Climax

A Climax is the point in a text with the highest amount of tension. In Grand Theft Auto games, the climax is usually the final mission, or a group of missions towards the end of the game. A climax consists of the player battling a large force of a rival gang and/or mafia members, followed by the player killing the game's antagonist. In most cases, the weather of the climax depends on the player's timing, but in a few cases the weather is predetermined by the game. Some examples are End of the Line in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and The Sicilian Gambit in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

There are two possible endings in Grand Theft Auto IV, each with it's own climax. in the "Deal" ending, antagonist Dimitri Rascalov is seen killing Jimmy Pegorino, who Niko planned to kill himself anyway, and is killed himself by the player later in the mission. In the "Revenge" ending, Dimitri is killed two missions prior to the ending, and Pegorino becomes the antagonist after killing Kate McReary in the penultimate mission. Pegorino is killed by the player in the final mission.

Climaxes usually span across several parts of the in-game world during some sort of chase, but finally end in a confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist.

Similar to a climax is a mission that involves a climactic battle of some sort, but earlier in the game, before the actual climax. In these missions, the player usually kills a secondary antagonist. The protagonist may have had plans to kill the main antagonist but been unsuccessful. Some examples are Pier 69 in GTA San Andreas, where CJ kills secondary antagonist Ryder and minor antagonist T-Bone Mendez, and the mission High Noon where he chases and kills major secondary antagonist Eddie Pulaski. Another example is Light My Pyre in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, where Victor Vance kills antagonist Armando Mendez in his own home.

List of Notable Climaxes

 * GTA III
 * Mission: The Exchange
 * For: Catalina
 * Starting Location: Cartel Mansion
 * Ending Location: Cochrane Dam
 * Antagonist/s: Catalina


 * GTA Vice City
 * Mission: Keep Your Friends Close...
 * For: Tommy Vercetti
 * Starting/Ending Location: Vercetti Estate
 * Antagonist/s: Sonny Forelli, Lance Vance

''*Note - The Whole Climax doesn't take place in Grove Street, it spans across almost all of Los Santos, but it ultimately ends with Tenpenny's death at Grove Street, where it started. Also note that this is the only final mission that ends with protagonist not directly killing the main game antagonist.''
 * GTA San Andreas
 * Mission: End of the Line
 * For: Sweet
 * Starting/Ending Location: Grove Street
 * Antagonist/s: Big Smoke, Frank Tenpenny


 * GTA Liberty City Stories
 * Mission: The Sicilian Gambit
 * For: Salvatore Leone
 * Starting Location: Salvatore's Gentlemen's Club
 * Ending Location: Portland Rock
 * Antagonist/s: Massimo Torini


 * GTA Vice City Stories
 * Mission: Last Stand
 * For: Ricardo Diaz
 * Starting Location: Diaz's Mansion
 * Ending Location: The Mendez Building
 * Antagonist/s: Diego Mendez, Jerry Martinez

Deal ''*Note - In the beginning of the mission, the goal is to kill both Rascalov and Pegorino. Rascalov, however, betrays and kills Pegorino during the mission, and the new goal is to kill Rascalov. ''
 * GTA IV
 * Mission: A Revenger's Tragedy
 * For: Little Jacob
 * Starting Location: Alderney
 * Ending Location: Happiness Island
 * Antagonist/s: Dimitri Rascalov, James Pegorino

Revenge
 * Mission: Out of Commission
 * For: Little Jacob
 * Starting Location: Alderney
 * Ending Location: Happiness Island
 * Antagonist/s: James Pegorino

*Note - Similar to End of the Line in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the climax spans across Liberty City but ends back at the Clubhouse, which is also the starting point.
 * The Lost and Damned
 * Mission: Get Lost
 * For: Thomas Stubbs
 * Starting/Ending Location: The Lost MC clubhouse
 * Antagonist/s: Billy Grey

''*Note - The mission takes place on an abondoned carnival in Firefly Island to the airport. Then, to Ray's private jet and skydive to Meadows Park.''
 * The Ballad of Gay Tony
 * Mission: Departure Time
 * For: Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince
 * Starting Location: Tony's Pad
 * Ending Location: Meadows Park
 * Antagonist/s: Ray Bulgarin

*Note: That the main part of this mission takes place at the Charge Island desanilitation plant.
 * GTA Chinatown Wars
 * Mission: Salt in the Wound
 * For: Wade Heston
 * Starting Location: Steinway Park
 * Ending Location: Hsin Jaoming's penthouse on the border of Chinatown and Lower Easton.
 * Antagonist/s: Wu Lee