Ah, Grand Theft Auto. Despite what censorious lawyers and two-bit politicians might say, we know that these games are deep. They aren't all about immature sprees. I mean, sure, that's a big part of it, but when I think of GTA, I think of the amazing worlds. The incredible depth and design that goes into each and every element, from the radio stations to the buildings to the NPC dialog. When you have a bunch of worlds that are so deep and so well-designed, you get secrets by the bucketload. The world of GTA is full of characters, moments, events, and metagaming that you may never even notice if you don't scratch below the surface.
This trend started way back in the day with the original GTA, and has carried through every game since. There are secrets and references hidden all over the place. In this article, we're going to take a look at some of the best that you may not have noticed. Whether you grew up playing Vice City and San Andreas or cut your teeth in GTA 5, there's going to be something here for you to go out and discover.
When you consider that the series is a result of a bug in Race'n'Chase, where the cops would become overly aggressive, it's come a long, long way. It's a series that a lot of people, us included, hold close to their hearts. If you think we've missed something amazing, don't hesitate to let us know!
30 A Ghost Haunts Mount Gordo
Should you go to Mount Gordo between 11 PM and midnight, make your way toward the large, flat rock that has the word “JOCK” spray painted on it. A ghost will appear of a spooky-looking woman. She won’t do any harm to you, but it’s pretty freaky. This ghost is thought to be that of Jolene Cranley-Evans, the wife of stuntman Jock Cranley. Of course, he's responsible for her end, but escaped conviction due to a lack of evidence.
29 Photographers With Issues Can Be Found In San Andreas’ Flint County
San Andreas is a place with many secrets to be found. It's also a place for people with many, many issues. If you drive through the Flint County Scenic Route, keep your eye on the Los Santos Inlet. Occasionally, you’ll see a photographer spawn. They appear to be taking photos of the inlet, and you can occasionally hear him sigh. Then they'll put their camera down, and walk into the water. As sad as this is, it's an incredible bit of world design by Rockstar, which most people completely miss.
28 A Beating Heart Is Entombed Within GTA IV’s Statue Of Happiness
The Statue of Happiness looms large over Liberty City. You're not meant to be able to get inside, but it's possible, with a hidden entrance by the statue's feet, only accessible by helicopter. Head inside, and you're met with a creepy secret. The statue has a heart. A living, beating heart that is chained to the statue's stone exterior. It's indestructible, which is probably for the best. Who knows what kind of eldritch horrors would be unleashed were it destroyed.
27 There Are Gravestones Bearing A Developer’s Name
This easter egg first appeared in Vice City. In Little Haiti, there’s a funeral home going by the name of Funeraria Romero. Inside, the eagle eyed will spot a number of weird things going on with the gravestones, but most importantly, you can see one dedicated to the memory of Steven Mulholland. You can find another gravestone dedicated to the designer in SA’s Palomino Creek graveyard. Fear not, Steven was, and remains, very much alive. The Mulholland area in SA is also named for him.
26 An NPC In GTA V Bears A Striking Resemblance To Kanye West
While not officially recognized by Rockstar, some players have noticed that one of the NPCs in GTA V very much resembles Yeezus. No one is sure if it really is him, or if it just really, really looks like him. He's dressed in a black T-shirt, chain, and has got a very West-like goatee. You can’t find him at any particular location, as he appears randomly in different spots. I wonder if this NPC also sends out crazy tweets on the regular.
25 Police Attacks Can Be Spotted In San Andreas
This should come as no surprise, given the proclivities of Officers Tenpenny, Pulaski, Hernandez, and Pendelbury. In the parking lot under the police station in San Andreas, you can see something that’s not exactly subtle about its real-world inspiration. In the lot, you can spot a pair of police officers attacking suspects. Obviously this is another instance of world-building that hits very close to home.
24 Numerous Cheesy Puns Are Hidden In GTA 2’s Neon Signs
If there's one thing that GTA is known for, aside from the many, many controversies that have been whipped up around it, it's its humor. While the later games' in-jokes, like Tw@, are more well known, they go back a lot further. In GTA 2's top-down city, little jokes were hidden in the buildings' rooftop signs. We won't say exactly what they mean, but some examples are Foo Cars, a car dealership, Brown Eyes sewage plant, Wang Cars, another dealership, and Rev. Elations, a nightclub.
23 Using A Blacklight On The GTA V Map Reveals Secrets
One of the packed-in extras that came with GTA V’s collector’s edition was a map of the world. I don’t know how someone found this out, but if you illuminate it with a blacklight, ultraviolet markings will show up. These show all kinds of things, including text, markings, and in-game secrets. You’ll also see clues that seem to point towards the existence of UFOs. I'm pretty impressed with this one, to be honest. Hiding little secrets and easter eggs in-game is one thing, but breaking the fourth wall and giving people a collectible with a secret purpose? That's awesome.
22 There Are Secret Towns Hidden In GTA III
Take your trusty Dodo and fly due north of Liberty City, and eventually, you’ll leave the city’s limits. Here, there are various towns named after the game’s programmers. These include Obbeburgh, named for Obbe Vermeij, Woodcunty, named for Alisdair Wood, Garystown for Gary McAdam, and more! The whole area is known as Upstate Liberty, and is thought to have been cut due to technical limitations. The area is referenced in the game, and Lazlow mentions he's from there, but it's never actually accessed by the player, at least, officially.
