- For the mission in GTA Vice City Stories, see The Exchange (GTA VCS). For the neighbourhood in Liberty City in GTA IV, see The Exchange (GTA IV).
The Exchange is the final storyline mission in Grand Theft Auto III. It is given to the protagonist; Claude by Colombian Cartel leader and ex-girlfriend Catalina from the Cartel mansion in Cedar Grove, Shoreside Vale, Liberty City.
Mission
Catalina recently kidnapped Maria Latore. She now wants Claude to bring $500,000 to the Cartel mansion in Cedar Grove in exchange for not having Maria killed. Claude then arrives at the mansion and hands over the money to Catalina, who lies and walks off with the money, leaving Claude in the mercy of her Colombian Cartel men.
Claude is put under gunpoint by a Cartel gang member, but quickly escapes by punching him and taking the pistol he dropped. After being shot at, he gets a car and exits the mansion only to find a helicopter hovering above him which holds both Catalina and Maria. Claude follows the helicopter all the way to the base of Cochrane Dam and kills every Cartel goon on his way.
After coming halfway and nearly closing into the helicopter, Catalina drops off Maria at the loading bay, guarded by a couple of her men and reenters her helicopter. Catalina's chopper fires missiles at the ground while Claude gets to Maria, kills all the Cartel men. Claude picks up a rocket launcher to shoot down Catalina. After a few initial missed shots, he successfully manages to hit the helicopter and it crashes against the dam in the water. Afterward, Claude and Maria walk together holding hands as they cross over to the other side of the dam.
While the credits are rolling on the screen Maria can be heard talking right before a gunshot, after which, she remains silent and is no longer heard. The news also report the crime scene with witness Clive Denver.
Mission objectives
In order to complete the mission the player must:
- Get Catalina
- Follow the chopper to find Catalina
- Get Catalina
- Rescue Maria
- Take down Catalina's chopper
Trivia
- This is the only storyline mission in Shoreside Vale in GTA III.
- This mission is similar to The Sicilian Gambit in that both missions involve hostages being taken to remote locations and the protagonist taking down a helicopter.
- As Claude punches the Cartel member, Catalina instantly vanishes from the camera view.
- This mission has the highest reward for a storyline mission in the entire series.
- This is, chronologically, the last mission in the GTA III Era.
- The helicopter that Catalina rides is actually a blank textured version of the police helicopter.
The white Helicopter.
- You can find the Newscaster that will talk after Shooting the Helicopter down in your audio folder of GTA III. Which is located at C:/Program Files/Rockstar Games/GTA III/audio/END.mp3
- This is the only mission in the GTA series to have a district with the same name, The Exchange in GTA IV is possibly a reference to the mission.
