What to do after finishing GTA 5‘s epic story mode
As a passionate gamer and content creator, I get asked this question a lot – "I just finished GTA 5‘s awesome storyline, now what?" Well my friend, you‘ve barely scratched the surface of everything Los Santos has to offer.
A Ton of Side Activities and Stranger Missions
According to my 160+ hours in GTA 5, finishing the story unlocks a plethora of bonus content and diversions to keep you entertained for dozens more hours. My top recommendation is seeking out the quirky "Strangers and Freaks" side missions scattered around the massive open world map.
These offbeat adventures let you interface with San Andreas‘ unique inhabitants like the eccentric Epsilon cult, drug-fueled Steve Haines, and paranoid conspiracy theorist Omega. I‘ve compiled a list of my personal favorite Strangers and Freaks missions below:
Table 1. Notable Strangers & Freaks Missions
| Mission | Description |
|---|---|
| Grass Roots | Help Barry the weed farmer…well, farm and sell weeds |
| Paparazzo | Get scandalous celebrity scoops for sleazy paparazzo Beverly |
| The Civil Border Patrol | Patrol the border for illegal immigrants with paranoid redneck Joe |
| Pulling Favors | Help tow truck operator Tonya repo vehicles across Los Santos |
These extended adventures with outrageous characters provide welcome laughs and chaos in between more serious cash-making ventures.
Collectibles Hunt
For completionist gamers like myself, tracking down every single collectible, spaceship part, nuclear waste barrel, and submarine piece is tremendously satisfying.
- Finding all 50 spaceship parts unlocks a special space docker dune buggy with alien abduction beam
- Collecting all 30 submarine pieces gives you a high-speed Kraken submarine armed to the teeth
- Barreling through all 50 nuclear waste containers lets you purchase the menacing Widowmaker buggy with MG turret
I loved scouring Los Santos high and low to find all of these obscure collectibles – it gave me an excuse to explore off-road nooks that I would have otherwise overlooked. The potent vehicles unlocked make it well worth the effort too.
Vigilante Missions
Getting 100% game completion requires completing all optional vigilante missions scattered around the map. These let you foil robberies in progress, stop gang attacks, apprehend dangerous drivers, and other heroic deeds.
Foiling 5 crimes boosts your maximum health by 10%, foiling 10 gives you 15% increased shooting and strength, and foiling all 20 nets you the useful Bulletproof Tires for your personal vehicles.
I highly recommend mixing up story missions with vigilante quests – being a hero is quite rewarding plus holds valuable character boosts.
Stock Market Manipulation
A great way to build your fortune outside standard jobs and heists is mastering the Los Santos stock exchange. Early on, Lester provides tips on which companies to invest in – then Franklin performs assassinations targeting rival companies – causing your stocks values to skyrocket.
- Invest entirely in AugeryInsurance before The Hotel Assassination
- Go all-in on Fruit Computers before The Multi-Target Assassination
- Load up on HoldUpStocks ahead of The Vice Assassination
Properly following Lester‘s suggestions allowed me to easily build an $80 million stock portfolio by endgame. Just remember to sell your stocks after their value peaks to lock in profits.
(Table 2. Lester‘s Stock Tips)
| Mission | Stock Tip | Potential Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| The Hotel Assassination | AugeryInsurance | Up to $130 million |
| The Multi-Target Assassination | Fruit Computers | Up to $60 million |
| The Vice Assassination | HoldUpStocks | Up to $20 million |
If done right, GTA‘s stock market presents an opportunity to make far more money than any heist or mission through legal (albeit ruthless) means.
Customize Your Ultimate Rides
A great way to show off accomplishments is customizing prized vehicles into ultimate dream rides. Los Santos Customs garages allow all manner of mods including engines, brakes, lights, paint jobs, tires and much more. I easily sunk hours tricking out rides – it‘s great creative fun after finishing the more rigid story.
Here‘s a sample of my favorite whips to mod:
- Bravado Banshee 900R – Super sleek sports car with blistering speed
- Coil Cyclone – Powerful electric supercar with instant torque
- Western Motorcycle Company Nightblade – Menacing chopper bike with tons of cosmetic options
Building a stable of customized elite vehicles is deeply enjoyable post-game. Show Los Santos you‘re a high roller VIP with a prized selection of hot vehicles personalized to your style.
Still More Secrets to Uncover
Even after playing over 160 hours, I‘m still discovering awesome hidden easter eggs and surprises scattered through San Andreas. From UFOs to ghosts to murder mysteries, the game is crammed full of unexpected delights beyond core jobs and missions.
For instance, returned player Jack Howitzer can be found ranting hilariously on Mt. Gordo, a sunken alien spaceship rests silently underwater off the east coast, and Bigfoot lurks in the dense northern forests. Keep wandering and you never know what rewards you‘ll uncover.
As you can see, finishing GTA 5‘s storyline barely scratches the surface of activities and discoveries Los Santos offers. From bizarre side missions to fortune-building investments to customize rides to hidden oddities – there is no shortage of rewarding post-game pursuits. Whether a completionist collector or chaotic anarchist, Los Santos caters wonderfully to all playstyles with near endless gameplay possibilities.
So get out there and make the city your anarchic playground! Rob elites blind as stocks plunge, shut down roads in tricked out rides, send hackers screaming as their secrets leak online. This thriving, teeming metropolis holds glorious mayhem at every corner just waiting to be stirred up by enterprising go-getters like yourself. What rewarding chaos will you reign down next? The world is your delightful destructive oyster!
