9 Best GTA 5 Missions

Life in Grand Theft Auto 5 is never dull. The vast state of San Andreas plays host to midair collisions, savage gunfights, and talking animals in dozens of outrageous missions. We’ve created a list of the nine GTA 5 missions that represent the best excitement, humor, and spectacular escapism you can find in Los Santos.

 

Risk Assessment

 

A wonderful exercise in absurdity, Risk Assessment is memorable for a single, marvelous bit of writing. Franklin meets a barking dog, and inexplicably strikes up a conversation with the animal. The dog tells Franklin that a skydiver is trapped in a tree nearby, and engages in a complex ethical discussion as they jog to the tree. Once they reach the skydiver, Franklin comments “That’s a cool ass dog you got.”
“What dog?” replies the skydiver. Franklin looks around, and there’s no dog. None of this is ever explained.

 

Caida Libre

 

Caida Libre is the kind of goofy action movie scenario GTA 5 excels at. Trevor pressures Michael into taking down a passing jet, then chases the plummeting, smoke-trailing plane across half the San Andreas map on a dirt bike, speeding through mountainous open terrain and making some death-defying jumps in order to retrieve a briefcase from the cockpit.

 

Deep Inside

 

For all the driving you do in GTA, vehicle combat is rarely featured in missions, so being handed the keys to a spike-dropping superspy Aston Martin is a real treat. Rockstar indulges our James Bond fantasies in this farcical tribute to movie magic, ejection seats, and chase scene hijinks. The scenario writers even figured out a plausible excuse for getting Franklin decked out in the signature white Connery tux. The mission culminates in an unexpected belly-laugh punchline built around finding out what the red button does.

 

The Third Way

 

Of the three possible choices Franklin can make at the end of GTA 5, The Third Way is the only one that really seems to fit his character, and leads to far and away the most rewarding finish. The massive, desperate gun battle against legions of crooks forced us to constantly switch players to stay ahead of the tides of enemies. Watching Michael, Franklin, and Trevor discover some peace in overcoming their common enemy wraps up the campy GTA story in a nice, satisfying bow, and leave us free to explore Los Santos post-game with all three members of the old crew intact.

 

The Paleto Score

 

One of the best GTA heist moments comes early in this small-town bank robbery. Trevor emerges from the lobby to face a formidable police blockade wrapped in a bulletproof hard-armour suit and wielding a minigun. Completely impervious to small-arms fire, the need to monitor Trevor’s life meter is replaced by the threat of police bullets shredding the money bags draped around his body. The better we fought, the more money we took home. Mercenary tanks eventually roll down the streets as the crew embarks on a desperate race to catch a speeding train before they are overwhelmed.

 

The Big Score

 

Whether you choose to tackle it clean or dirty, The Big Score is the ultimate, satisfying fulfillment of the heist mechanic. The tremendous snatch-and-grab job ropes in a huge team of crooks, legions of cops, a running air-to-air battle, several stand-up gunfights, a helicopter drop onto a moving train, and a high-speed getaway. Almost every skill we’d developed over hours of game play was tested and put to use in a single, perfectly paced, and explosive gauntlet.

 

Lamar Down

 

Small-time hood Lamar is played up for a lot of comic relief, but his friendship with Franklin is one of the storytelling touchstones of GTA 5, and it’s nice to see the team band together when he finds himself in way over his head. Taking advantage of the player-switching mechanic, the coordinated assault on the remote gang compound is pure combat from start to finish, and has a more tactical feel than most of the run-and-gun shootouts in the game.

 

Friend Request

 

Hands down the funniest mission in GTA 5, Friend Request is a clever parody of Silicon Valley’s self-absorbed culture. Poking fun at technofetishism, social networking, and workplace ageism, Friend Request charges Michael with infiltrating a Facebook-like company while posing as an employee. Purchasing a mismatched vest, shorts, and sandals allows Michael to sneak inside a farcical office that exudes the most odious aspects of San Francisco startups. The mission mechanics are honestly pretty dull...we’re here for the jokes, and they’re delivered again and again in the clever, satirical dialogue.

 

Minor Turbulence

 

Minor Turbulence is blockbuster-grade Michael Bay wish fulfillment. Trevor flies a biplane into the open back end of a Cargo Jet in midair. He engages in a heated gun battle in the open hold, hijacks the larger plane, and climbs for the edge of the sky. A fighter jet pulls up behind him and fires a missile into one of the engines, sending him spiraling toward earth, so Trevor leaps into a jeep in the cargo bay and drives it straight out the back door into open space, then vaults out the side and parachutes to safety.

We’ve shown you some of our favorite GTA 5 missions. Which ones did you enjoy most? Let us know in the comments below.