Top Five Favourite Missions

[Tonesta]

Surprised this topic hasn't come up yet......so figured I'd start it!

 

For me:

 

1) Red Dead Redemption. The grandaddy of all emotional roller coasters. The final Van Horn shootout with Sadie; Milton's reveal and death; goodbye to Abigail; Arthur's last ride; the Mexican standoff at Beaver Hollow; your horse's death (); goodbye to John; scrapping with Micah; the final appeal to Dutch and then Arthur's last sunrise. The game play may have been so-so, but the story was next level epic and anyone who wasn't moved by it, doesn't have a soul!

 

2) A New South. A fun little chase and scrap scene through (for me at least) the new territory of Rhodes and then some fishing and bonding with Dutch & Hosea. The happiest point in the story and a great ode to friendship.....before it all went to hell

 

3) Pouring Forth Oil. My favourite of the many train robberies. Good preamble and preparation; great (if borrowed) cinematics, and then a fun shootout through the train.

 

4) Sodom? Back to Gomorrah. Great, self-contained heist mission. Fun interactions with Karen & Bill, a genuine sense of tension whilst cracking the safes and then a fun shootout on the way home. Followed by the scene at Downes Ranch that at the time felt a little odd, but gave Arthur a chance to use some of his meanest one liners. Only later did it make more sense.........

 

5) A Quiet Time. Suspect this is a marmite mission. You either loved it or you hated it. Personally, I thought it was frickin' hilarious!

 

 

Honorable mentions for Goodbye, Dear Friend & Advertising: The New American Art, both of which I also loved but which were just not quite long enough to supplant the above 5!

[happygrowls]

1) American Venom:

Come on, the final was damn epic and amazing. That OST that plays with the RDR1 theme mixing with a new theme is too perfect.

2) A Quiet Time:

Lenny? Lenny?? LENNAY?????

3) A Fisher of Men:

The dialogue is on point, little Jack Marston being taken out for fishing is both a relaxing and intense sequence. The conversation between Arthur and Milton is damn perfect. The two of them fighting over how the world is/should be is a good example of how the west was dying, with Arthur still in denial that the world is afraid of them.

4) Blood Fueds, Ancient and Modern:

That trailer music is perfect, the walk up to the Braithwaite Manor is just something straight out of an old Western, and Mrs Braithwaite screaming as her children are murdered in front of them for taking Jack is so well acted. I felt bad for her, seeing her entire life and family of centuries be destroyed within a few minutes by about 8 people who had been in the county for a month.

5) Red Dead Redemption:

A perfect way to end the 19th Century section, Arthur risking everything for Abigail and John is his Redemption. He realises now that the glory days are over, he wants Dutch to see how Micah represents what's wrong with the world, even with his last breathes, he still tries to tell Dutch, the father figure he grew up with, that it's over, and that they must give up. Something that sticks with Dutch for 8 years, where he finally sees what Arthur was saying all those years ago, and avenges him. Though losing the last of his sanity from losing his dearest friend and son.

[Grotti Vigilante]

5) A New Jerusalem - On paper, this mission sounds like total rubbish. Literally you are just building a house in an interactive cinematic compilation. How could you possibly make that enjoyable? Well, somehow Rockstar Games managed to make this mission strangely enjoyable, and there's something satisfying about hammering the nails into the wood. I think it's nice to tie it in with the original game too, seeing John build his new life. The song is just so good though that it's really why the mission works. It just goes to show why music is such an important part of games.

 

4) Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern - Seeing the gang band together to save little Jack is quite nice, I'll admit. They'd been divided over several things, and there is a lot of bickering and arguing. But when even Bill Williamson is banding with everyone to help the little innocent child that is Jack Marston, it's very refreshing to see a great deal of comradery in the Van der Linde Gang. The shot of all eight of them marching up to the Braithwaite House is very screenshot worthy too. Kind of like the game's cover even.

