PRISONERS start in a cell. Break out of the prison - there are four ways:
Outside you are a CRIMINAL. Rob places: the gas stations and the donut shop (hold USE at the till), the jewelry store (break the cases, mind the lasers), the bank (get past the lasers and fill your bag in the vault), the museum (in through the roof, away from the cameras) and the tomb in the pyramid (a big obby with gold at the end).
Then take your bag to a criminal base (the hideout in the mountains or the canyon in the desert) and cash it in. Spend the money on cars, car parts and bigger bags. It takes a lot of robberies to get the best cars!
The POLICE catch criminals: the TASER stops them for a moment, then walk up and arrest them (you get their bounty). Police can arrest escaping prisoners too, and drop spike strips from their cars.
Cars: buy them at the car dealers, take them out at a car pad, change them at a mod shop. Friends can ride with you. Jump out any time.
Keys: WASD / arrows walk and drive, SPACE jumps, E uses things and gets in and out of cars, Q taser, R spikes, SHIFT nitro, M map, V cars. Phone: drag on the left to move, buttons on the right.