Is GTA San Andreas' Story Longer Than GTA 5?

It’s a debate that comes up constantly among fans: Is GTA San Andreas longer than GTA 5? Despite being released almost a decade apart (2004 vs 2013), San Andreas holds up as one of Rockstar's most ambitious projects. Let's break down the numbers to see which game actually takes longer to beat.

Mission Count: SA vs V

When looking purely at the number of story missions, GTA San Andreas actually wins. GTA San Andreas has 100 main storyline missions (plus numerous side missions). In contrast, GTA 5 has 69 main storyline missions.

However, the missions in GTA 5 are significantly more complex. GTA 5 features multi-part Heists, switching between three protagonists, and heavily scripted set pieces. While San Andreas has more individual missions, many of them are shorter "drive here, shoot this" tasks typical of the PS2 era.

Average Playtime

According to player aggregate data on HowLongToBeat, here is how the two games stack up:

Surprisingly, the main story length for both games is nearly identical for an average player! The difference lies in pacing. GTA San Andreas feels like a longer, more personal journey because you start with nothing on Grove Street, get exiled to the countryside, build a business empire in San Fierro, and orchestrate a casino heist in Las Venturas. The map progression makes the journey feel massive.

Conclusion

While the actual playtime to roll credits is around 30-32 hours for both titles, GTA San Andreas has more individual missions and a narrative that feels geographically and temporally longer. Whether you prefer the cinematic three-character switching of GTA 5 or the deep RPG-lite progression of CJ in San Andreas, both are masterpieces.