 

3) Country Pursuits - An underrated mission in my opinion. With the music and the dark atmosphere in the muddy swamps, there is a very tense and haunting atmosphere in this mission. The scene that especially got me was when you pick up Jules and carry him back to the boat while the Bullgator is right behind you and you're being told not to look back. It reminds me a lot of the pier scene in Jaws where a guy is telling his friend to just swim for his life as the shark closes in upon him. The music adds the element of tension once again in this mission, and I really wish it got a bit more recognition. 

 

2) A Quiet Time - This one is self-explanatory. Looking for Lenny and getting drunk and having a good time just provides this mission a great deal of humour. My only issue is that if you talk to Tommy it looks like he's suffering from aphasia after the fight he had with Arthur in a previous mission. I only hope it's temporary, and it's really a relatively minor point.

 

1) Red Dead Redemption - With a mixture of action, tension and sadness, this mission really signals the end of Arthur's life and it's a nice way to close off the story before the epilogue. Playing this mission was satisfying if you play it honourably, and it's nice to see Arthur actually reflect on his life and redeem himself just like the game title suggests. I only wish it didn't signal the end of playing as Arthur and killing off my horse. I mean why would you make me name it if you're gonna do that? Darn Rockstar!

[Rafae S]

5.) The Fine Joys of Tobacco

4.) Sodom? Back to Gomorrah

3.) Preaching Forgiveness As They Went 

2.) Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

1.) Banking, The Old American Art

[LittleJesus]

5. Outlaws from the West

4. A Quiet Time 

3. My Last Boy 

2. American Venom

Honorable Mention: The Gilded Cage/Sodom? Back to Gamorrah

1. Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

 

[HeyThereFriend]

In no particular order because it's so hard to pick.

 

Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern - Braithwaite Manor is very awesome and having the mission primarily take place there was great. The whole gang riding out as a unit to get Jack back for Abigail and John is such an awesome feeling. Also this is when John truly begins to become the man we all love.

 

The Gilded Cage - Not a bit of combat and I loved it. The mayor's house is fun to explore and having to do so under the radar added to the aura this mission had.

 

Red Dead Redemption - Absolute sadness down to perfection.

 

Banking, The Old American Art - Such a fun mission, things go bad but it's just such a fun mission and it's the lead in into Guarma which I loved.

 

Dear Uncle Tacitus - Emotional.

 

Honorable Mention

A Fine Night of Debauchery - Love the yacht atmosphere, the fancy style and you unlock Extra Clean Shaven which I like for Arthur.

[Algonquin Assassin]

1) American Venom. Duh. The basis for my name.

 

2) Red Dead Redemption. The last ride back to Beaver Hollow is just so moving.

 

3) A Quiet Time. Red Dead Redemption 2's answer to Did Somebody Say Yoga except much funnier and less stupid.

 

4) Banking, The Old American Art. Reminds me so much of Three Leaf Clover though it sucks Hosea and Lenny die.

 

5) Who the hell is Levictius Cornwall? First train robbery in the game. Brilliant. 

[TheSantader25]

1.Who The Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?

2.The New South

3.A Quiet Time

4.Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

5.The Sheep and The Goats

 

 

Honorable Mentions:Outlaws of The West, Old Friends, Americans at Rest, Pouring Forth Oil IV, Advertising The New American Art,A Short Walk in a Pretty Town, Banking The Old American Art, Fleeting Joy, A Fork In The Road, Icarus and Friends, Just a Social Call, Red Dead Redemption, American Venom

[stayprivee]

1. Pouring Forth Oil

2. Our Best Selves

3. Red Dead Redemption

4. A New Jerusalem

5. Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

 

Definetly love the classic outlaw robberies, and seeing Beecher’s Hope come together was amazing.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Outlaw from the West

[Middle Class Roadman]

Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern is simply one of the best missions Rockstar have ever included in any of their games. I just haven't been that engaged while playing through a mission in a game like that before, was glued to my TV throughout the whole thing, just incredible to watch and partake in from start to finish.

 

From the whole gang riding out together under the moonlight

The final approach to Braithwaite manor underneath that long line of canopied trees

The whole gang dismounting and approaching on foot with Dutch leading

The epic shootout that follows

The whole gang gaining entry to the mansion and confronting Catherine Braithwaite while she's in a night gown demanding for the return of Jack

Dutch then dragging her down the stairs by her hair

The whole place going up in flames

The gang riding off leaving her to drown in her despair

 

Simply epic from start to finish. This was the mission where Dutch was solidified as an all time personal favourite character of mine. 