21 There’s An Alien Encased In Ice In GTA V
Pretty much everyone knows about the UFOs that can appear in GTA V, but what’s way less known, is that one of the inhabitants of these crafts can also be spotted. You can only see it in Ludendorff in North Yankton, either during the prologue, or in the mission Bury the Hatchet. Drive down the bank underneath the train bridge you escape on in the prologue, and look in the river. There’s an alien invader, lifelessly (we hope) frozen in the ice.
20 Claude Can Be Spotted In Tommy Vercetti’s Room
Does anyone really remember Claude? The mute, blank slate character who was GTA III's main protagonist? Honestly, I remember him more from his brief appearance in San Andreas, but regardless, for some, he's an important part of their gaming history. Did you know that he also, technically, appears in Vice City? In Tommy’s room in the Ocean View Hotel, you can spot a poster that has the image of the protagonist on it. Quite why Tommy has this, since VC takes place a few years earlier, is unknown.
19 Burger Shot Are At Least Honest In GTA IV
We all know that fast food isn't exactly the healthiest option available, don't we? Fast food companies in the real world often try to disguise that fact, offering "healthy" options like salads that contain a huge amount of sugar. In Liberty City, apparently, the fast food companies are somewhat more honest. If you take a closer look at The Bleeder, available in Burger Shot, you'll see a stark health warning saying "This burger may [end] you!" and dodging legal responsibility.
18 Clues About GTA V’s Serial Attacker Are Hidden Throughout The World
You aren’t the only serial life-snuffer in the world of GTA V. There’s also the Infinity Attacker, Merle Abrahams. While he passed in 2004, there are numerous clues hidden throughout the world. In the Yellow Jack Inn, there are bloody footsteps around the pool table, likely linked to the criminal due to his obsession with the number 8. There are slogans scrawled on rocks in Sandy Shores and on the wall of the prison, seven bodies can be found on Mount Chiliad, and inside his burned out house there are numerous messages left by Abrahams.
17 Shooting Vice City's Moon Makes It Bigger
Have you ever looked at the moon and thought: I wish that could be a bit bigger? No, neither have I really, hunter's moons and harvest moons sort of take care of that for us. However, if you want to tinker with our satellite's size in Vice City, the solution is simple. Shoot it. Get yourself a sniper rifle, spy on the lunar body through the scope, and fire. You can change the size a fair few times, making it gigantic, if you like.
16 Tanner, From Driver, Can Be Found In Vice City
Back in the day, Driver looked as though it was attempting to steal GTA’s open-world crown. As a little dig to Reflections and Atari, Rockstar created the developer Dick Tanner. This guy is part of a crime syndicate looking to rob a bank in Vice City, and is done away with by Tommy in the mission Autocide. Not to be outdone, Reflections hid a character called Timmy Vermicelli in Driv3r. Vermicelli couldn't swim, a reference to the lack of swimming in Vice City, despite its watery locale.
15 Hidden Bodies Of Those Who Knew Too Much
In GTA: San Andreas, Area 69 is a well-known black site, carrying out experiments on God knows what. What happens to those who find out too much? This easter egg appears to answer that question, and it’s not pretty. Northwest of the base, you can find a deep hole in the ground, containing several bodies of those ended for unknown reasons. It's never expanded upon in the game, but I choose to believe that these are either innocent people who stumbled upon the base's secrets, or those feared to be whistleblowers.
14 The Hidden Hatch From Lost Can Be Found Off GTA V's Coast
It's been a long while since Lost was at the peak of its popularity, but games have been referencing it ever since. Arguably, this started in Just Cause 2, who had a whole island dedicated to the show. GTA V decided that despite the passage of time, it didn't want to miss out on referencing it. Get in a submersible and head east off San Andreas, and you'll find a windowed hatch that lights up as you get close. Should you get too close though, you and your submarine will be crushed by pressure.
13 Human Meat Is For Sale In Vice City
Back near the funeral home in Little Haiti, you can find a shop openly selling human meat. The store is open about it, proudly displaying a box that says “human organ.” There are brains, kidneys, a liver, and a whole human arm displayed. Apparently the police don’t really give a damn about this, despite pursuing you relentlessly if you commit the fatal infraction of accidentally bumping into one of their cars. Well, they do say it’s the sweetest meat. Maybe they get bribed with human steaks.
12 GTA III Has A Whole Hidden Town
GTA V isn’t the only game to open in an entirely different place than the rest of the game is set in. GTA III did this too, and if you want, you can visit the place where Catalina betrayed Claude. Fly out to sea in a Dodo, and turn right, following the cliffs. Here, you’ll see the town in all its blocky glory. You can’t land, but if you want to check it out, there’s a mod for the PC version called Bridge to Ghost Town.
11 A Creepy Warning Inside The Maverick
Inside GTA IV’s Maverick helicopter, a disturbing warning can be seen displayed in the cockpit. If you’re in first person mode and take a look, you’ll see it. It says simply “This helicopter might crash but we really don’t care if it does, refer to flight manual for help.”
Given the world's apparent flagrant disregard for health and safety, it's a wonder that there's a warning at all. Still, I would somewhat prefer that the helicopter doesn't crash. Maybe I shouldn't duel with police choppers.