In GTA 5, the Merryweather Heist is the first mission in which all 3 protagonists join a team. The special thing about this mission is its approach. In fact, you have 2 options to choose from before starting the heist: Freighter and Offshore.

So, what is the difference between the two choices? And which one is better to follow?

In this post, we’ll walk you through two choices in GTA 5: Freighter and Offshore.

Freighter or Offshore Options in The Merryweather Heist Mission

The goal of the Merryweather Heist mission is to get the secret device from Merryweather, and two choices all lead to this consequence.

That said, the two choices differ in how you approach and complete the mission rather than the final achievements.

Therefore, you need to know how different these approaches are to complete the mission more easily.

First, let’s see how each choice works!

1. Freighter Choice

The choices are available after Trevor finishes explaining his plan. After selecting, you can press “Enter” to confirm.

Next, you’ll play Trevor, driving Franklin to the Miriam Turner Overpass, where Franklin uses his sniper to protect Michael, who enters a ship by Dinghy.

Michael’s mission is to plant 4 sticky bombs in marked objects, while Franklin ensures his crew’s safety by taking down guards from afar.

During the task, you can switch between Michael and Franklin so that you can kill the guards easier.

After planting the 4 bombs, Michael will be detected by one of the guards, and they will trigger the alarm bell right after. You need to control Franklin to eliminate the guards as quickly as possible and wait for the signal from Michael to activate 4 sticky bombs.

After activating the bombs to sink the freighter, you’ll take control of Michael and look for the wreckage underwater using dive gear.

Once Michael identifies the device’s position, Trevor arrives and relocates it to the pre-defined location using the submersible.

2. Offshore Choice

Similar to the first choice, you can approach the mission in an Offshore way after Trevor tells the team about his plan.

The first task you do subsequently is to get to Sandy Shore, where you, as Michael, will take control of a Cargobob and transfer the Submersible to the Merryweather test site in the Pacific Ocean.

After that, Trevor uses a special app (trackify) to locate the device underwater. After finding it, Trevor comes up to the surface. Then, the player switches to Michael, who uses a helicopter to lift the Submersible from the water.

On the way to the airstrip, they are attacked by enemy helicopters and boats, but Franklin fights them off.

Should You Pick Freighter or Offshore?

After reading the walkthrough, you can choose any option according to your liking rather than considering the pros and cons of each one. Based on our experience, we recommend selecting Freighter.

First of all, if you select the “Freighter” option, you only have to prepare for 1 side mission (Minisub), which Trevor needs to steal a Submersible. While at the “Offshore” choice, at least 2 preparation missions (Cargobob, Minisub) are required.

Furthermore, the Freighter approach demands precise shooting from both Franklin and Michael. While this requires practice, you’re probably already getting used to it from previous experiences.

On the other hand, navigating the Cargobob to connect with the submarine and get to the Merryweather test site is among the more challenging aspects of the Offshore strategy.

If you’ve never piloted an airplane in GTA 5 before, this will undoubtedly be a challenge that may require a significant amount of time to overcome.