Across the globe, different countries and cultures have their own traditions and beliefs. People believe they have seen paranormal events such as ghosts, aliens, UFOS, and cryptids. Some believe in conspiracy theories like the New World Order, some are simply legends, and others we still can’t give a definitive answer on whether they are fact or fiction.

Grand Theft Auto has taken real-world conspiracy theories and folklore and has included or teased their existence within its games. Aliens have been found, and they’ve shown Bigfoot to be simply a man in a costume in GTA V (though, this is not the only mention of Bigfoot in this article).

With the worlds of San Andreas, Liberty City and Vice City being so realistic, albeit heavy with satire, you do start to at least question whether there is more than what first meets the eye with its theories and ideas, and if there is an element of truth behind at least some of them after all.

Rockstar are masters of hinting at a concept and making you try hard to find the answer. GTA V has been out for over three years, yet players are still actively trying to solve the biggest mysteries still out there in San Andreas, we are drip-fed information in perfect doses to keep us hungry to figure out the answers. Previous titles have conquered the will of even the keenest of mystery hunters, leaving killers unnamed, cryptids unfound, and theories unsolved.

Here’s your list of 20 questions from the Grand Theft Auto series that have baffled the gaming world. Some may have theories behind them, but in the end their mysteries offer more questions than answers.

20 A Dirty Rat(man)

Now, this thing is seriously creepy. In some ways I hope it isn’t true, so I don’t have to stumble across it whilst exploring Liberty City. Rumored to exist in GTA III, GTA IV and GTA V, the half-man, half-rat hybrid runs very quickly and stays out of sight, making it difficult to get a clean picture of him.

There is plenty of evidence to confirm Ratman’s existence in GTA IV: in the Easton Subway Service there is a strange orange liquid on the floor, people believe to be “Ratman Blood”, dotted around the subway system; an ad appears on a computer for “Human Lab Rats”; and a Weazel news segment states the Mayor will flood the subways due to a rat infestation.

Players have also reported sightings in GTA III, seeing Ratman in dark tunnels with the underground subway tunnel a good bet for meeting the creature. Even now in GTA V there is a mysterious laughter heard from the maintenance tunnels in downtown Los Santos.

19 Based On A Real-Life Myth...

Originating in real-life, Goatman is believed to be found in the mountainous regions of the USA. Reportedly seen in GTA V, he is a humanoid with hair covering his entire body along with two horns protruding from the top of his head.

Similar to Ratman, Goatman runs away almost immediately when spotted. His best known sightings have been in Cape Catfish, where he runs quickly under the bridge. There is further evidence for Goatman with the Panic in the Woods phenomena, which also appears in the game. Panic in the Woods causes deafening silence and paranoia and is named after the God of Pan, which is a goat-like satyr.

There seem to be too many coincidences for there not to be validity towards this cryptid. I hope someone else captures a better picture of Goatman, as if I see it I will be hard-pushed not to run the other way.

18 Something Wicked This Way Comes

Our first killer case, oh goodie! Owned by Dwayne Forge in GTA IV, the Bloody Apartment is a, erm, bloody apartment.

Starting with a single blood spatter outside the apartment, soon turning to a long blood trail which leads into a pool of blood on the living room floor. We know Dwayne went to prison for a substance offense, however it is believed Dwayne may have also killed someone in his apartment adding to his crimes.

A number of photos of LCPD cops can be found in the apartment. A theory is that these cops are the reason for Dwayne’s arrest and he sought revenge, with at least one of the policemen being his victim. Who does the blood belong to? Who was the killer? We want answers!

17 The San Andreas Chainsaw Killer

Taken from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's antagonist, Leatherface (Chainsaw Killer) is believed to terrorise GTA: San Andreas wearing a human skin mask and wielding a chainsaw killing and eating his victims.

He is rumoured to strike the player from behind, leaving it difficult to know for sure if he exists or not. There have been reports that distant chainsaw sounds can be heard prior to meeting the killer in the The Panopticon, these are known as The Panopticon Happenings.

Another possible piece of evidence is the Rusty Wheelchair. The chair can be found at the end of the pier in Fisher's Lagoon, a very similar chair can be seen in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

16 Illuminati Confirmed?

We may not have noticed it, but we've all seen the All Seeing Eye at some point during our time with GTA V. 

The eye was first spotted during one of GTA V's trailers where in Lester's house a poster of the All Seeing Eye is on his wall. At the Observatory during the day, a shadow forms from the monument and displays the shape of an eye. Franklin also has a framed poster of the eye in his house, one of four in the game. Numerous other All Seeing Eyes can be found in San Andreas, too many to include here.

We're still not sure exactly what the eye means. In real-life the eye is associated notably with Freemasonry and the Illuminati, but in-game the eye could represent aliens watching over us and is likely to be tied in with the Mount Chiliad mystery, mentioned further down.

15 Are Ghosts Real?

Big Smoke, the infamous orderer of two number 9s, a number 9 large, a number 6 with extra dip, a number 7, two number 45s, one with cheese, and a large soda, is also well-known for betraying CJ, ultimately leading to his death.

