First Mission (GTA SA)

Mission
First mission (untitled)
Carl Johnson confronts Tenpenny and his C.R.A.S.H. team after returning to Los Santos.
Carl Johnson confronts Tenpenny and his C.R.A.S.H. team after returning to Los Santos.

Carl Johnson confronts Tenpenny and his C.R.A.S.H. team after returning to Los Santos.
Game GTA San Andreas
For Carl Johnson
Location Los Santos
Reward $100
Unlocks Big Smoke (mission)
ADVERTISEMENT

"In the beginning.." is the first mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The mission begins with a significant cutscene which introduces the main characters and sets up the storyline.

Mission

The mission begins as Carl "CJ" Johnson leaves Liberty City via Francis International Airport for Los Santos in 1992 after learning from his brother, Sean "Sweet" Johnson, that their mother, Beverly, is dead.

Upon arriving in Los Santos, Carl takes a taxi, only to be pulled over by a C.R.A.S.H. team led by Officer Frank Tenpenny, with Officers Eddie Pulaski and Jimmy Hernandez assisting. After being carted away in their police car for allegedly carrying drug money, Carl learns that C.R.A.S.H. is framing him for the murder of Officer Ralph Pendelbury, who had only been murdered ten minutes ago (an event depicted during The Introduction). Now blackmailed for a crime he didn't commit, Carl is forced to aid C.R.A.S.H. whenever the need arises, but not before C.R.A.S.H. ditches Carl in an alleyway in Jefferson, Ballas territory.

With a BMX nearby, Carl must make his way back to his old home in Grove Street.

Script

Quick walkthrough

  1. Get familiar with the controls, and mount the bicycle.
  2. Follow the blip on the map to the "CJ" icon, Carl's Mom's House on Grove Street.

Detailed walkthrough

Getting familiar

After the introductory cinematic scene, CJ begins his first mission. The player will find themself in Jefferson Alley (the territory of the Ballas, a rival gang), with $350 and no weapons. As there is no immediate danger to CJ's safety, it's advisable for the player to take a few moments to familiarize themself with the controls, the pause options, and the Radar. Once comfortable, mount the BMX with the blue cone marker hovering over it.

Pedaling your way home

Follow the roads to "CJ" icon on the map. It is southeast of the starting location. It is advisable to read the bicycling tips that pop-up as the player rides, especially if this is their first time playing this mission.

Optionally, before heading for the map icon, the player can take a detour for extra items. After mounting the bike, leave the alley and go around the corner on the left to the red building, Jefferson Motel. Climb the stairs to find a MP5 on the roof. Continue on the way to the map icon, but look beneath the bridge overpass near Carl's Mom's House for Armour and a Micro SMG. There's also a Pistol in a back-yard nearby and a Tec-9 on Sweet's house roof.

Enter the Grove Street cul-de-sac, and walk into the round red mission marker to complete this mission and begin Big Smoke (Mission).

Notes

  • While directed to ride the BMX, the player may ignore the instruction and resort to other means of transport to reach Grove Street. It is one of a handful of missions where this is possible.
  • The mission is one of two in the game where a non-motorized vehicle plays a crucial role in the main storyline, the other being "Sweet & Kendl".
  • Like earlier games, there is no necessity to immediately head to Grove Street. Players can virtually spend several in-game days exploring surrounding areas. However, the player's character will still starve if not fed for three days since the start of the game, and the only sources of subsidence are street vendors and vending machines, as fast food outlets remain locked until "Ryder".
  • In the PC version, if the host computer is not fast enough, Tenpenny will drive on before the train has finished crossing, causing the car to pass through the train.

Gallery

Video walkthroughs

PC Version
<youtube>lPSso9EfgNY</youtube> <youtube>ZUo9I9pGttM</youtube>

See also