Part 9

Raising Special Abilities: To increase a character's Special Ability meter, drive fast in vehicles and pass other cars very closely. For Franklin, who has a vehicle-related Special Ability, the meter drains and refills quickly. For Michael and Trevor, who cannot use their Special Abilities while in a car, fill the meter, pull over, activate the Special to drain it, then drive again to refill. Trevor's Special Ability may appear to increase in jumps rather than gradually.

The Bus Stomping Trick (Strength): Find a transit bus with people inside. Climb to the top of the bus and repeatedly attack (stomp) to increase your Strength. The game registers these as melee attacks on the passengers. To avoid police attention and falling, jack a bus, take it to a secluded area, park it near something climbable, and then stomp the roof. Ensure the bus has people inside, as stomping an empty bus will not increase Strength.

The System Hardware Pause Trick (Stamina, Stealth, Flying, Driving): Use the system hardware pause (Guide Button on Xbox 360 or PS Button on PS3) to exploit game mechanics. Start an action related to a skill (e.g., running for Stamina) and then pause the game using the system button. The game continues to register the action while paused, increasing the skill. For the Driving Skill, perform a wheelie on a motorcycle by holding the Handbrake and Accelerate buttons, then pulling back on the Left Analog Stick and releasing the Handbrake. Immediately hit the System Hardware Button while in the wheelie position.