The Best Secrets In Every GTA Game
Rockstar Games' crime-ridden joyride experience Grand Theft Auto has been running wild since 1997. Gamers were treated to one of the greatest transformations in gaming history once the first two GTA games moved away from a top-down, 2-D perspective to an open-world 3-D revelation. Every one of the GTA titles is known for its realistic portrayals of violence, memorable characters, adult humor, and different approaches to enacting mayhem. Another aspect of the series that's highly regarded is the bevy of secrets and Easter eggs hidden within each release.
From the very first game right on up to the latest release in Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games' development teams have peppered in a collection of hidden sights and sounds. And the majority of them have alluded to side stories within the GTA universe, outside influences from movies and TV, and downright hilarious antics that were included just for laughs.
If you missed out on any of the series' many secrets and Easter eggs or just need a reminder of how wild they are, check out this breakdown of the very best ones GTA has to offer.
The "GOURANGA" bonus - Grand Theft Auto
The first iteration of Grand Theft Auto played host to a group of pedestrians known as the Hare Krishnas.
The Krishnas stood out due to their penchant for wearing orange and donning the appearance of peaceful monks. Players had the opportunity to completely ignore their zen-like ways and wipe them all out for a special Easter egg. Simply running over an entire procession of Hare Krishna members would result in the offending player getting a bonus, which was represented by the message "GOURANGA!" popping up on their screen. That same bonus message would come across a player's screen whenever they eliminated that same lineup of orange individuals in quick succession with a machine gun. The "GOURANGA" bonus would result in a huge points increase being awarded to the player, but a higher wanted rating from the police also came with the vicious act.
What makes this GTA secret even crazier is the fact that it has real-world roots. The term "Gouranga" was actually popularized by followers of the Hare Krishna movement during the 1970s. The word was used to describe happiness, yet they experienced none of that in the first GTA.
The" Wang Car Bonus" - Grand Theft Auto 2
Grand Theft Auto 2 came with a secret reward of its own in the form of the Wang Car Bonus.
Wang Cars played the part of an automobile dealership. And of course, it was known for paying top dollar for the vehicles delivered to them. Plus it also celebrated the fact that it was a company run by secondhand specialists. By heading to the dealership's showroom in GTA 2's Residential District, players could take on a challenging side quest. That mission entailed finding eight GT-A1 automobiles within that same location, which was no easy feat. Once a player entered one of the GT-A1 cars they discovered, they'd get transported back to Wang Cars' showroom. Finding all eight of the GT-A1 vehicles would activate the "WANG CAR BONUS!" message and send players to Wang Cars' parking lot, which now featured some special mission completion goodies.
Those prizes included a tank, an armed Land Roamer, a fire truck that has switched out its water cannon for a flamethrower, and four Furore GTs that came with special weapon attachments. GTA 2's "Wang Car Bonus" took some dedication to find, but it was certainly worth the trouble.
The hidden sign - Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto 3 blew people's minds upon its release back in 2001. The massive scope of the game wowed everyone who explored its metropolitan open world. And the switch to a third-person viewpoint meant that players got even closer to the action than never before. There was so much to see and do within the game's main locale of Liberty City. And unsurprisingly, that huge city hid a few secrets and Easter eggs that players had to do a lot of work to find.
One example of that was the game's infamous hidden sign. Located within a parking lot set within Bedford Point, the hidden sign could only be reached via a smaller vehicle and some tricky maneuvering. After driving up a set of stairs and engaging in a bit of platforming, players would come upon a sign that relayed a humorous message. That message simply stated, "You weren't supposed to be able to get here you know."
GTA 3's development team clearly knew players' curiosity would get the better of them, hence why they included this fun little notice for gamers to uncover.
The cement shoe men - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
An expression that's stereotypically thrown around by the Mafia is "sleeping with the fishes." If you know what that phrase entails, then you know it doesn't mean anything good. For two unlucky individuals who appeared in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, their sad fate was attached to that threatening idiom.
By engaging in some sea exploration around the areas of Washington Beach, Leaf Links, and Little Havana, keen-eyed players could spot overweight men underwater, noticeable for their boxer shorts and their raised arms. What stood out even more about these men were the cement blocks surrounding their feet, which clearly pointed to them being dumped into the water by the Mafia members they'd clearly wronged.
Fans have pointed to the game's Forelli Family as the main culprits behind the "cement shoe men" due to a certain character alluding to the group's desire to fit him with some "cement shoes." That character happens to be Ken Rosenberg, who mentions the group's signature punishment tactic during the mission "Keep Your Friends Close." And unsurprisingly, it turns out that accusation had plenty of validity to it.
Shooting at the moon - GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas
The Moon has been scientifically proven to be Earth's only natural orbiting satellite and the fifth-largest natural satellite within our solar system.
In the 3-D Grand Theft Auto games, it takes its place among the stars as you wreak havoc on the very planet it hovers over. One of the more fun secrets/Easter eggs within GTA: Vice City and San Andreas was that players could play around with the Moon. Arming oneself with a sniper rifle and taking aim at the moon would always be the intro to this zany occurrence. Shooting at it multiple times would actually change its proportions at the drop of a hat. At times, the Moon would expand greatly. At other times, the Moon would revert to a much smaller version of itself. Eventually, the player's carefully aimed sniper shots would bring the moon back to its regular appearance.
