- "When bullets, shells, and explosives won't get the job done, burn it down!... Satan's own scalding hot shit-stick. Caliente!"
- ―Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars description.
The Flamethrower is a weapon that has appeared in every Grand Theft Auto game from Grand Theft Auto to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, as well as reappearing in the stand-alone HD Universe game, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
The Flamethrower was originally intended to appear in Grand Theft Auto IV, but was removed for unknown reasons. There is a text entry for a Flamethrower in the files, but lacks any sort of data values.[1]
Description
Much as its name says, the Flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire. In all of its appearances, the Flamethrower can be easily identified by its large fuel tank, a large barrel and a small rod which contains the small flame. It is classified as a Heavy Weapon in all its appearances.
Design
2D Universe
The Flamethrower in Grand Theft Auto appears to have a traditional appearance, having a shotgun-like design with the flame and the fuel tank on it. In the Grand Theft Auto: London expansions, the weapon is much more traditional, with a single barrel that contains the fuel tank on the back and feeds the weapon via a hose that ends next to the flame.
In Grand Theft Auto 2, the Flamethrower assumes a retro-futuristic appearance, having a much lower profile than in its previous appearances. With the fuel tank mounted horizontally and next to the weapon's barrel, the weapon again takes a shotgun-like appearance. There is also a vehicle version of this weapon, the Vehicle Flamethrower.
3D Universe
- "Beware psychopaths and over-enthusiastic barbequers with this weapon. Fine for use in South East Asia, but on the streets of Vice City, it's nothing but a menace."
- ―GTA Vice City Website.
The renditions after GTA III are not based on any known flamethrower design either, so it is assumed that they are homemade flamethrowers, based on their fuel tanks and triggers. However, their heatshield and a part of their barrel appear to have been based on those of the Browning M2HB machine gun.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
The Flamethrower in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars regains its shotgun-like appearance as in the 2D Universe. Based on the HUD icon, the fuel tank is now mounted on a side.
Performance
2D Universe
The flamethrower can do damage over a large area. Any vehicles or pedestrians will be instantly set on fire within range. Most pedestrians usually die when lit on fire and only the healthiest car will survive the fire.
3D Universe
Again, the Flamethrower is deadly for pedestrians and can set vehicles aflame. Fire can be put out by the fire hose on a Firetruck or, in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, with a Fire Extinguisher. Special vehicles that are fireproofed will be immune from damage from the flamethrower.
In GTA San Andreas only, the flames can be created on the ground and can spread, making the fire extremely hard to put out if one is started with the flamethrower, even if only one little flame was made to start out with. The flames on the ground will not affect pedestrians but can affect vehicles and the player. If a pedestrian catches on fire, the pedestrian will usually run wildly until his or her death.
It is one of the two only weapons that can destroy a Rhino, the other being the Molotov Cocktail.
3D Universe Overview
| Damage | Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) | Ammo Specifications/ Capacity | Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 (GTA Vice City) | 100 (GTA Vice City) | 5.1 / 16.7 (GTA Vice City) | 500 (GTA Vice City) | N/A | 100 (GTA Vice City) |
| N/A | 180 RPM (GTA III, Vice City, Liberty City Stories & Vice City Stories)
240 RPM (San Andreas) | Cannot be determined | 50 (single propane tank) | Tank colocation | N/A |
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
The Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars rendition is not very different from its predecessors, able to take out enemies on foot and set vehicles aflame. The flamethrower can kill targets in seconds, but has a limited range.
Its usage against Rhinos should be avoided, as the Military would make full use of the vehicle.
Image Gallery
In-game model
Add a photo to this galleryHUD icon
Locations
The Flamethrower is rather uncommon and thus, hard to find in the game. However, missions and side-missions are the easiest ways to acquire one.
Grand Theft Auto 2
- Mainly used in Kill Frenzies.
- A Fire Truck is equipped with the flamethrower in the mission Fire Truck Fun!.
- The Village, Residential District - Located near the red job phones for the Zaibatsu Corporation.
- Vedic Temple, Industrial District - Located near the red job phones for the Hare Krishna.
Grand Theft Auto III
- Used in Rampages.
- Harwood, Portland Island - On roof of the Head Radio building. It will be on a block-like object. This object is too high for the character to jump on, so it is strategic to plan accordingly in order to get there. A Hidden Package will be nearby. There is a video here.
- Francis International Airport, Shoreside Vale - Underneath the west end of the Shoreside Lift Bridge (near the spray-painted wall).
- Pike Creek, Shoreside Vale - Available to buy in the unnumbered garage at the Pike Creek LCPD Compound after completion of A Drop In The Ocean for $25,000.
