Template:Infobox vehicles The Vortex is a hovercraft in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Description
The Vortex is a single-seat hovercraft, and being an amphibious vehicle, is capable of moving both on land and water. The vehicle has rather poor handling and average speed, due its primary source of locomotion being a large fan with a rudder attached to the back and gliding across the ground, thus having no grip. The Vortex is also capable of gliding short distances if the player sends the vehicle flying off of a high location, which behaves similarly to controlling an airborne car. With some effort, it is possible to 'fly' the Vortex from the summit of Mount Chiliad to Whetstone and beyond.
Locations
Like the Kart, the Vortex will only spawn in specific locations after the mission "Cut Throat Business", appearing in the following locations:
- The Panopticon, northeast Red County in a shed
- On a pier at the end of a short river in Marina, Los Santos (beside a Gang Tag)
- Available at Easter Basin docks for importing after third list completion for $20,800 on Sunday
- At the Pirates In Men's Pants casino, The Strip, Las Venturas
- Spawns on a beach in Bayside, and is known as the 'Ghost Vortex' because it moves by itself off the beach and into the water.
- On a jetty near Valle Ocultado (near a unique stunt jump)
- In the lower deck of the aircraft carrier in Easter Basin Naval Base.
The vehicle can also be spawned using a cheat code and it is used for two tests in Boat School, although in the latter you cannot exit the vehicle.
Variants with unique colors
Three Vortexes with unique color schemes can be found during "Cut Throat Business". Two of them, which are used by the player and Madd Dogg to chase OG Loc, are all-white, while the third Vortex driven by OG Loc is black with a white stripe. The player can only store any Vortex's in a garage by failing the mission, as the chase eventually switches to a Kart chase at a pier, forcing the player to abandon the hovercrafts. In addition, while it is possible for the player to use any of the hovercrafts to chase OG Loc while he is on a Kart, the player will ultimately lose the vehicle upon completion of the mission.
The white Vortex is more easily attainable, requiring the player simply ignore the instruction to chase OG Loc at any point of the hovercraft chase, failing the mission and gaining full control of the vehicle. OG Loc's hovercraft is attainable after he ditches the vehicle at the pier, and also requires the player cease to pursue him and fail the mission. Another method involves simply having to kill Madd Dogg in the beginning of the pursuit before OG Loc is out of sight to gain access to any one of the three hovercrafts.
Trivia
- According to the game's files, the Vortex is considered an aircraft rather than a boat or a car. Because of this a moving Vortex will not experience motion blurring and when it's about to explode it will first become engulfed in black smoke, and the resulting explosion will be significantly stronger and noticeably more violent than a regular car. In addition, Hydras will attempt to shoot the player down at a four or five-star wanted level and Police Mavericks will not engage the player. However, the player will not attract missiles if the Vortex is driven into or around Area 69.
- The Vortex plays Radio X by default when entered.
- In the PS2 version of San Andreas, exiting a Vortex while going at high speed will freeze the game. This may be explained by either the lack of code for the "exiting animation while running at high speed", or by how the game handles the Vortex (it is considered to be an aircraft)
- A Vortex left floating on the water may suddenly sink when out of the player's camera view.
- There may be a glitch where the Vortex's sound effects will change for a different (and strange) sound effect.
- The Vortex in the Easter Basin Naval Base cannot be driven out of the lower deck of the aircraft carrier as it is too big to get past the doors. Aditionnally, entering the base will give an instant 5-stars wanted level, spawning a high amount of SFPD officers inside the ship, making acquiring it nearly impossible.
See also
- Bovver '64, GTA Vice City Stories equivalent.