 

 

 

[Corndawg93]

No particular order

 

1) The New South

2) Red Dead Redemption 

3) Blood Feuds, Modern and Ancient

4) A Quiet Time

5) American Venom

Edited October 31, 2019 by Corndawg93

[roe]

There are a lot of genuinely brilliant missions but thinking about it these are probably my top five:

A Quiet Time
A Short Walk in a Pretty Town
Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern
Dear Uncle Tacitus
A New Jerusalem

I dislike a lot of the later missions that just constantly turn into massive shootouts, and most of my other favourites are some of the smaller ones where not a great deal of "action" happens.  I wish there was more of that because it would make the intense gun battles actually feel like they matter if they were used more sparsely.

[DanTheMan2000]

1. American Venom

2. Red Dead Redemption

3. Revenge Is A Dish Best  
    Eaten

4. Banking, The Old 

    American Art

5. Blood Feuds, Ancient And 

    Modern

As you can see, I like the action-orientated/big shootout missions.

 

[LittleJesus]

Honorable mentions:

- Pouring Forth Oil

- Sodom? Back to Gomorrah

- My Last Boy

- Welcome to the New World

- Jim Milton Rides, Again

 

TOP 5

5. Gilded Cage

4.  A Quiet Time

3. Red Dead Redemption

2. Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

1. American Venom

[Tonesta]

OK, having started the thread, I'll do a quick update after ten months and 13 sets of votes being cast (honorable mentions get you nothing).

 

GTA Forums favourite missions so far:

 

1) Blood Feuds, Ancient & Modern (11 votes)

=2) Red Dead Redemption (9 votes)

=2) A Quiet Time (9 votes)

4) American Venom (6 votes)

5) Banking, an Old American Art (4 votes)

=6) A New South (3 votes)

=6) A New Jerusalem (3 votes)

 

With five other missions getting two votes, and ten other missions getting one vote.

 

We have eclectic tastes as a board!

 

 

[Jimbatron]

There are so many good ones. Will put the choices in spoilers given the imminent PC release.

 

 

 

 

5) A Short Walk in a Pretty Town

The build up to this is immense. The way you walk along with passers by looking at you and quickly making themselves scarce creates a really creepy feel but still doesn’t prepare you for the shock factor. Good shoot out and great dialogue, especially Morgan calling out Micah’s hypocrisy with “don’t talk to me about sloppy!”

 

4) Horsemen, Apocalypse

The way this goes from 0 to 100mph is something I’ve rarely seen done so effectively in a Rockstar game. You’re expecting to have to travel somewhere before anything happens, but totally taken off guard. A great safe house shoot out. Its clever because normally it’s the one place in a R* game where you feel, well, safe.

 

3) Fleeting Joy

If you can sense a theme in my choices, it’s another one where the pace feels like it cranks up notch. This feels like the point where the Pinkertons are getting serious, after returning you think you’ll have a bit of time before they catch up with you but Milton arrives with a small army. Great shoot out in the darkness.

 

2) Sodom, back to Gomorrah

This is RDR2’s Three Leaf Clover. Enough said.

 

1) Banking, the Old American Art.

For me it’s a mission that has everything. Plot tragedy, tension, great shoot outs, blowing a hole in a wall with dynamite, an escape over the roof tops. It’s crammed with great moments, like Charles’ act of heroism: when Dutch describes it as “the most beautiful thing I ever saw” you can’t help but agree (as computer game moments go), as it sucks you into the gang’s feeling of desperation. But more than that, for me it’s the pivotal point in the entire story. Had it gone right, Dutch and his gang might have had a happy ending. But it quickly goes wrong in all the worst ways imaginable. It’s also probably the one point in the entire story where you get a moment of humility from the narcissistic leader “boys, I am so sorry”.

 

So so many other good ones that could have made the list too.

 
 

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by Jimbatron

[UncleTacitus]

Okay, let's give this a try. Been almost a year since my second playthrough, but I'll try.