After the mission End of the Line, players have reported hearing Big Smoke at his Crack Palace. During the exploration of the Palace, multiple paranormal activities occur adding weight to the ghost's existence: lights on the lower floors flicker and shut off for no reason, and in the upper floors, rooms seem to get brighter at times and props are known to disappear.

Big Smoke's ghost is a more unlikely phenomenon, however the paranormal activities have still not be fully explained, leaving this one unsolved.

14 Yesterday's News Today

The article first appeared in GTA III on the in-game Liberty Tree website, and it mentions numerous myths that have plagued Liberty City including Killer Bees, Strange Weather, Giant Lizards, and Zombies.

The second appearance of the 'Myth Article' is in GTA IV. Here, there is talk of myths that have been reported in other Grand Theft Auto games. Whilst some have been proven false, others are still left with questions: Sasquatches which we will touch on later are mentioned; Giant Alligators, though unlikely, have not been proven wrong; Secret Cities refers to the Ghost Town that can be found in GTA III. A whale seen swimming in Middle Park is another that seems unlikely, yet if sharks can be found in GTA: San Andreas, whales can certainly be considered for living in Middle Park, plus it is shaped like an alien... coincidence?

13 A Confirmed Killer

The serial killer in GTA: Chinatown Wars has been proven to exist. During the mission Missed the Boat? he is seen killing a pedestrian with a shotgun, quickly running to a car and leaving. He has been found to also kill another member of the public whilst driving in a hit-and-run scenario.

Players can pursue the killer which will result in him attacking you. Little else is known of this man apart from the fact that he appears at the docks. With the game being in a top-down, isometric view, it is very difficult to recognise the man even if it is someone we already know of.

With GTA: Chinatown Wars taking place in Liberty City, there's every chance the serial killer is a character or pedestrian that we've come across multiple times in GTA III and/or GTA IV.

12 What Does He Really Mean?

Here's one mystery that I'm glad others have investigated and tried to solve rather than me: The Quantum Man. It's a really hard mystery to follow, and is extremely vague.

Three mysterious images appear on the GTA V/Online Rockstar Games Social Club. As seen from the image above, the photographs show Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man overlaying the Los Santos Map in a television. Rumored to have been posted by a user called Quantum Anguli, which is Latin for, 'as far as the corners', it is theorised that the corners may have something to do with energy or radiation.

Due to such little information, even the most dedicated players have come to a stumbling block of what, if anything, The Quantum Man truly means.

11 The Romero Riddle

The Romero Riddle in GTA: Vice City links several myths to the Funeraria Romero, an undertaker and butcher service who appear in the game. Funeraria Romero is a mortician house lying in Little Haiti, and players believe the corpses there are then sold to a nearby butcher shop called Carnicero Romero. In the shop window, the butcher displays human organs with a note reading 'Human Organ - for transplant.' The image above shows a skeleton found at the rear of the mortician house, with one of its arms is missing. This has led players to believe that limbs are being sold along with human organs.

We are led to believe that the Riverside Pavilion (Chinese) restaurants, which are located very near the undertaker and butcher shops, sells the human organs provided to them by Funeraria Romero. There's plenty more evidence and theories to support these claims: Stygian Houses, R. S. & L. Bows and even business tycoon Donald Love.

10 Where Does That Trail Lead?

Your second killer mystery! In GTA IV, there are two blood trails that are parallel to each other, found at the back of Mikhail Faustin's house on his patio.

Players have claimed in the past that the trail becomes visible after the Crime and Punishment missions, where Mikhail kills his henchman Andrei by shooting him in the head. The theory is that the body of Andrei was dragged through the patio area leaving the blood trail that we can now see; this has now been proved to be false, as the trail is visible from the start of the game.

We're still none the wiser as to who the victim is. It's possibly someone who had crossed or betrayed Faustin a long time ago. While meeting him in the game, it's clear how short tempered he is (which is likely due to his substance abuse). We've also seen him kill Jason Michaels and Lenny Petrovic.

9 It's Extraterrestrial

Located in Bone County in GTA: San Andreas, The Big Ear is a large radio telescope with unknown motivations. There are very strange sounds that can be heard when driving a vehicle and listening to the radio, as the radio changes station and has a static, fuzzy noise. It is believed the noises are transmissions of UFOs which are being picked up by the Big Ear.

A similar satellite appears in GTA V. FIB agents and scientists are located here working around 11am each day. We can only guess what they are researching and why FIB agents need to be there... what's the importance? Another thing to note is that one of the dishes in the 'Big Ear Satellite Dish Array is pointed towards Fort Zancudo, a highly restricted military area.

8 Robbing The Graves

Across GTA: San Andreas multiple cemeteries are believed to have fallen victim to the grave robber.

In Vinewood Cemetery, several graves seem to have been tampered with. An open grave to the north of the cemetery has a hole visible underneath, and in the mausoleum many coffins have been cracked open. There are even pizza boxes, chairs, and a TV in the graveyard, hinting at someone who spends a lot of time there.

In Palomino Creek, a large coffin in the centre has been cracked open and a shovel spawns in the area, which players believe to be used by the grave robber.

