Sometimes. Some open-world games let you replay missions, and a replay may offer a new perspective or extra challenges—but replaying does not automatically let you choose a different approach or change the story. The rules depend on the game: missions may need to be unlocked or completed first, and a replay may not count as story progress.
What “replay with a different approach” can mean
Replay features vary, so it helps to separate three things: whether a mission can be launched again, whether the replay changes the available roles or challenges, and whether it affects the main story. A game might support one of these without supporting the others.
- Revisit: launch a mission or activity again, sometimes only after finishing the story.
- Change the experience: replay with a different role or perspective, or take on added challenge conditions.
- Change progression: have the replay advance the story or affect a save. This is not guaranteed.
How replay works in specific games
| Game and activity | Access and replay details | What the example establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto Online — Heists | Rockstar’s March 10, 2015 announcement describes Heists as cooperative, multi-part activities with different mission scenarios and player roles. It says players can “Replay each Heist to experience a different perspective on the action, and complete Elite Challenges for extra cash.” Rockstar’s Heists announcement | A replay can offer a different perspective in this specific Online activity. This is not a statement about every GTA V story mission. |
| Assassin’s Creed Mirage — main missions and contracts | Ubisoft’s November 17, 2025 Title Update 1.1.0 notes say these missions and contracts can be replayed through the investigation board’s “Animus Sequences” section or by interacting with Animus icons in the world. Replays add challenges that can earn rewards such as Animus mods. Ubisoft’s Title Update 1.1.0 notes | Replay can add challenge goals and rewards; the notes do not establish that every mission permits any approach or changes narrative branches. |
| Insomniac story missions | Insomniac’s support article, dated November 19, 2025, says story missions can be replayed after completing the main story. Its route is Touchpad menu → Missions tab → select a mission. Insomniac’s mission replay instructions | Some replay features are gated behind story completion. Check the support article for the applicable game and version before relying on the menu path. |
| L.A. Noire — cases | Rockstar says replaying a case from the Cases menu returns the player to the Main Menu and does not advance the story; to move to the next case, finish it in Story Mode. Story files and Replay files are separate. Rockstar’s case and Main Menu support article and Rockstar’s replay instructions | Replay can be separate from story progression, and save handling matters: Rockstar warns that overwriting a Story file with a Replay file can make the Story file inaccessible. |
What to check before replaying
Look in the game’s mission menu, journal, map, or official support instructions for the replay route and any unlock requirement. Before starting, check whether the replay offers roles or new challenges, whether it advances the campaign, and whether it uses a separate save. Those details determine whether you can experiment freely or risk disrupting the playthrough you want to keep.
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