 

1. A Quiet Time. Goin' drinking with Lenneea ma boah! (Best.Mission.Ever)

2. Advertising: The New American Art Form. The one where Arthur & Hosea sell booze in Rhodes. (Funny)

3. Outlaws from the West. The very first mission with Sadie's farm (just remember the chills down my spine the first time I played it)

4. A New Jerusalem. Building the farm in epilogue (Music!)

5. Country Pursuit. Saving that feller from the swamp with Dutch (just thinking about those gators gives me the creeps)

---

I'm sure I could come up with half-a-dozen others. There are some great, emotional missions late in the game, but this will do for now, at least from the top of my head.

Edited November 5, 2019 by UncleTacitus

[Edvin21]

My top 5 in order:

1-My last son: The music, watching how the group is "united" once again to fight the US Army, the atmosphere, just awesome

2-American Venom: It can only be described with this word "Epic", the energic music is top, using the double wielding mechanic can make it even better and killing the damn rat was very satisfactory

3-Sodom? back to Gomorra: A mission mainly focused in a bank robbery, the tension in cracking the safes before the cops notice something is wrong and once again the music

4-Urban Pleasures: IMO It is an improved "The Sheep and the Goats" (which I really enjoyed), the music is pretty good, shooting in the trolley was something different and enjoyable; and having Lenny and Dutch during the gunfight made it even better! And don´t forget the quarter!

5-The Fine Art of conversation: This mission has by far my favorite soundtrack "The dissaster", defending Captain Monroe from the US Army with the soundtrack made just awesome. And let´s not forget your encounter with Sister Calderón or Swanson in the train stop (depending of your actions and honour)... 

 

Honorable Mentions:

1-Red Dead Redemption: It has everything... the drama, the action and the song "That´s The Way It is". Seeing Arthur is a changed man, he is a good man, he has accepted he has little time and did what every person wants when they know they have little time "Redemption", and John was his Redemption.

2-Outlaws form the West: A really good introduction to the game

3-Jim Milton Rides Again: Come on, John Marston doing what knows the best again and the music doesnt dissapoint

4-Goodbye, Dear Friend: Watching the face of Colm O´Driscoll when he knew that his time has come was priceless

Edited November 8, 2019 by Edvin21

[Cutter De Blanc]

5. Favored Sons: The last time Arthur and Dutch get into some good old fashioned hijinx together, culminating with a delightful homage to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

 

4. Banking, the Old American Art: The mother of all failed heist missions. My sentiments echo most everyone elses.

 

3. A Fork in the Road: Heavy man. Overpoweringly heavy. As the player I was blown the f*ck away by Arthur's diagnosis the first time. 

 

2. Friends in Very Low Places: The only robbery that goes off without a single hitch. Trelawney is a lot of fun in this mission too.

 

1. Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten: Something inherently badass about storming the mansion of the most powerful man of the biggest city in the game, and just tearing his crew a new asshole and feeding his punk ass to an Alligator like he was just some pathetic nobody. You just don't screw over Dutch Van Der Linde.

[Lemoyne outlaw]

its so hard to come up with five because there are so many great ones. but here goes. im not doing them in order either.

 

 

1. a fine night of debauchery. at first when i found out that we have to play poker. i was worried because i dont know much about poker. but it turned out to be super easy because its rigged. and i just love the theme of it. it reminds me so much of one of my favorite westerns maverick. i was waiting for a woman to walk up to the table and challenge us to play according to hoyle. if you get my reference you get a million points. but i really liked the river boat. and i like the robbery part as well. a nice little shootout. it reminded me about the mafia 3 mission where you go in a river boat. i also like how trelawny shines here. he is one of the gang members that is not used much in the story. but this mission fit him perfectly. they even added strauss another less used character. overall it was such a great fun unique mission. plus the reutlinger is awesome.

 

2. a short walk in a pretty town. besides sean dying i loved this mission. another awesome shootout in one of my favorite areas. and we get to see how awesome micah is. it was a very action packed and fun mission. rip sean.

