Throughout the years, the Grand Theft Auto series has certainly thrown up its fair share of wild and memorable missions across its several iconic titles.
Whether it’s for their creative gameplay, dramatic consequences or sheer fun factor,some GTA missions stick with us even years after first completing them.
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Grand Theft Auto games have a lot more than just stealing cars and doing some heists. Here are 10 of the most memorable missions in GTA V.
As the series and its mechanics have evolved, missions have become more complex over the years. However, someiconic missions from the classic games are hard to beat, and in some cases, even feature superior level designs overall.
From the Scarface-style finale of GTA Vice City to Niko’s epic heist with the McReary brothers, these are the greatest missions in the entire GTA series.
8Museum Piece
A Stolen Diamond Deal Gone Wrong
Museum Piece is one of GTA 4’s best missions for several reasons. Not only is it a key point in the story in which Niko, Johnny, and Luis all coalesce, but it also features one of thecoolest interiors in the game.
From Niko’s point of view,the mission is a grueling shootout inside The Libertonian museumas he fights his way out. Things play out similarly for Johnny in the Lost and Damned DLC, though his escape route is slightly easier.
For Luis, the mission starts by landing a chopper on the roof andstealthily infiltrating the museum to oversee the deal. Having shot several of the Jewish Mob during the diamond exchange, Luis then has to escape again via helicopter while being pursued.
In addition to the tense, high-stakes cutscene, the shootout inside the museum is a memorable one. Featuring plenty of cover from exhibits to pedestals, as well as fully destructible dinosaur skeletons, the museum is a perfect setting for this kind of mission to take place.
7Three’s Company
Scaling Buildings Has Never Been So Chaotic
Three’s Company is definitely one of the most dramatic missions in GTA 5, and shows Franklin, Trevor, and Michael coming together to work as a team for the first time. Despite their slightly awkward dynamic, each of the three uses their skills in a different way to complete the mission.
While Trevor pilots the helicopter and flies over the FIB Headquarters and evades pursuing agents,Michael is tasked with rappelling down the side of the building to retrieve a hostage from interrogation.Meanwhile, Franklin watches over with a sniper rifle from an adjacent rooftop.
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The mission requires players to switch between each of the protagonists at various stages,showcasing the benefits of this multi-character system. It also features a cameo from Michelle, Niko’s first girlfriend in GTA 4, who turns out to be an undercover agent.
Out of all the missions in GTA 5’s main story, not many are quite as spectacular as Three’s Company. The icing on the cake is the continual dialogue exchange between Michael and Trevor, who mock each other for being past their prime.
6Three-Leaf Clover
Liberty City’s Most Iconic
The most iconic mission from GTA 4’s main story is arguably the bank robbery mission, Three Leaf Clover. Teaming up with the notorious Irish McReary brothers, Niko assists as both driver and gunman while they rob the Bank of Liberty.
The robbery doesn’t go exactly to plan, resulting in pure chaos and a massive shootout in the streets of Chinatown. It’s not just the fight and the escape that make the mission so memorable;the shocking twist inside the bank is also one of the best-written cutscenes in the game.
For Niko, the mission represents asignificant step-up into the world of organized crime, where previously he had been involved in smaller jobs such as drug dealing and intimidation.
The bank robbery is also featured in a cutscene at the start of The Ballad of Gay Tony DLC, in which protagonist Luis Lopez is seen hiding and then being questioned by police during the opening credits.
5Breaking The Bank At Caligula’s
An Epic Large-Scale Casino Heist
Breaking The Bank At Caligula’s is an optional triad mission in GTA San Andreas, unlocked once players reach the Four Dragons casino in Las Venturas. Not only is the heist itself very good, butthe preparation missions are also very memorable, ranging from stealing police bikes to seducing a Caligula’s employee.
What makes the mission so fun is the way that all thecharacters CJ has encountered in the gamecome together to help in one way or another. From Woozie and Kent Paul to Cesar and The Truth, everyone chips in at some point when preparing for this major heist.
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While clearing the casino is relatively straightforward with the right weapons, it is made far more atmospheric by forcing players to use night-vision goggles. The robbery isn’t a simple straight gun-fight either. CJ will also have to poison the air vents and unlock doors to let the other characters inside.
