The infamous GTA: San Andreas train mission has a simple solution

GTA: San Andreas
(Image credit: Rockstar, Reddit / YEED5A5)

Grand Theft Auto players are sharing their tips for beating one of the series' most infamous missions ahead of the release of GTA Trilogy.

In a post on Reddit, user YEED5A5 shared a clip of them flawlessly completing the famous 'Wrong Side of the Tracks' mission from GTA: San Andreas, saying that they couldn't understand why some people find it so hard. The mission, which involves chasing after a train on a bike while your accomplice shoots enemies riding on top of it, is the source of the oft-quoted line, "All you had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!", made famous by the number of people who struggled to complete it.

Players are pointing out, however, that it's not always that simple. As one of the post's commenters explains, "a lot of people don't realize that [your accomplice and marksman] Big Smoke can't shoot the enemies if you're too close to the train," so driving up right next to it won't let you complete the mission. For a better success rate, you're better off speeding along on the far side of the other set of rails, offering Big Smoke better line of sight, and making it easier to dodge any oncoming trains.

Some have suggested that the blame might partially lie with Big Smoke, whose accuracy leaves something to be desired. Another commenter suggests it takes "minimum 20 seconds" for him to dispatch each of the enemies atop the train, although given he's trying to hit moving targets while riding on the back of a dirt bike, perhaps he deserves a little extra credit. Either way, with GTA Trilogy bringing San Andreas back to life and a VR version of the game coming to Oculus soon, this could be a helpful tip.

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Ali Jones
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I'm GamesRadar's news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.

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