially the man who thought it somehow helpful to hang on to the side of his red Comet as I sped away in it.

A robust network of roads and a plethora of cars and bikes for the taking almost made me overlook the city’s train system. Several train lines connect the four boroughs of Liberty City as well as Francis airport for the time-conscious individual wishing to beat Liberty traffic. For no apparent reason, riding in trains prove to be a desaturated, almost Kafkaesque experience. Speaking of traffic, much of it is made up of bright yellow taxis that ferry the busy denizens around town. True to all major metropolises, it’s virtually impossible to hail a cab unless you call for one specifically on your cellphone – although I much prefer the more intimate approach of commandeering the taxis myself.

4. Telephone / Internet

A US-network compatible mobile phone is essential for your visit, and it won’t be long before the cell phone becomes the centre of your life in Liberty City, as it is for the myriad of cell phone-dependent pedestrians you will pass on the streets. Stored in my phone are numbers for work associates, friends and acquaintances, as well as numerous services that allow me to call for cabs or even identify the artist and title of songs playing on the wonderful and culturally diverse radio stations in the city. Of course, I often find myself buckling under the assault of phone calls and messages I receive, and it’s times like these that I thank Lady Happiness for the ability to place the phone in ‘silence mode’, whereby I can halt all my calls and messages, and just take some time out to explore the city!

Just like in the rest of the world, the Internet is also revolutionising the way people communicate and socialise in Liberty City. For a nominal fee, I was able to spend an inordinate amount of time at internet cafes littered around the city doing what everyone does on the InfSupHi (a good Libertine appreciates a good syllabic abbreviation) – search for love, miracle drugs, and embarrassing videos.

5. People

Liberty City is now home to a far more sophisticated population of residents than ever before, and gone are the days when it’s easy for visitors to mistaken the city as the result of a massive outbreak of incest – where people that look eerily similar mill about town in a daze. The new residents behave with a sense of purpose, whether they’re on the way to an important meeting, out enjoying life, late for a social gathering, or out and on the job. As much personality as they’ve gained, I’ve not encountered anyone yet that has even an ounce of manners. The only way to get someone’s attention outside of purchasing goods from vendors is by physically assaulting them.

Fortunately, with a little effort, I was able to make new acquaintances, and in some cases, even forge great friendships with some of the more colourful Libertines. My appreciation of the city became intrinsically tied to these larger-than-life characters and my interactions with them, social or otherwise. Though I’m not one to kiss-and-tell, there’s been more than a few occasions where I’ve succeeded in a K-close or even been invited in for loud, passionate conversation with some of the fine ladies I met during the trip. Of course, there was drowning incident where I accidentally flung my date off my bike, off a bridge, and into the sea – a memorable first-date that I doubt we’ll be reminiscing to our grandchildren.

6. Working Holiday

For a visitor of dubious legitimacy, finding work in Liberty City takes on a whole new layer of complication. Not only is a nine-to-five position all but out of the question, one may need to question how much of their own morals they’re willing to trade for cold, hard cash. For me personally, it’s all of it. This means that aside some of the less objectionable jobs such as cab-driving and street racing, I’ve already dabbled in some heavy murder and what some may classify as minor terrorism in my short time here. And I’m really only just getting started. The work so far has been challenging, exciting, and financially rewarding, even if I often-times run into the red by incurring large hospital bills or having to bribe my way out of jail.

7. Emergency

If you enjoy the unfulfilling sense of being utterly ineffectual and the exciting prospects of being dead, then a position on Liberty City Law Enforcement may be the career for you! Though great at spotting a crime in progress, the LCPD abides by a safeties-off policy of shoot first and ask questions never, regardless of the severity of your crime.

In my several displeasurable run-ins with the law, I’ve seen them run over the alleged victims in cold blood, wrap themselves around telephone poles, and take cover behind burning car soo-to-go-boom wrecks. But their relentlessness and sheer number still make them a force to be reckoned with, especially as your crimes become more severe.

8. Things to Do

It’s when you are elbow-deep in a game of darts with your friends in the pub after a long and bloody work day that one truly appreciates the value of the American Dream. The revamped Liberty City offers far more recreational outlets than ever before, with dinner shows, restaurants, pubs, bowling alleys, pool halls all being popular hangouts. For the more amorous visitor, various strip clubs in operation around the city are sure to grind you to satisfaction. While very few of these activities offer any real depth or require much skill, they were a nice distraction for me to cultivate my friendship with various individuals!

9. When to Go

Even after 40-odd in-game days spent in Liberty City, I feel like I’ve barely even come to grips with the sheer amount of depth to be uncovered in this city of incredible excess. My dealings with various friends and business acquaintances are getting more heated and interesting with each passing day, and I’ve yet to even set foot in the adjacent state of Alderney! With more entertainment per square-mile than ever before, there’s no better time to travel to Liberty City! And believe me, you’ll come for the sights, and stay for the people!

Libert City: Undercover – Day 1 article by Karter Yu.