GTA V Story Mode Walkthrough: Your Complete Guide

Pulling off a perfect heist in GTA 5 is less about chaos and more about smart planning-this guide breaks down every mission, every choice, and every shortcut you need to squeeze the most cash, thrills, and secrets out of Rockstar’s blockbuster crime saga.

This unofficial guide to Grand Theft Auto V – Quests & Missions offers a thorough help with completing all of the missions available in the game. This guide includes, first of all, a walkthrough for all of the missions in the single player campaign. The descriptions of individual missions in our guide inform of the actions that need to be undertaken to complete them correctly, and also suggest the best way to take advantage from the main character’s strong points and what needs to be done to complete each of the missions in 100%. A strong emphasis has been put on completion of heists, which play a key role in the game. The walkthrough of heists consider all of the possible variants of acting, so that completing heists is possible regardless of the adopted tactics.

Apart from the description of the main missions, this guide also includes walkthroughs for all of the side missions given to you by strangers and freaks as well as the descriptions of random events, which you can witness as you explore the game world.

We have also included very detailed maps in the world atlas sections where we marked locations of mission givers (both main and optional), as well as all of the other important places (e.g. the location where you can obtain a specific vehicle, or store location).

Grand Theft Auto V – Missions is the second part of our enormous guide for Grand Theft Auto V. The other two are Grand Theft Auto V – Strategy Guide and Grand Theft Auto V – Maps & Secrets. Check them out!

Grand Theft Auto V – Quests & Missions guide include

1. A detailed walkthrough for all of the main missions;
2. Detailed descriptions of all the heists available in the game;
3. A detailed walkthrough for all of the side missions received from characters that you meet in the game;
4. Descriptions of random events;
5. A high-quality maps with all of the most important locations marked.

GTA V Missions Guide – important questions

1. How many main missions are in GTA V? Our walkthrough has over 80 main missions. It is worth mentioning that not all missions are obligatory – some of them are side missions. Some bigger main missions can also be completed in more than one way. Possible variants are presented on the separate pages of the guide.
2. How many endings are in the game? GTA 5 has 3 main endings. Our walkthrough has information on when exactly you choose each ending, what are the assumptions of each ending and how to check all three endings during a single playthrough.
3. Are Strangers and Freaks missions mandatory? No, they aren’t part of the main plot. However, completing them may help you to get rich or win unique rewards. Our guide has walkthrouhds of all the optional missions. It is worth noting that some quest givers can give you a few missions performed one after another.
4. What are random events? Random events are small tasks that can be triggered while travelling through the game’s world. In order to unlock an event, you have to reach a related place and optionally meet the story requirements.
5. Can I replay missions? Yes, you can do that. For example, you can try to get gold medals which required for unlocking one of the achievements/trophies.
6. Are the missions in GTA 5 non-linear? This only applies to a few bigger missions. For example, the heroes may choose from a few heist variants. Some quests have optional goals or challenges. In selected quests, you can play as more than 1 hero and switch between them freely.

Best approach for each GTA V heist setup

GTA V Heists Overview

GTA V story mode includes five major heists, each with setup missions and two main approaches (except Paleto Score). Optimal choices prioritize maximum payouts by selecting cheaper, competent crew members and approaches that minimize losses or costs. Smart/stealth approaches often yield higher earnings early on, while aggressive ones shine later with skilled crews.​

The Jewel Store Job

Choose the Smart approach over Loud for stealthier entry using gas and less heat, netting ~$4.5M+ split. Pair with Karim Denz (driver, secures motorcycles for easy sewer escape), Gustavo Mota or Packie McReary (gunman), and Rickie Lukens (hacker, longest window).​​

The Merryweather Heist

Freighter approach is best despite zero payout, as it unlocks later missions and feels more immersive per canon cues. Use skilled crew like Packie (gunman) and Norm Richards if needed, but focus on survival over profit since rewards are scripted low.​​

The Paleto Score

Only one approach available, so recruit Norm Richards (gunman) for max take despite police risks-retrieve his bag to salvage gold. Avoid inexperienced members; Chef or Packie work for reliability if minimizing downtime.​​

The Bureau Raid

Rooftop entry outperforms Fire Crew by avoiding scripted deaths, cheaper crew (one gunman vs. two), and ~$8M+ split. Select Taliana Martinez (driver, recruit post-side mission), Daryl Johns (gunman), Rickie Lukens (hacker) for lowest cuts and smooth parachutes.​​

The Big Score

Obvious approach maximizes profits (~$200M+ potential split) without hacker/hostage costs or multiple upgrades like Subtle requires. Use Taliana Martinez and Karim Denz (drivers, assign Taliana first to avoid crashes), Packie/Chef (Gunman 1), Norm Richards (Gunman 2).​​

Which heist yields the highest net profit after crew cuts

Highest Profit Heist

The Big Score yields the highest net profit after crew cuts in GTA V story mode. With the optimal Obvious approach and cheapest competent crew, it delivers around $37-41 million total gross, netting protagonists ~$30+ million split after deductions.​​

Profit Comparison

Maximizing Big Score Payout

Select Obvious over Subtle to avoid heavy upgrades/hostages; hire Taliana Martinez (6% driver), Karim Denz (8% driver), Packie McReary/Chef (12% gunman), Norm Richards (9% gunman). Ensures ~$40M+ total after 14% Lester/crew shares, far exceeding others.​​