- Hideouts - Available after extinguishing total 20 fires on each island in the Firefighter vehicle mission. It should be noted the Flamethrower can be obtained very early in the game, provided the player get to Staunton Island by jumping the girder and steel beam on the broken Callahan Bridge (both left and right side). Since Shoreside Vale is not locked at this point the in game, the player can easily drive to it using either the Subway or the Porter Tunnel. He can then complete the 20 firefighting missions there, come back, do the same at Staunton before going back to Portland. This will make the Flame Thrower appear even if the player hasn't completed any missions in Portland.
- Can be picked up from the Colombian Cartel gang members during The Exchange.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Used in Rampages.
- Ocean View Hotel, Ocean Beach, Vice Beach - 40 Hidden Packages award.
- Starfish Island - In the swimming pool of the Rockstar House northwest of the Mansion.
- Vercetti Estate, Starfish Island - 40 Hidden Packages award and available after completion of Rub Out.
- Hyman Condo, Downtown, Vice City Mainland - 40 Hidden Packages award.
- Viceport, Vice City Mainland - By the building near the road in the southwest part of Viceport, south of the Viceport Pay 'n' Spray. From the Viceport Pay 'n' Spray, head south along the road. As Tommy is near the road curve going east, he can see the weapon icon to his right.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Flamethrower's locations map
- The flamethrower is prominently used in the mission Are You Going to San Fierro?, where Carl Johnson uses a flamethrower to destroy The Truth's crops in Leafy Hollow. It can't be obtained since the player replaces it with a rocket launcher later on, in order to shoot down a pursuing Police Maverick.
- Flint County - Through the woods, next to a couple of shacks, near the rail tracks.
- Flint Range, Flint County - Inside Helena Wankstein's tool shed, after Carl dates her.
- Shady Creeks, Whetstone - Deep inside the forest, near the dirt road and the dirt path crossing a shallow body of water.
- Doherty, San Fierro - At the construction site next to the garage, behind a collapsed portion of a building, beside a Pool Cue.
- Easter Basin, San Fierro - On top of the ship where the export and import side mission is featured.
- K.A.C.C. Military Fuels, Las Venturas - Underneath a low ceiling inside the military base itself.
- Tierra Robada - Inside Mike Toreno's ranch after completing Vertical Bird.
Grand Theft Auto Advance
- Hideouts - Available after extinguishing total 20 fires on each island in the Firefighter vehicle mission.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- The Flamethrower is used in the mission Friggin' the Riggin', in where Toni Cipriani uses a flamethrower collected from Phil Cassidy's Fully Cocked Gun Shop to burn fake ballot papers, Forelli Family members and vans and two printing machines. It can be obtained in Toni's weapon inventory if it hasn't become out of use.
- Used in Rampages.
- Trenton, Portland Island - On a roof across Joey's Garage, this is one is reachable by a ramp.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- It is used in the mission Light My Pyre by Armando Mendez, who uses a flamethrower to confront Victor Vance, who ends up killing Armando in the end.
- Prawn Island - Spawns in the edge of an alley, above it is a Red Balloon and by the alley itself is a Burrito parked. It also appears at each safehouse after popping 70 Red Balloons.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- Used in Rampages.
- Can be bought from Ammu-Nation after the mission Scrambled for $6,000.
- Castle Garden, Algonquin - Located on top of the construction site.
- During the Vigilante missions, one can easily be picked up in the "Arson" missions by killing any of the arsonists.
- It can be obtained on the player's own in the mission Cash and Burn.
Trivia
3D Universe
- If the player uses the flamethrower in front of a mirror, the fire will not show up on it.
- In the mobile version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the HUD icon of the Flamethrower is a modified version of the one in GTA III.
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the player can kill a target faster by shoving them with the flamethrower and burning them. The knocked target will simply be killed without screaming in pain when they are on fire.
HD Universe
- In Grand Theft Auto V, the flamethrower is seen carried by the player in Righteous Slaughter 7, but is not featured from the actual game.
- It was probably that the flamethrower was once implemented to reappear in the actual game, but, like GTA IV, was removed for unknown reasons, albeit without leftover files, suggesting it had been cut in very early stages of the development.
See Also
- Molotov Cocktail - Another fire-based weapon featured in the Grand Theft Auto series.
- Apocalypse Cerberus, Future Shock Cerberus and Nightmare Cerberus - Vehicles featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the Arena War update, which are equipped with a mounted flamethrower.
References
- ↑ WeaponInfo.xml - GTA IV
<weapon type="FTHROWER"/>
