Where to aim with the grappling hook?

There is no absolutely guaranteed way to shoot the hook.

No matter what you do, it seems that sometimes Crane just is not willing to grab onto ledges after using the hook. But there are a few things you can do to improve your chances:

  1. When aiming the hook at a ledge, there will come a point where it snaps to the ledge and the white dot in the center disappears. This offers your best chance of grappling, and Crane will almost always pull himself up the ledge if this happens.
  2. Hold space as you approach the ledge so that if you hit it and begin to fall, there's a chance you'll grab it on the way down and pull yourself up anyway.
  3. Aim for part of the ledge with nothing right above it, such as cars, zombies, etc. I've noticed my chances seem to be much better in those situations.
  4. Avoid ledges which are very close to out-of-bounds areas. Avoid rock ledges (such as near the Infamy Bridge, or Alexei's radio antenna) completely unless you're okay with falling from them. I've noticed I fall off of these ledges far more often than other types, probably because they're not a simple flat line like others.
  5. Backup plan: choose a part of the ledge where falling would be safe. Areas with something to land on, or at least less zombies than the other choices, are a good pick.
  6. If you're a high enough Agility level to have the Forward Roll skill, be ready to press the crouch button in case you miss.

You will still fall some small percentage of the time following these tips, but you should be able to die less often, which will make the misses much less frustrating.