It’s been nearly three decades since the iconic franchise, Grand Theft Auto, began. Throughout the years, each mainline entry in the GTA series has entertained fans with some of the most spectacular missions you will ever find in video games. Whether it’s settling a score or pulling off the heist of the century, Rockstar Games has always successfully nailed the missions in GTA games. Ahead of GTA 6’s launch, I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and here are the 10 best GTA missions of all time.
Black Project – GTA San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is by far the greatest GTA game for many fans around the globe, including myself. This game was jam-packed with fantastic missions from start to finish, and one of the favorites is “Black Project.” The Truth, the unforgettable hippie, drops off CJ in a colorful van at Area 69 (the GTA version of Area 51) and is tasked with finding the Black Project.
Storming into a secret military research area single-handedly doesn’t make any sense at first, but it’s CJ we are talking about. You can either go the all-stealth route or unleash a rain of bullets as you wish.
Either way, it all ends with CJ stealing the iconic Jetpack and using it to escape the military base. Although you can always use the cheat code to get a Jetpack, this was one of the most thrilling times of my childhood trying to get my hands on one of the best GTA vehicles.
Minor Turbulence – GTA V
Minor Turbulence is a very Mission: Impossible-coded mission in GTA V, but instead of Ethan Hunt, Trevor takes the lead. Chaos follows Trevor everywhere in GTA V, and this mission is Trevor-exclusive. After taking the Crop Duster for a ride, Trevor slams it inside the Cargo Plane in an attempt to take control of the big plane.
After a quick gunfight up in the air and putting the enemies to sleep, Trevor then takes control of the Cargo Plane as he wishes. However, that doesn’t last long, as US Air Force fighter jets quickly set the cargo plane on fire, leaving the only option for Trevor to jump out of the plane. This is a twist I didn’t expect at all, and overall, it is the only Mission: Impossible-esque blockbuster mission in the franchise’s history.
Hood Safari – GTA V
Hood Safari is one of the earliest missions in GTA V, and it quickly made its way into the best GTA missions of all time list. This mission takes us back to the iconic GTA location, Grove Street. Trevor tags along with Franklin and Lamar in a drug deal, and somehow it ends up being the best for them, as the latter saves them from a scam.
What should have been a quiet exchange quickly turns into a massive shootout at Grove Street. Following the gunfights, the situation escalates into an escape mission with the arrival of the LSPD. In classic GTA V style, all three steal jet skis in an alley and make it out alive.
The Big Score – GTA V
The Big Score is the final heist mission in GTA V and the biggest one yet as well. Similar to the best heists in GTA Online, you can approach the heist based on your preference. You can either take the Subtle route, which involves disguising yourself as Gruppe Sechs guards, or you can drill straight into the vault via the Obvious route.
I went with the latter because who doesn’t love pulling off crazy heists in a Grand Theft Auto game. Entering the bank in the most unexpected manner, incredible shootouts, escaping using a helicopter- this heist basically had everything. The Big Score is easily one of the most memorable heist missions in Grand Theft Auto for many.
Rub Out – GTA Vice City
The Rub Out mission is a turning point in GTA: Vice City, setting up Tommy Vercetti’s ascension in the criminal underworld. Revenge is a dish best served cold, isn’t it? Tommy and Lance team up to take out Ricardo Diaz, who was behind the death of Lance’s brother.
Thus, the duo storms into the mansion, goes through each cryptic hallway, and clears out Ricardo’s men before reaching the cartel lord. The two then quickly take out Ricardo Diaz, putting an end to his criminal empire and kicking off their own journey.
Although this is a very simple mission, the act of ending Diaz’s rule and turning the mansion into Vercetti Estate is simply unforgettable. It is also one of the reasons many fans look forward to seeing a cameo of Tommy Vercetti in GTA 6 and possibly the Vercetti Estate as well.
Breaking the Bank at Caligula’s – GTA San Andreas
Breaking the Bank at Caligula’s mission in GTA: San Andreas showed the world what a grand GTA heist is. With the help of Woozie and Zero, CJ undertakes the dangerous mission of robbing Caligula’s Casino. It isn’t a simple heist like how you do a heist in GTA 5 Online. Instead, CJ must take a stealthy approach and infiltrate the lower section of the casino.
Following the blackout at the casino, CJ puts on the night vision goggles and paves the way for his team to enter the arena. As per the plan, they wipe out the mafia members, steal all the money from the vault, and when it is time for escape, CJ must play the decoy. This made the heist all the more fun, and CJ finally escapes with the help of a parachute.
Three Leaf Clover – GTA IV
Three Leaf Clover is not just the best mission in Grand Theft Auto 4, but also widely celebrated as one of the best GTA missions of all time. Niko and his gang plan to rob the Bank of Liberty in Chinatown, but when has a heist gone as planned in a Grand Theft Auto game?
No matter how the situation is derailed, Niko leads and successfully pulls off the heist after going through various ordeals, such as losing Michael, during the mission. If you are looking for some Rockstar games to play while waiting for GTA 6, then boot up GTA 4 and reexperience the riveting Three Leaf Clover heist mission.
The Paleto Score – GTA V
GTA V is full of memorable heists, but every fan unanimously votes The Paleto Score as the best mission in the game. If you are wondering why, it’s just how the heist plays out in a spectacular fashion that makes you say “Sweet, mother of sh*t…” in the end. Just like any heist in GTA V, The Paleto Score kicks off with storming into a bank and securing the money.
What follows after the crew collects the money is why The Paleto Score mission is still regarded as one of the best GTA missions of all time. Although the police successfully surround the bank, leaving the crew seemingly no way to escape, they come out in style wearing bulletproof heavy armor.
It’s a statement that they aren’t afraid of the cops, as they pull out the minigun to go all out. Instead of a typical getaway, the crew goes in gun-blazing before eventually escaping via train. Even after GTA 6 comes out, The Paleto Score will always be in the conversation for the best heist mission in GTA history.
Keep Your Friends Close – GTA Vice City
The final mission of a Grand Theft Auto game is always full of surprises. I certainly didn’t expect Lance’s betrayal when I was playing the game back then. And that is one of the main reasons why the Keep Your Friends Close mission in GTA: Vice City hit too close to home for every GTA fan out there.
Similar to Tony Montana from Scarface (the movie that heavily inspired Vice City), Tommy goes into “Say hello to my little friend” mode and wipes out everyone in the gunfight. After everything the players have gone through, Tommy then has to make the tough decision of killing the backstabber Lance.
GTA: Vice City concluded on a very high note, and the ending mission is basically etched in everyone’s minds. Now, Raul Bautista, one of the main characters in GTA 6, was seen wearing an outfit similar to Lance Vance in the game’s cover art. Is this a sign that Raul will also betray Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos in the final mission of GTA 6? We will have to wait and find out.
End of the Line – GTA San Andreas
Even after two decades, the final mission of GTA: San Andreas, End of the Line, stands tall as the greatest GTA mission of all time. CJ’s journey leads to this moment, where players are given the mission to pin down Big Smoke, who has been playing CJ all this time.
When San Andreas is in chaos and on fire, CJ takes a SWAT Tank and breaches Big Smoke’s fortress in retaliation. Killing him isn’t an easy job, as CJ has to clear multiple floors and even use night vision goggles to navigate the dark.
After making it through everything Big Smoke throws in CJ’s way, players finally get the chance to exact revenge on the scum who betrayed the Grove Street Families. It’s such a satisfying conclusion to the epic saga, and let’s see if GTA 6 can top it in the future.
And that’s a wrap on the top 10 GTA missions of all time. Let us know whether you agree with our rankings or not in the comments below.
