Ever since launching in 1997, Grand Theft Auto (GTA) has taken the gaming world by storm as the critically acclaimed franchise has created and released fifteen different installments within the series, over the time period of just 20 years. That’s right, the Grand Theft Auto series has launched a game on almost every modern day console that has ever existed over the past 20 years.
It should also be mentioned, that not only is the series critically acclaimed, but it has also been dubbed an unprecedented commercial success, as the series has sold well over 250 million units worldwide since its launch - ranking as the fourth highest selling game of all time.
However, given the depth of each game within the series, there has been a countless number of overlooked Easter eggs and features that many players had initially missed during their first play-through. This is especially noticeable when it comes to the latest installment of the series, as Grand Theft Auto V has been developed with such detailed and complex content that some mysteries still remain unsolved, even after four years since the games initial launch.
So - without further delay - here are 30 things that you didn't know that you could do in the Grand Theft Auto series.
30 GTA 5: Watch Live Streams From Your House
We all know how fun GTA: Online can be, as —with over four years’ worth of content— GTA: Online has turned into something extravagant. Not only is it full of fun activities for the player to experience, but also a number of rather unknown features that many players are still unaware of.
One such feature is that players are actually able to enter spectator mode – should they own a television in their apartment - where players can watch a live stream of what the other players within the session are doing. They can even watch the Weazel News channel, which will display live captured footage of players that are currently wanted by the police.
As sick and twisted as it may be, there is nothing quite like placing a bounty onto someone heads and watching live as players actively hunt them down.
29 GTA 5: Play Grenade Fetch With Chop
There is no denying the strong relationship that Franklin holds with his dog, Chop and it’s interesting to see how their bond progresses throughout the game – especially as they partake in special activities. However, in typical Grand Theft Auto fashion, the traditional way of playing fetch is a thing of the past as the developers at Rockstar have invented a new method that has the potential to land you in some mighty hot water with PETA.
In most normal situations, Chop’s power and skills as a guard dog would act as an efficient weapon against other people. However, this new method of fetch takes things to a whole other level. As players can now prompt Chop to fetch grenades instead of tennis balls as he cannot distinguish the difference between the two objects – and the result is as gruesome as you could imagine.
28 GTA 5: Visit The Playboy Mansion
Hidden within the heart of Los Santos is one familiar looking mansion that every man has always dreamed of visiting – The Playboy Mansion. Located in the Richman area of Los Santos - next to the golf course - the famous mansion features a pool, a fountain, party lights, and even the infamous grotto.
Much like real life, the mansion is home to a number of bikini-clad girls that can often been seen mingling with men at the parties that are held every night at the property. One of the topless dancers will also make mention of “Hef” to other party-goers – a subtle hint to the Playboy Mansion’s owner, Hugh Hefner.
I think we can all agree that Rockstar has certainly outdone themselves when it comes to the level of detail that has been incorporated into Grand Theft Auto V, as I can guarantee that nobody could have ever imagined GTA V ever being this detailed.
27 GTA San Andreas: Take Selfies With Your Homies
Despite being featured in almost every game within the Grand Theft Auto series, the camera and its abilities went largely unnoticed by the vast majority of players through GTA: San Andreas. Throughout the entire game, many players didn’t even realize that CJ could capture photos of his gang members and even trigger unique dialogues related to photo-shooting when aiming at his girlfriend or even gang members.
One of the more unique aspects of the camera was that once a gang member was recruited, CJ was able to give him the camera by following a series of prompts. Once the camera was handed over, the game would automatically be viewed through the perceptive of the gang member and pictures of CJ could be taken.
Should the players had initially known about this feature at the time, you could only imagine the photos they would be able to capture.
26 GTA 5: Take A Trip Down Memory Lane By Finding CJ, Big Smoke, And Ryder
CJ, Big Smoke, and Ryder have always been – arguably - the most popular characters throughout the entire Grand Theft Auto series, so when players heard that GTA V was making a triumphant return to the city of Los Santos, fans were beyond excited. Many had hoped that the original cast would make a return to the new installment – whether it be through a minor reference, cameo, or even encounter.
