Quick Answer
For a first playthrough, follow the story until all three protagonists are fully established, then weave heist prep, key side content, and money planning into the main route. Do not chase 100% from the opening hours; many collectibles and activities are faster after your vehicles, weapons, flight control, and cash improve.
First-Run Spine
| Stage | Do First | Delay For Later |
|---|---|---|
| Prologue to Los Santos | Learn driving, cover, shooting, and mission icons | Full-map collectible hunting |
| Three protagonists online | Follow character missions and learn each ability | Expensive car and property spending |
| Early heists | Complete prep, choose approach, prepare getaway | Replaying every gold medal |
| Mid to late story | Plan assassination stocks, side jobs, and assets | Forcing every random event |
| Before finale | Save manually and check the ending path | Mixing 100% cleanup with story pacing |
Mission Prep Checklist
- Check whether a heist setup or character-specific mission is active.
- Buy armor, ammo, and a reliable weapon before major jobs.
- Preserve assassination missions that can amplify stock market gains later.
- Confirm getaway vehicle placement before heist finales.
- If you want more story context, clean major strangers and character interactions before the ending.
Before The Ending
Make a manual save before the final branch. After the story, focus on 100%, gold medals, stunt jumps, letter scraps, and spaceship parts as a separate cleanup route instead of interrupting the first run.