POLL:Best Intro Missions In The GTA Series

[TheSantader25]

So as we recently had a thread about the best finale, we might as well have one for the beginning. Keep in mind that By "Beginning" I mean more than one official mission. These are the missions that are considered the introduction missions and you will hear the Mission Passed Theme/Sign for the first time after these are over. Also you may consider the Intro scenes(Initial cutscenes and introduction to the city by a theme) in your choices as well. For the 3D era GTAs the initial credits accompanied by the official theme are also considered a part of the "Beginning". 

Edited December 19, 2018 by TheSantader25

[Jack Lupino]

GTA 3-intro music with claude and catalina robbing bank of liberty gives me chills!

the news reporting about the robbery and then cartels kidnapping old man and destroying the callahan bridge looked so epic.

GTA 5-Prologue the best, the longest and most detailed intro mission but franklin and lamar felt like copied from san andreas mission to me

GTA San Andreas-If we count introduction as a part of the intro mission

 

I voted for GTA 3

Miami Vice will vote for GTA IV as usual

Edited December 19, 2018 by Jack Lupino

[Grotti Vigilante]

Wow, this question is actually harder for me to answer than the best finale. Unlike the last missions, the first missions have no story build-up behind them, instead they have the job of hooking you into the game and giving you an impression as to what kind of journey you are about to embark on. Some things that initially come to mind are Vice City, San Andreas and GTA IV. For Vice City's reasoning, it's the fact that we see what sets up our goals throughout the entire game's storyline, and you really feel like you are now doing one of the world's toughest jobs the minute Tommy smashes that poor phone onto the floor. The frustration in his body language displays everything perfectly.

 

In San Andreas, we see that CJ is grieving the loss of his mother and just about getting back all his bad memories soon as he gets back to Grove Street. Then we see that things just aren't what they used to be, and with a group of bent cops on our case we now have a great deal of work to get done. With GTA IV it actually starts off very happy since nothing bad really happens in the first part. We arrive into Liberty City with the impression that we're going to be living the American Dream, but then when Roman shows us he's actually just the owner of a small cab business and his mansion is a cockroach-ridden dump, it shows that things just aren't what they initially seemed.

 

In all honesty, I think after that evaluation I have to warily give it to GTA IV. The sense of disappointment that occurs when Niko discovers his cousin is a blatant liar just connects better with my personal experience where things that seem good aren't what we thought they were and that life is full of disappointments. In Tommy and CJ's case, things were bad from the start. Tommy just got out of prison and things immediately start going from bad to worse, and CJ just came home to see his grieving family, and things start going from bad to worse. Niko on the other hand comes to a new life hopeful but ends up seeing things are actually quite crap. That just connects with me better for some reason. 

 

(Also, I'm seconding what was said by Jack Lupino and am calling that Miamivicecity is gonna pick GTA IV too )

Edited December 19, 2018 by Grotti Vigilante

[TheSantader25]

They all have their special moments. I'm gonna talk about the ones that stand out but they are all awesome. 

 

IV-the initial ship scene with the theme is definitely the spotlight. 

 

SA-basically makes you feel like sh*t. All the dead people and trying to survive a drive by with a f*cking bike. You're the lowest of the lowest which is incredible when you compare it to the end. 

 

VC-the main thing that comes to my mind is the atmosphere. It gets you right into VC from the beginning. 

 

V- Incredible soundtrack during the prologue and also the LS introduction accompanied by Michael's midlife crisis speech. The moment I like a lot is when Michael takes the wheel in the prologue. Incredible Voice acting kicks in (F*CK YOU TOO)and then an exciting car repossession with Lamar. I only wished the game could keep the same quality in the later stages but the initial missions are the most intense and unique in the series. That's why I give it to V. 

[Lioshenka]

Voted for GTA 3 initially, but changed my vote to SA later.

 

GTA 3 has a very nice atmospheric intro - I don't think the explosion scene and the suspense of the bank heist could be toppled by any of the other intros. However, since it also mentions the first mission I think SA beats it - within a short short you're introduced to the city, thrown into a chase and a shootout. I find this a very gripping combination, which tells you a lot about the game world, Carl's background, feelings, family and friends.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Lioshenka

[Tacymist]

I always believed GTA V started off strong, so I voted for that. My vote's mainly for the prologue as I thought it was really well done. 

[Femme Fatale]

IV. Drunken Roman and this catchy tune. :]

 

 

 

[Algonquin Assassin]

"Niko my cousin is here".

 

That is all.

[Bratva Assassin]

I voted for The Cousins Bellic from GTA IV! Nothing quite like Roman being drunk and crazy, but still nice at the same time!

[mde2]

GTA 3 sticks out to me because it was the first GTA game I ever played. Something timeless about seeing the banshee drift, the bank robbery, the police convoy, the female radio host, the Callahan bridge getting blown up and of course, "I know a place on the edge of the red light district where we can lay low, but my hands are all messed up so you better drive brother" then Head Radio starts playing...f*cking great stuff. That was the moment I fell in love with the series.

 

[Algonquin Assassin]

1 hour ago, ThatKyloRenGuy said:

I voted for The Cousins Bellic from GTA IV! Nothing quite like Roman being drunk and crazy, but still nice at the same time!

It goes to show you don't need shootouts, car chases etc to make a great first impression. I've lost count how many times I've done this. Still love it as much as in 2008.

 

Never gets old.

[Euri DR]

I have to say that "clean & serene" always makes me feel so bad a**. It's just so cool.

[iiCriminnaaL]

I used to prefer Clean And Serene due to it being a two-part mission: a relaxing introduction ride, and a battle to retrieve a bike. Not to mention its awesome cutscenes. But now I give it to The Cousins Bellic. The cutscenes and that sweet night ride have that charm, as well as a warm atmosphere. An excellent mission to open the story with.

 

However, Clean And Serene is still one of my favorites.

[Rafae S]

San Andreas' one for the nostalgia alone lol

 

III and VC's were more iconic if I'm talking objectively though.

 

Edited April 22, 2019 by Rafae S

[combustion]

The Cousins Bellic, closely followed by Clean and Serene and Give me Liberty. The rest are nothing special.

[Ondr4H]

My bad.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Ondr4H

[Legomanarthur]

I voted for Clean and Serene because I like how this mission introduces us to the biker way of life and is soon followed by a gunfight, it goes straight to the action which gives a strong impression that the story will be non-stop violence, especially with Billy around. The fact that TLaD is to me the most unique GTA has left quite an impact on me when I first played it, especially with the first mission. I love The Cousins Bellic because of how it introduces us to the HD universe, to Niko, Roman, a little bit of Liberty City and to the game's atmosphere, however the mission itself is fairly short so I tend to prefer Clean and Serene as a mission. My only gripe with TLaD's intro mission is that it takes place in Alderney and Algonquin despite the fact that the bridge should be blocked at this point in the story.