Thankfully, Rockstar listened to the fans and incorporated several minor references throughout the story-line and even provided a wave of nostalgia when the trio made a cameo appearance during the mission "Hood Safari."
During the mission, the player heads to Grove Street with Franklin, Lamar, Trevor, and Chop to conduct a drug deal. As the player approaches the Grove Street circle, three people on bicycles can be seen riding away from the street. These three riders are perfect representations of CJ, Big Smoke, and Ryder.
25 GTA 5: Find A Frozen Alien
It’s no secret that the developers at Rockstar love to hide Easter eggs within their games – especially GTA V, as Rockstar wasted no time by placing one of the game’s biggest Easter eggs in the very first mission. This particular Easter egg is found shortly after you escape the bank in which Michael and Trevor rob.
After traveling down the snow covered road in your getaway car, you will begin to near a bridge that is located just before you are prompted to make a sharp right turn. However, instead of the passing the bridge, you will want to veer off the road slightly and head towards the river on your right.
There you will find – directly under the bridge – an alien encased in the frozen river. While the aliens backstory is unknown, you will only have approximately five to six seconds to get a good glimpse at the alien before being forced to restart the mission – for longer viewing, simply stay close to the road.
24 GTA 5: Find The Mysterious Clues Of The Infinity Eight Serial Killer
Scattered across the state of San Andreas is a series of mysterious clues that follow the story of Merle Abraham, a psychotic serial killer who is obsessed with the number eight and infinity. The story of Merle Abrahams begins when he was convicted of a string of disappearances, in which it is believed that he was responsible for the murder of eight male joggers and had hid their bodies in an undisclosed location.
While Abrahams never verbally detailed the murders, players were able to piece together a series of clues that were found at his house, a nearby rock, and even the prison – which held the most important clue of the entire mystery – to solve the rather compelling and complex murders of the Infinity Eight Killer.
While I won’t spoil the exact details of the mystery, the player is eventually able to piece together the clues to determine to exact location of the eight bodies.
23 GTA San Andreas: Enter The Secret Area 69 Base
As expected, Rockstar couldn’t resist the opportunity to create their own spoof on Area 51 by creating Area 69 – that’s right, 69. Despite differing quite significantly from the real world base, Area 69 is still an interesting area to explore – especially when entering the facility through a series of glitches.
Despite already gaining access to the facility during the “Black Project” mission, many players wanted to return to the infamous location to further explore the area. In order to do so, the player could enter the facility by using a Freeway motorcycle to breach the vent used in the original mission. By sticking the bike on the northern side of the vent, and having the bike face towards the south-west, CJ would exit the bike by stepping on the vent, which triggered the player to be teleported below ground.
Re-entering the facility serves no real purpose, other than showing off to your friends and further exploring the facility in more detail.
22 GTA 5: Visit The Ghost Of Mount Gordo
The ghost of Jolene Cranley - which still remains as one of the creepiest Easter eggs to come out of GTA V - can be found near the peak of Mount Gordo. Jolene’s spirit floats above a large flat rock that bears the word ‘JOCK’ written in what appears to be blood. Like many strange occurrences within GTA V, Jolene’s spirit will only appear during the time period of 23:00 and 0:00.
Getting a good glimpse of the ghost is quiet challenging as not only does she appear to be somewhat transparent, but she will also completely disappear should you get too close to her. However, this issue has been able to be bypassed by using a sniper sight or the phone's camera to get a closer look.
Unlike other myths within GTA V, the ghost of Jolene Cranley still proves to be one of the most popular myths that have actually been proven true.
21 GTA 5: Visit The City Of North Yankton
Apart from experiencing the North Yankton town of Ludendorff during the two single-player missions – the Prologue and Bury the Hatchet – the player was extremely limited as to what they were able to explore throughout the town as Rockstar didn’t allow the player to stray away from the main road.
