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The 8 best missions in Grand Theft Auto history
From Los Santos to Liberty City, San Andreas to Vice City, these are the heart-racing, pulse-pounding GTA missions that have stuck with us.
Set in a fictional, crime ridden USA, the Grand Theft Auto series is perhaps a parent’s worst nightmare, and a gamer’s dream come true. It’s almost impossible that you haven’t played it (the first game was released in 1997). If you have played it, it’s likely a specific game or mission still holds a special place in your heart.
With GTA VI promising to be released in the near future, it's the perfect time to celebrate the best story missions that have come before it - sticking to the official games only, excluding GTA Online and any mods. Here, in no particular order, are the capers, car rides and robberies we’ll never forget.
01
Two-Faced Tanner - GTA III
GTA III was the franchise's first outing in three dimensions
© Rockstar Games
RIP, Tanner. In mission 35, set out by the Yakuza, you’ll need to chase your buddy Tanner down and see him off. His crime? That would be being an undercover cop – a pretty basic no-no in the crime-ridden world of Liberty City. It’s a great mission because the stakes are relatively low, and the pay off is pretty satisfying. You’ll chase Tanner through the streets in an early indication of just how good GTA’s car sequences should be. And when you do finally pin him down, it’s a messy end for Tanner. A word to the wise: make sure you do this one before the later ‘Grand Theft Aero’ mission, otherwise it disappears for good and you won’t be able to hit the coveted 100 percent completion.
02
End of the Line – GTA San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas provided some of the series' high points
© Rockstar Games
The spectacular finale to GTA San Andreas sees CJ clear out ‘Big Smoke’s Crack Fortress’ (we told you this isn’t one to play in polite company). After fighting your way up to the crack penthouse and sending Big Smoke on his way, you’re confronted by the Samuel L. Jackson-voiced Officer Tenpenny, another adversary, but this time with the law on his side. Naturally, a scuffle ensues which leads CJ to chase Tenpenny across the map. Did we mention Tenpenny is driving a stolen firetruck, with your homie Sweet clinging to the side? Not only will you need to stay the course to save Sweet, you need to make sure Tenpenny doesn’t make it out alive too. The conclusion is all sorts of satisfying.
03
Keep Your Friends Close – GTA: Vice City
Many consider Vice City to be the best GTA game so far
© Rockstar Games
The final mission in arguably the best Grand Theft Auto game sees Tommy Vercetti go full Scarface. Locked up in his Miami-esque mansion, Vercetti introduces his enemies to his little friend. What follows is a shoot-out for the ages as foes, double-crossers and goons invade Vercetti’s mansion. It’s a difficult mission to get through, despite having health, body armour and weapons readily available. It doesn’t help that your former best bro Lance Vance switches sides at the 11th hour. Don’t worry, though, he gets his.
04
Three-Leaf Clover - GTA 4
GTA IV's Niko was an enigmatic antihero
© Rockstar Games
GTA 4's bank robbery mission is still iconic, 18 years later. Working in tandem with the Irish McReary brothers, you’ll work as driver and gunman as you rob the Bank of Liberty. Naturally, things don’t quite go to plan. You’ll be treated (if that’s the right word) to a ginormous shoot-out in Liberty City’s Chinatown. The mission is a huge step up for your protagonist, Niko, boosting him into the upper echelons of crime. There’s also a huge twist in the middle of the bank scene, which is best not spoiled here. Bonus lore points: the robbery itself features in flashback at the start of DLC content The Ballad of Gay Tony, with that game’s protagonist Luis Lopez discovered to have been hiding in the corner the entire time.
05
Dropping In - The Ballad of Gay Tony
Luis Lopez drops in unexpectedly in The Ballad of Gay Tony
© Rockstar Games
Released as downloadable expansion pack for GTA 4, The Ballad of Gay Tony is a beloved game in its own right. Missions like Dropping In show why. The brief is simple, kill your enemy. You’ve done it a thousand times. This time around, though, a simple drive-by or running over won’t do. No, you start the mission by helicoptering over the city, then parachuting down onto the building your quarry is hiding in. From there, it’s just a simple case of wading down floor after floor of henchmen until you find your mark. It’s all pretty James Bond style stuff. Oh, and did we mention you make your getaway by parachuting out of a window and landing in a moving getaway car?
06
Breaking The Bank At Caligula’s – GTA San Andreas
CJ was the central protagonist in GTA San Andreas
© Rockstar Games
There’s so much to do in GTA games that you might miss the best bits. Such is the case with Breaking The Bank At Caligula’s, a GTA San Andreas mission for the Triad which you don’t actually have to do to progress the story. Unlocked once you reach the Four Dragons casino in Las Venturas, you’ll build up to the actual robbery in a series of prep missions, doing everything from stealing police bikes to seducing a casino employee. The build up lends an inevitable sense of anticipation, and you’ll be itching to see it all come together. And, unlike the out-and-out gun fights some robberies in the series have become, this one focuses more on stealth, with CJ using night-vision goggles and poisoning the air vents to minimise the chaos. It’s also one of the biggest payouts in the game, netting you $100,000 for your part in the heist.
07
Stowaway – GTA San Andreas
GTA San Andreas raised the bar for the series
© Rockstar Games
Want to race through crowds of machine-gun toting baddies, dodging falling cargo as you chase an actual plane along a runway? Of course you do? Want to then jump from your motorbike into said plane just as it takes off? Want to fight to the front of the plane, plant a bomb, and then parachute to safety? Yes, yes and yes. Why can’t more video-game missions be like this? The answer: none of them quite have the guts, or the wacky sense of humour of GTA at its best.
08
The Jewel Store Job – GTA V
GTA V saw you divide your time between three characters
© Rockstar Games
The newest GTA game was released 13 years ago, and while it’s received plenty of additional content in GTA Online, GTA V's story missions are still worth a replay. Well, some of them, at least. Borrowing heavily from Los Angeles, the fictional Los Santos map features many recognisable locations. This one, in which you rob an upscale jewellery store, takes inspiration from Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard in Beverley Hills. These little details help bring the game to life, but what makes this level an all-timer is that you can plan whether to be stealthy, or go in guns blazing. It’s atmospheric, funny and tense in equal measure. Plus, the escape – racing a motorbike through traffic with police on your back – is an all-timer. Sleek and polished, it feels like you’re in a video-game version of LA crime classic Heat.