Lastly, in the Ghost Town graveyard a bouquet of flowers is placed on one of the tombstones, even though the town is a century old. The grave that was dug for Jimmy Hernandez has been dug up with the body missing.

7 The Blueberry Mystery

A strange blue light surrounds the town of Blueberry in GTA: San Andreas. The blue glow appears on many buildings and nature in the town: a gas station, Blueberry Acres Farm barns, the truck terminal, and windows of multiple houses, among other things. They all have this bizarre blue glow illuminating around them.

The Epsilon Cult is most likely behind this phenomenon; their headquarters are located very near to Blueberry and blue is the color of the cult. In the game's manual, the farm in Flint County is referred to as the 'Cult Location' and this again has the same blue light shining from its windows. If it is them, what is hard to understand is how the blue light is actually emitted and what the reasonings are for it.

6 He's Been Spotted In Real-Life And In-Game...

As I made clear at the start, the 'true' Bigfoot in GTA V is nothing more than a man in a costume, however, we need to remember this is not the only GTA game Bigfoot has been said to appear in.

The most likely appearance of Bigfoot is in GTA: San Andreas, with quickly escalating rumours that this cryptid can be found in the countryside. There have been countless reports by players that they have seen Bigfoot from far away before he runs when you try to get closer, rarer cases state that Bigfoot has been known to actually attack the player.

The countryside in GTA: San Andreas seems to be the perfect habitat for this creature, with large forests, and the Mount Chiliad area being locations most associated with sightings.

5 Never Trust A Man In A Trenchcoat

There have been many guesses and theories behind Mr. Trenchcoat, but we are still none the wiser as to who the hell he truly is.

Mr. Trenchcoat resides in certain areas in Tierra Robada and Bone County in GTA: San Andreas. He believes he has been abducted by aliens and is dressed, yep you guessed it, in a trenchcoat. He is known to say some rather bizarre lines, including many that talk about alien abduction and his abuse aimed at them.

The man has also been seen to become hostile and attacks the player. Further theories are that Mr. Trenchcoat is actually a serial killer, with players reporting that they have seen him shoot pedestrians with a shotgun. We want to know if he is simply an alien believer, or perhaps he goes from that to a serial killer in a Jekyll and Hyde-type situation.

4 Hidden Treasure Theory

Located in Tommy's Ocean View Apartment in GTA: Vice City is an aquarium, containing a number of architect models. The Ocean Beach Lighthouse, a treasure chest, and the Chartered Beach Libertine Lines shipwreck propeller are all models inside the aquarium. It is believed the models represent a code left by Rockstar, hinting at a treasure chest lying between the lighthouse and the shipwreck propeller. Some players theorise that the treasure is concealed within the Chartered Libertine Lines wrecks, whilst others say that the treasure chest is located at the Ocean View Hotel.

Both theories have ground to stand on as they are situated between the Lighthouse and the shipwreck propeller, however, as the treasure chest has still never been found, its location and contents still remain a mystery.

3 Will We Finally Get A Jet Pack?

The jetpack in GTA: San Andreas was such a fun addition to an already amazing game, first discovered after acquiring it during The Truth's mission Black Project.

In GTA V we've had a lot less luck in getting our hands on this awesome vehicle. Various lines of code have been found suggesting that the jetpack was once part of Rockstar's plans. There are numerous references within the game that hint at the jetpack's existence: on the Mount Chiliad murial, a small stick figure with a jetpack can be seen in the bottom right corner, and inside Lester's home, there is a box with a sticker of an astronaut with a jetpack and laser rifle. Players also believe the jetpack can be found in the IAA Headquarters building, or in Grapeseed, where there is a weird barn that could potentially be storing the vehicle.

2 E.T. Phone Home

Based on the real-life, iconic Area 51 in America, Area 69 is a highly protected and secretive research facility in the middle of GTA: San Andreas' desert.

Area 69 has been the focal point for where many rumours of aliens and UFOs lie. Due to the instant 5-star wanted level once entering the area, players have found it very difficult to try and peruse the site without being killed.

Whilst exploring the area during the mission Black Project, the speakers say lines such as "Would the personnel working with the alien body, please put it away."  Many autopsy tables can also be found in the base, perhaps associated with the Green Goo recovered from the mission which is theorised to have come from the aliens.

1 The Mystery Of The Mountain

The pinnacle of all GTA conspiracy theories and mysteries is undoubtedly the Mount Chiliad Mystery. A mural is found at the cable car station at the summit of the mountain in GTA V showing the markings: we see a symbol of an alien spaceship, an egg, and a Jetpack (as mentioned previously) alongside an eye at the top (All Seeing Eye) and strange symbols seemingly pointing the player to secret locations in the world.

The mystery may be close to being solved, as the in-game map aligned with the mural indicates towards key points of interest. A sunken UFO wreckage has been found exactly where the spaceship within the map points to, and the cracked egg in the map has pointed players to the Underwater Hatch.

However, the Jetpack's location in the map does not point to anything of interest. Questions have arised wondering if Rockstar will release any further clues as to its existence, or if players have been trying to solve the mystery in completely the wrong way.