 

3. hell hath no fury. im sure you are surprised a guarma mission made it here. but i actually liked gurama. it was a neat little detour in the story and it was cool to be in a whole new area. like north yankton. it felt like a singleplayer dlc. and since we probably wont get one this is as close as we get. this was my favorite guarma mission. for one i really loved the scenery of the fort and the beach. add the palm trees and it was very beautiful. it was another fun gunfight. and it also let you use the cannon. plus the intro song is amazing.

 

4. urban pleasures. this was a cool little robbery at a train station. unfortunately there is not much money. but i really loved the trolley escape and shooting from it. it reminded me of a lot of max payne 3 on rails sections. like the bus mission. it was also nice to have lenny along considering he leaves the story too soon.

 

5. blessed are the meek. i know everyone likes to keep micah in jail. but he is my favorite character and its always fun breaking him out. and watching him go all trevor on everyone. it also featured a town that is not used much in the game. strawberry. so its a fun mission and you get a second holster.

[VenusianDream]

Top 5:

 

1) American Venom

2) Banking, The Old American Art

3) Pouring Fourth Oil

4) Urban Pleasures

5) A Short Walk In A Pretty Town

 

Honorable Mentions/More Favorites:

 

A Fine Night Of Debauchery

A Quiet Time

Who The Hell Is Leviticus Cornwall?

Archaeology For Beginners

Fatherhood And Other Dreams

Just A Social Call

Americans At Rest

Red Dead Redemption

[UltraZ]

1.Red Dead Redemption
2.Who the hell is Leviticus Cornwall?
3.American Venom
4.Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

5.My Last Son

Edited July 11, 2020 by UltraZ

[EGA_6]

1. Red Dead Redemption

2. My Last Boy

3. Banking, The Old American Art

4. Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

5. American Venom

Honorable mentions: The Fine Joys of Tobacco, Hell Hath No Furry, Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten, Urban Pleasures, Our Best Selves and Favoured Sons.

Edited February 3, 2021 by EliteGamer_6

[DarkDayz]

Here's mine.

 

1. Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

2. A Quiet Time

3. Banking, The Old American Art

4. Jim Milton Rides Again

5. A New Jerusalem

 

I am not going to put Red Dead Redemption because I am still crying about it.

[Alexlecj]

• My Last Boy

 

Final mission of the Wapiti Indians storyline, this one has a lot going on. It features one of the best shootouts in the game, an iconic shot of Arthur & friends storming the factory by the hills surrounding the Heartlands, an epic soundtrack, Dutch's infuriating betrayal, best buddy Charles leaving the gang, and finally Arthur passing out.

 

The gang achieves its most formidable victory (destroy and plunder the embodiment of Dutch's philosophy greatest enemy) but you feel like you lost everything. It was really well done.

 

"The time has come for us to draw our own lines, Arthur. Decide where we go from here."

 

• The New South

 

Now that's an introduction to a new environment/chapter done extremely right. There's nothing difficult about this mission, it's basically beating up four or five criminals then catching fish if you feel up to it. But it makes you understand what's going on in the area in a clever way, and lets you explore the relationships between the leaders with an excellent bonding sequence, away from the pressures of civilization.

 

A good dose of camaraderie and a much needed respite.

 

"No buts... not today. We fish and we enjoy the day."

 

• Country Pursuits

 

I did my upmost to evade the bayou, really I did. I don't want to spend any day surrounded by amphibious machines of destruction.

 

Then came this mission.

 

Oh R*, you cheeky bastards. I was on edge during the whole search for Jules, still processing the interesting but quite disturbing dialogue on horseback between Arthur and Dutch. The atmosphere was really done right, that's why it's on my list.

 

"You can see why evening swamp-wading hasn't caught on as a pastime, can't you?"

 

• Banking, the Old American Art

 

This mission displays excellent shooting and a tremendous sense of chaos. Randomly losing Lenny really hit me hard, especially after Hosea's demise. Leaving the country, John arrested, Charles and Abigail unknown status... A rollercoaster of emotions.

 

"It's over. No more bargains. No more deals."

 

• Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

 

All of it.

 

"We've come for the boy. You must've known we would."