How the story missions fit together, how gold medals and replays work, and which choices actually change what happens.
How many story missions does GTA 5 have?+
The main story runs about 69 missions depending on how you count the finale paths. This database covers the majors with their gold medal goals.
What are gold medal objectives?+
Each mission has optional objectives like a time limit, accuracy or a special action. Meet them all in one run or across replays to earn gold.
Can I replay missions?+
Yes. Open the pause menu, go to Game and choose Replay Mission to retry any completed mission for a better medal.
Do mission choices matter?+
A few do. The three heist approach choices change crew and payout, and the finale choice changes the ending.
How long is the GTA 5 story and in what order do the missions unlock?+
The main story runs about 30 hours at a normal pace and roughly 69 missions depending on how the finale is counted. Missions unlock in a mostly fixed order: Franklin's opening chapter leads to Michael, the first heist opens the FIB storyline, Trevor's chapter runs in parallel from Sandy Shores, and the three characters converge for the big heists and the finale.
Some missions become available to more than one character at once, and Strangers and Freaks side missions can be slotted in almost anywhere. The mission pages list the playable characters for each one, which is the quickest way to see where a mission sits in the story.
How do gold medals work and can I get them on replay?+
Each mission has a short list of optional objectives, such as finishing within a time limit, hitting an accuracy percentage, landing a set number of headshots or doing one specific thing like using a stealth takedown. Complete every objective and the mission is rated gold.
You do not have to get them all in one go. Replay a mission from the pause menu and the objectives you have already cleared stay cleared, so you can chase a time objective on one run and an accuracy objective on another. Seventy gold medals across missions and Strangers and Freaks unlock an achievement, so most people aim for gold on the easy ones and skip the awkward ones.
Which choices in the story actually matter?+
Three heists offer an approach choice that changes the setup missions, the crew you need and how the finale plays out. The crew members you hire also matter: cheap crew take a smaller cut but make mistakes, and crew members improve after each heist you take them on.
The only choice that changes the story itself is the final one, where Franklin decides between three endings. Everything else, including how you play a mission, changes the medal and sometimes the money but not what happens next. The mission pages keep the ending details light so nothing is spoiled for a first playthrough.
How much money do the story heists pay?+
It varies enormously. The Merryweather Heist pays nothing by design. The Paleto Score is modest because the FIB takes most of it. The Jewel Store Job is the first real payday. The Big Score at the end pays tens of millions per character with the right approach and crew, and it is what funds the stock market plays that make the characters rich.
The mission pages list the payout where one applies. If the goal is money, follow the assassination missions with Lester and invest in the right stocks before each one, because that earns more than any heist.
Can I replay a mission with a different character or approach?+
You replay a mission the way it was set up, so the character or characters are fixed. For heists, the approach you chose on the planning board is locked into that replay too. To experience the other approach you need a save from before the choice or a second playthrough.
What you can change on replay is how you play it: which weapons you bring, how you handle the shootouts, and how hard you chase the gold objectives. The mission pages note which objectives are easy on a replay because you already know what is coming.
