Escuela of the Streets is a mission in Grand Theft Auto IV given to protagonist Niko Bellic by community leader Manny Escuela from West Bohan Community Center in South Bohan, Bohan, Liberty City.
Description[]
In the opening cutscene, Manny Escuela and his camera man Jay Hamilton shoot a film involving the former and a group of people dancing to reggaeton music. When Niko Bellic enters, Mallorie Bardas scurries over to kiss him and introduces him to Manny. Manny tries to persuade Niko on camera to help him "clean the streets", a euphemism he uses often for eliminating local drug dealers. Niko, shying away from the camera during Manny's monologue, grows exasperated by it and orders Jay to turn the camera off. Then, he seizes the camera by force and sends it crashing to the ground. Manny sends the dancers home and scolds Niko. Then, he entreats Niko to help him in his endeavour to "clean the streets" in exchange for money. Niko acccedes to his proposition.
Mission Objectives[]
In order to complete the mission the player must:
- Get in a vehicle with Manny.
- Go to the dealer's place with Manny.
- Follow the dealer to the meet, don't let him know you're following him.
- Park behind the dealer.
- The dealer went into the warehouse, get him.
- The door is locked. (If door is touched by player.)
- Wipe out all the dealers.
- Leave the warehouse.
- Shoot out the door. (if the player came through the window or the skylight at the roof.)
Enemies[]
Walkthrough[]
After the cutscene, the player must get in a vehicle with Manny and drive to the dealer's place on Grand Boulevard. Upon arriving, a cutscene will play showing a dealer getting into a Stallion and driving off. After the cutscene, the player must tail the dealer to the meetup at the Chase Point Warehouse. The player must be careful to not get too close to the dealer's car, or he will be alarmed. Manny will warn Niko (if not insult him) if the player gets too close. After he warns Niko a certain amount of times, the player will spook the dealer, and he will abort his trip to the meetup, therefore failing the mission. If the player blows the horn while following the dealer, Manny will say something like "Not cool, man!", and if the player continues to blow the horn they will spook the dealer, causing the mission to fail.
The drive will end at the Sprunk warehouse in Chase Point, Bohan. The player must park behind the dealer's car once they get there. After a short cutscene, Manny tells Niko to follow the dealers into the warehouse and eliminate them, and then drives away to pick up his cameraman. The player will soon realize that the front door is locked. At this point, they have several options for getting into the warehouse:
- Front door - If the player shoots the lock on the door, they will be able to enter through the door but it will alert the dealers. (Once the player alerts the dealers, all cops nearby and their wanted level will disappear at that moment)
- Window beside the front door - If the player takes long enough to find an entrance, Manny will send them a text message saying that for every door that closes, a window opens. This is a hint to enter the warehouse through one of its windows. There are two large windows at the front of the warehouse, to the left of the locked door. If the player shoots one of them with a firearm to break the glass, they can climb on to the ledge and into the warehouse. Shooting the glass will startle the drug dealers inside the warehouse, so they will be ready for the player as they enter.
- Skylight at the roof - If the player is looking for the stealthiest alternative, they can climb the fire escape of the adjacent building to the warehouse's roof, and then cross some pieces of plank wood back to the warehouse where the drug dealers are located (an SMG pickup can be found at the rooftop of the warehouse). Once there, the player can seek out an open skylight to breach the building itself. There will be an enemy visible below the skylight with a Pump Shotgun.
Once inside, the player must eliminate all the gangsters. When the player leaves the warehouse, Manny and his cameraman will meet him outside. However, if the cops have been alerted, the player will need to lose their wanted level first.
Video Walkthrough[]
Deaths[]
- Hustlers gang members - Killed by Niko under orders from Manny Escuela.
Reward[]
- The mission Street Sweeper is unlocked.
- The random character Mel becomes available.
Trivia[]
- Escuela is Spanish for school. Therefore, Manny Escuela translates to Manny School, and the mission title translates to School of the Streets.
- Interestingly, Niko suggests he knows about stalking, by questioning Manny on how far back he should follow the dealer. He will say "it's two cars lengths, right? That's how far you stay behind a woman when you're harassing her?" or "you know, when I was stalking this girl in Europe, I found that two car lengths was the best distance" or "apparently the mob teaches people to stay two car lengths behind a target" depending on how many time the player restarts the mission.
- The dealer drives a uniquely colored Stallion. It will be black, but with a unique pearlescent undertone. It can be seen in, but not limited to, blue, green, red, pearl, and normal tints. It can be obtained without failing the mission after the dealer parked the car and entered the warehouse. The player can jack it and take it to his/her parking area. Also, if he/she leaves the warehouse from the skylight (by using the Forklift to climb it up) and go to the front door, the car will be still parked there and the player can take it to his/her safehouse parking area, then return to the warehouse and shoot the lock from outside to finish the mission.
- Weirdly, the dealer's Stallion will have its engine running but the doors locked, regardless, Niko will still be able to steal the car.
- The song that plays at the beginning of the mission is "Impacto" by Daddy Yankee. It is featured in the in-game radio station San Juan Sounds.
- If the player gets a wanted level before reaching Grand Boulevard, they have to lose it to continue, but if it is obtained when tailing the dealer, the mission will fail.
- When tailing the dealer, discharging a firearm will not fail the mission, unless it hits the dealer's car.
- If the player takes too long to enter the warehouse, Manny will send an SMS telling the player to check out the skylight above the warehouse.
- When tailing the dealer, Manny will be bothered if the player honks the horn, honking for too long will fail the mission.
- There is a health pickup inside the office (on the left, if the player broke the lock and came in through the front door). It does not show on the other side of the wall but it can still be collected from that side. Even after this mission, it is available for Niko to pick up for the rest of the game.
- During the mission, a Forklift can be found inside the warehouse, the player can enter the Forklift, but it cannot be driven outside, as the door is too small. The Forklift can be used to climb up to the skylight to get the Stallion. (as mentioned above). The Forklift in the warehouse is only seen during this mission.
- If the player fails the mission while in a vehicle, Manny will tell Niko to get out and he will drive off in the player's car. If the player repeats the mission through the SMS, the car that Manny drove away in will respawn nearby.
- The player should not use a valuable vehicle for this mission, as Manny will drive off in it and it won't reappear even if the player completes the mission.
- There is a bug where the yellow arrow will not show up when the drug dealer reaches his destination. The dealer will not exit his car and will sit there. So the mission will become stuck.
- This mission is similar to Shadow as both missions involve the following or stalking of an enemy to their hideout (without them knowing) before killing them and their comrades. Except in this mission, the player uses a vehicle to follow them.
- If the player chooses not to go through the front door, but go through the side door (not too far from the front door - just turn right), they are technically still in the warehouse, but the cutscene with Niko Bellic outside the warehouse shows up.
- The ending cutscene for this mission is usually seen during the day.