Breaking The Bank At Caligula’s is a great way for CJ to prepare for the game’s final act and head back to Los Santos to recover Sweet. The mission is also one of the most profitable in the game, earning CJ a staggering $100,000 for his efforts.
4The Jewel Store Job
A Coming-of-Age Moment
GTA 5’s story might not hold up quite as well as some of the earlier titles, but it does have its standout moments. One mission that reallyencapsulates the spirit of the heist, which much of the game centers around, is The Jewel Store Job.
After completing various preparation missions,Michael and Franklin come together and can plan whether to take either a stealthy or violent approach. Either way, the mission is equally intense and requires both speed and precision to execute it smoothly.
Not only is the robbery itself very atmospheric and lucrative, but the ensuing escape is also one of the best in the game. Players will have to ride a motorbike at high speed, weaving between traffic and obstacles, all the while evading police at a four-star wanted level.
Overall, The Jewel Store Job feels like one of the more polished and sleek heists in the game and the series as a whole. It also acts as the perfect setup for the introduction of Trevor Phillips.
3Boulevard Baby
One of The Best Nightclub Missions Ever
GTA 4’sThe Ballad of Gay TonyDLC certainly has its fair share offun missions and crazy characters. In fact, it arguably has some of the best-designed missions in the entire series, featuring everything from helicopter and bike chases to intense shootouts and parachute jumps. One of the best missions in the main story is Boulevard Baby, in which Luis must infiltrate the Bahama Mamas nightclub, then fight his way out again.
Not only is Bahama Mamas one of the coolest interiors in the GTA series,but it is also a much better nightclub than Maissonette 9, featuring music from Radio Vladivostokand a larger, screen-lit dance floor. Luis is tasked with seducing Monique, the club owner’s wife, which is done by dancing with her.
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During the cutscene that follows, Monique’s husband, Vic Manzano, unexpectedly returns and walks in on the pair. This triggers him to assault Monique, and then the gunfight begins.
Having killed Vic, Luis must then battle through security and the fleeing crowd before finally escaping the scene altogether. While it might not be the most complex mission, the atmosphere is both fun and intense, and it is the only opportunity to explore Bahama Mamaswithout the use of mods.
2Keep Your Friends Close
Tommy Vercetti Gets His Revenge
The final mission in GTA: Vice City is arguably its best one. The epic shootout inside Tommy’s mansion is reminiscent of the final scene in Brian De Palma’sScarfaceand sees Tommy gunning down hordes of gangsters as they attempt to break into his safe.
Not only is a “coming home to roost” moment for all of Tommy’s enemies, it is also a perfect chance for players to make use of all the weapons and equipment they haveacquired throughout the course of the game.
Thoughthe shootout can be tough due to the sheer number of enemies overwhelming the building, there are plenty of weapons, health and body armor provided throughout it.
The mission culminates in Tommy taking down his former friend and traitor, Lance Vance, as well as Sonny Forelli, who initiates the mission by coming to claim his debts. It isa brilliant conclusion to Vice City’s storyand truly leaves you with a sense of accomplishment afterward.
1End of the Line
The Spectacular Ending of GTA San Andreas
The grand finale of GTA: San Andreas certainly lives up to the hype. Having chased down and located Big Smoke in Los Santos, CJ has to clear out a multistorey crack den in a gauntlet-style mission.
Having taken on the boss, Big Smoke, in a dramatic shootout on the top-floor penthouse,CJ is then confronted by the treacherous Officer Tenpenny, a longtime rival who has frequently tried to frame and intimidate CJthroughout the game.
Tenpenny flees in a fire truck while Sweet hangs on from the ladder. CJ needs to follow close behind the fire truck and chase it halfway around the city before Sweet falls off and is saved. The mission culminates in a dramatic plunge from the bridge over Grove Street, in which Tenpenny is killed.
Not only is it a suitable and cinematic ending to the game’s story, but it also provides someincredibly fun and challenging gameplay moments. From escaping the den as it burns down to trying to catch Sweet as he falls from the truck, End of the Line is equal parts challenging and rewarding.
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