However, most players would be unaware that the city is actually explorable thanks to a glitch that allowed online players to freely explore the rather unknown town. Despite the glitch quickly being patched by Rockstar, the city is still explorable via the help of mods.
Thanks to the glitch, players were able to visit locations such as the North Yankton Cemetery and Chapel, as well as the location of the frozen alien. Not everything within the town was explorable though as many of the large mountains, hills, and outskirts of town were not solid – making traveling to these locations near impossible.
20 GTA 5: Play As Big Foot As You Fight The Beast
Quite possibly one of the weirdest Easter eggs within the game, the player is required to have completed the game 100% and have found all 27 Peyote plants. Once everything has been completed, golden Peyote plants will begin to spawn every day of the week during 5:30am to 8:00am; however, they can only be collected during snowy or foggy weather if the player wants to spawn The Beast. Every time the player successfully collects a golden Peyote, they are rewarded with the ability to play as a Sasquatch.
After collecting the final golden Peyote, the player will be able to growl – each time the player growls, a howl can be heard from the distance. As the player follows the sound – along with a series of dead bodies – they will finally arrive at the Thomson Scrapyard. Once the last body is found within the scrapyard, the camera will focus upon one of the plane wreckage's, in which The Beast can be seen jumping down from.
19 GTA III: Visit A Hidden Ghost Town
The Ghost Town of GTA III is the name given to the three-dimensional environment where the initial cut-scene of the game took place. However, fans dubbed the environment Ghost Town due to the sheer number of half-built objects, and the lack of pedestrians and vehicles in the location.
If you are wanting to explore this graphical glitch it can only be accessed by using a Dodo to fly to the location, but due to very few of the objects being solid – two crates behind the Liberty City Bank and a few lamp posts – there is no safe location for the player to land. However, should you prefer to not use a Dodo, the Ghost Town can also be seen through the upstate hills area of Shoreside Vale, in which the player will need the help of a sniper to get a clearer view.
Despite being a rather cool experience to witness, the Ghost Town of Liberty City provides no real purpose to the game other than being a great resource that showcases to the player how the opening cutscenes are usually created.
18 GTA 5: Knock Down The Giant Orange Ball In The Vinewood Hills
Gather your friends because we’re going on a hike to the Vinewood Hills in order to knock down a giant orange ball. That’s right — the large orange ball that sits atop of juice stand at the top of the Vinewood Hills can actually be detached.
This Easter egg is one of those activities that can provide hours, upon hours of entertainment as the possibilities are almost endless. The giant orange ball can be detached from the standby simply shooting at it, punching it or even walking into it.
Many players within the community have turned this Easter egg into a series of challenges, others have placed into the back of a pick-up truck and driven it all across the city, or even played a giant game of football with their cars.
Don’t go limiting your possibilities though, as the ball has been deemed virtually indestructible.
17 GTA 5: Witness A UFO
Due to its rather challenging requirements – 100% completion needs to be achieved– many players have yet to fully witness a UFO first hand.
The UFOs can be found at several different locations throughout the game – Beam Me Up, Fort Zancudo, and Mount Chiliad. However, one more UFO - that doesn’t require 100% completion - can be found sunken off the northern coast of San Andreas, just north of Procopio Beach.
Don’t get any funny ideas though, as UFOs are immune to all weapons within the game and will even cause a temporary engine shutdown, should you get too close when approaching them with an aircraft.
If you have yet to witness a UFO firsthand, be sure to fully complete the game as many believe they actually hold the key to unlocking the infamous Jetpack.
16 GTA IV: Uncover A Giant Beating Heart In The Statue Of Happiness
Despite being one of the first Easter eggs to be found within Grand Theft Auto IV, the beating heart within the Statue of Happiness takes the cake as one of the creepiest Easter eggs to come out of the GTA series.
Although it was among one of the first Easter eggs found within the game, many players overlooked this Easter egg as the entrance to the statue is only accessible by a helicopter – leaving many players clueless that a second story to the statue even existed.
