7 Best Missions in GTA: San Andreas
GTA: San Andreas follows Carl “CJ” Johnson as he is manipulated by corrupt police officers. The GTA protagonist returns to Grove Street after the death of his mother and gets into the action, starting at her funeral. There are several missions in the game, which are memorable for varying reasons, but some stand out more than others. Here are the seven best missions in GTA: San Andreas and what makes them special.
Drive-Thru
This is one of the easiest missions in San Andreas, but it is also one of the best GTA missions because of how comedic and memorable it is. CJ is tasked with driving Sweet, Ryder, and Big Smoke to Cluckin’ Bell to get some food. This isn’t unusual, as early-game missions in San Andreas are about getting players used to the locations, mechanics, and characters. However, Big Smoke orders a massive amount of food for himself, which the other three characters joke about. CJ also has to kill some Ballas, but the food order is what stands out from the mission.
The nonchalant way Big Smoke places the order makes the entire gag even funnier. That’s not all, as Smoke’s order became a real-life meme, and several content creators even recorded themselves ordering the same things at various fast food places. This turned the mission into a memorable one, which is not just considered great for San Andreas, but is arguably one of the most iconic GTA missions ever.
Wrong Side of the Tracks
This is another mission that features Big Smoke and became memorable because of the beloved character’s one-liner. The mission objective is straightforward, but it requires that you position your bike in a way that makes Smoke shooting more accurate. If you are unable to keep up with the enemies and they escape, the mission ends as a failure, and Big Smoke comments, “All we had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!”
The limited time you have to complete the mission and being required to keep up with the train gives the mission more pressure. The game intends for the mission to be completed with Smoke doing the shooting, but the character takes a long time to take down enemies. The mission is another one that has become a meme because of how common it was for players to fail and hear Big Smoke insult their driving.
The Green Sabre
This mission comes at a time in the story when players have started to trust Big Smoke and Ryder. Cesar gives CJ proof showing that Smoke and Ryder are in cahoots with the corrupt Tenpenny and Pulaski. CJ has to rush to aid his brother, who has been ambushed by Ballas. However, Sweet becomes wounded, and CJ surrenders to the police.
The mission is a crucial one for the narrative, as it turns friends into enemies and also forces CJ to leave Los Santos. This changes how players look at the story, as they have to reconsider when Smoke and Ryder were working against them and also need to double their efforts from a new location.
Robbing Uncle Sam
This is a mission where Ryder collaborates and tasks CJ with stealing weapons from the military. The duo head to the depot in a truck, and CJ uses a forklift to load crates of weapons while Ryder protects him from guards. This isn’t a challenging mission, but it requires players to drive the forklift relatively safely because destroying too many crates can lead to you failing. You then have to rush the truck back while the military chase you, increasing the pressure.
What makes the mission one of the best is that it doesn’t revolve around you shooting enemies; instead, it has you drive while another character protects you. The mission is memorable for San Andreas fans because Ryder is overconfident at the start, thinking the robbery will go down without a hitch. However, this soon changes, as the mission isn’t as simple as he was thinking.
Life’s a Beach
This is another mission that doesn’t require CJ to use his guns; instead, forcing him to dance to meet his goals. Up-and-coming rapper OG Loc tasks CJ with stealing a sound system, but CJ can only access it if he wins a dance minigame. This mission is partially memorable because the PS2 version required a high number of points, which made it harder to win.
San Andreas introduced different gameplay mechanics, such as the dance minigame being a requirement before the DJ will allow CJ near the sound system. This gave players more variety in how objectives are accomplished, rather than taking a gun to each task. The mission is particularly ironic because you have to gain the DJ’s trust by winning in the dance-off, but then you end up robbing him.
Freefall
This is a unique mission, where CJ has to gain entry into a flying plane and take down hitmen who want to kill Salvatore Leone. Players who aren’t used to flying planes found the mission challenging, as there was a decent amount of flight experience needed. This comes into play as CJ must first fly a plane to intercept the hitmen and then fly their plane down safely.
Freefall is one of the best San Andreas missions because it was substantially different from others, where CJ would follow enemies in cars or bikes, and also had a transition from flying a plane to boarding another. This interesting gameplay element makes the mission distinct and also allows CJ to advance in Las Venturas Mafia.
End of the Line
This is the final mainline mission, where CJ confronts and takes down Big Smoke. The mission is quite dramatic, with CJ commandeering a SWAT truck to break into Smoke’s building, fighting his way through multiple floors, and finally reaching Smoke. This is an emotional ending for an antagonist who became beloved despite having betrayed CJ.
The mission is one of the best in the game because CJ finally takes revenge on Smoke and forces his way out of Tenpenny’s control. End of the Line is also symbolic, as Tenpenny meets his end near Grove Street, with the entire story coming back full circle. Players get the ultimate payoff and resolution by returning CJ to his home and defeating the enemies.