If you’re hoping to attempt to try and destroy the heart, don’t bother as many players within the community have tried every possible way to destroy it – with each attempt failing miserably. While the statue’s heart is often considered the heart of the city, the exact meaning and purpose behind this particular Easter egg has still yet to be determined.
15 GTA 5: Find The Abandoned Mine Shaft
If you enjoy creepy locations, then the abandoned mine shaft is the perfect place for you and your friends to visit. The mine shaft can be found hidden within the area of Great Chapparal – near Mount Josiah – behind an old boarded up entrance door which can only be opened by shooting at it, or using explosives.
Not only will you find a series of old railroads, dead ends, and several different mining tools, you will also come across a mysterious dead body that is wearing a classic 1940s pinstripe suit.
The body of the deceased man is believed to be that of an animated cartoon maker called Isaac, who was murdered by Solomon Richards. Others believe that the body was an Easter egg that made reference towards Officer Cole Phelps, who drowned during the events of another Rockstar game, L.A Noire.
If you are brave enough to enter though, you’ll need to ensure that you pack a flashlight as the shaft is not only dark, but also haunted!
14 GTA 5: Board A 747 Mid-Air
The infamous passenger jets haven’t always been available to fly throughout the Grand Theft Auto series. However, thanks to GTA V, the plane was brought back by popular demand as it has always been one of the most requested aircrafts in the series. However, since launch, the aircraft has always had issues with consistent spawning as the wide-body airliners are never available when you need them.
Due to this very reason, players began to take matters into their hands as they were sick and tired of waiting around for these aircraft to either spawn or land at the airport. As a result, players started to question whether to not these 747 jets could be hijacked mid-air. That’s right — the Boeing 747 jets can indeed be boarded mid-air by using a helicopter to land on the top flat surface of the plane – be careful though, as any damage could cause it to explode.
13 GTA 5: Ignite Your Friends With Gas Tank Trails
Over the years, the Grand Theft Auto series has seen a significant improvement in its levels of real-world simulation as the series –especially GTA V – has captured a very detailed representation of many real-world features.
One such example is that cars within GTA V can now be induced to leak gas that can later be used to cause a rather unique explosion. To recreate this effect, simply shoot the cars fuel tank until it begins to leaks, in which it can then be lit by firing your weapons at the fuel.
Better yet, sports cars offer an even more unique experience as you can even light up your own gas trail with the sparks from your wheels and exhaust. If you aren’t looking to blow up your vehicles, you can even use a gas can to recreate this particular effect- and let’s be honest: this rather unknown feature will definitely impress your friends and those in your session.
12 GTA Vice City: There’s A Hidden Mini-Game Involving A Beach Ball
There’s no denying that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is one of the best games within the entire GTA series as not only did it receive stellar reviews, but it was also very technically advanced for its time. So you can just imagine how excited players were when they found out that the game featured a hidden mini-game.
Keepie-Uppy Beach Ball is a hidden mini-game that challenged players to continuously bounce a beach ball without it hitting the ground - with the sole task of trying to reach the highest score possible. Players will need to keep an eye out though, as the balls are quite challenging to spot due to their size. Thankfully, players have reported that the beach balls have been known to spawn on Starfish Island, Vice Point, and even Ocean Beach.
Despite its purpose of challenging the player to reach the highest number of bounces possible, the in-game counter eventually maxes out at one hundred bounces.
11 GTA 5: Find Big Foot
Ever since the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004, fans have been obsessed with trying to uncover the famed myth of Big Foot. So when GTA V came out, fans were avidly searching for clues of his existence –he was eventually proven to appear throughout the game on not one, but actually three occasions.
The most notable of the three was when one eagle-eyed fan spotted Big Foot during the mission “Predator,” in which Michael is tasked with finding the O’Neil brothers in the woods at night. While using a snipe rifle with an attached thermal scope, the fan spotted Big Foot towards the end of the mission, when the thermal scope revealed a rather strange looking figure standing upright. This particular figure very closely resembled the famed figure of the Big Foot creature.
If you do happen to try and get a glimpse of Big Foot, you will need to be quick as he can only be seen for several seconds and will disappear should you look away.