It's still not known whether this particular secret was intentional or just an unfixable game bug. Since it was included in two 3-D GTA games, we'll have to go with the former.
Glitching into Area 69 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Like the real world's mysterious Area 51, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has its own rendition of the secret government research facility.
And funnily enough, it's referred to as Area 69. Driving your character to that off-limits base was just a part of the challenge. Actually getting inside of Area 69 was a tough secret to uncover all on its own. Players who decided to tackle this Easter egg location head-on had to rely on a motorcycle glitch that transported them right into the facility. Once inside, the player would be swarmed by officers who were looking to put them down. But the armory found within Area 69's underground hallways would give that player a fighting chance.
Powerful firearms, such as a minigun and a combat shotgun, could be found and equipped as players did some off-limits exploring. Other useful gadgets could also be discovered within Area 69's inner sanctum, such as body armor and even a jetpack! While no one was meant to get inside Area 69, players still found a way to glitch themselves into it anyway.
The sign that leads to the literal heart of Liberty City - Grand Theft Auto IV
2008's Grand Theft Auto IV took the series back to its iconic open-world locale of Liberty City.
Liberty City owes its inspiration to the "Big Apple," aka New York City, in more ways than one. The Statue of Liberty that New Yorkers are used to seeing plastered all over T-shirts, cups, and other tourist-friendly goods goes by a different name in Liberty City. The game's version of that monument is known as the Statue of Happiness. And one of GTA IV's biggest secrets leads right to the beating heart of that pride-inducing statue.
In order to get up close and personal with this Easter egg, players had to pilot a helicopter and fly to Happiness Island. Once they dropped down onto a specific spot atop the statue's pedestal, two signs could be seen saying "No Hidden Content this way." Ignoring that message meant players could go on ahead and climb up a long ladder to the middle portion of the statue. The literal beating heart of Liberty City and the Statue of Happiness could be seen once that ladder exercise came to a close.
The elusive Sultan RS - Grand Theft Auto IV
There's a wide array of cars to take for a joyride in Grand Theft Auto IV.
One of the fastest, sleekest, and most elusive automobiles in the game is the Sultan RS. That rare ride is known for being hard to come across through regular means. But there ended up being a method for finding the Sultan RS and finally getting the chance to take it down the busy roads of Liberty City. By taking a long drive toward Westdyke, players would eventually come across a dirt road that leads right to an old mansion. Simply getting out of your current ride and walking behind the parking garage nearby would lead to the discovery of an abandoned Sultan RS. And that's when the fun truly begins.
The two-door rally sports car may have taken a lot of work to find, but it ended up being worth it once the players who found it got behind the wheel. The Sultan RS' impressive stats and elegant design just couldn't be ignored.
An alien under ice? - Grand Theft Auto V
Some folks believe that aliens exist and are far more advanced than the human race.
In Grand Theft Auto V, extraterrestrial beings have a huge presence within the massive city of Los Santos. One of the strangest and funniest manners in which aliens pop up is during the game's "Prologue" mission. During the car chase sequence, players would need to take a detour if they wanted proof of the alien population within GTA V. Taking a right turn near a bridge, driving below to an frozen waterway, and making your way onto the ice would lead to a mind-blowing secret. An alien that looks eerily similar to a xenomorph from the Alien films could be seen completely frozen underneath the icy river.
Now how the heck did it get to Los Santos in the first place? And how did that alien meet such a "cold" fate? The denizens of Los Santos and the players who explore it will probably never know...
The ghost from Jock Cranley's past - Grand Theft Auto V
One of GTA V's spookiest secrets dealt with the ghost of Jock Cranley's deceased wife, Jolene Cranley-Evans.
Between the in-game hours of 23:00 and 0:00, players could witness the manifestation of that spirit near a flat rock along the peak of Mount Gordo. The tale connected to that ghost is even stranger than fiction. The rock where the ghost would appear had the word "JOCK" written across it in blood. The Jock that message from beyond the dead alluded to is none other than Jock Cranley.
The story goes that Jock had aspirations of becoming a stuntman. But his wife was totally against him making the move from their home base of Blaine County to Los Santos. During a hike on Mount Gordo, Jock shockingly committed the act of murder by pushing Mrs. Evans off the side of a cliff. Jock was taken in for his crime but was eventually released due to insufficient evidence. Players could get that backstory and even more info on this horrifying Easter egg by heading to a specific in-game website and reading the article "Blood on the Rocks."
Rest in peace, Mrs. Evans.
The Lost hatch and its decoded message - Grand Theft Auto V
Off the east coast of the State of San Andreas lies an underwater secret.
In order to find it, one would have to dive into the sea with their scuba gear on or hop into the submersible. After doing some deep-sea exploring, players would lock eyes with a small, circular hatch. As the player got closer to this mystery hatch, it would unexpectedly emit a yellow light. For fans of the classic TV drama series Lost, this Easter egg elicited an excited response. GTA V's hatch was clearly a shout-out to the same type of hatch that was featured prominently on the show.
That wasn't the only striking feature of this underwater hatch, however. A strange tapping noise could be heard coming from the locked structure, which was later found out to be a message being sent out through Tap code. Once fully translated, the message turned out to be "Hey, you never call, how'd you fancy going bowling?" If you've played GTA IV, then you know this friendly statement came from none other than Roman Bellic.
The UFOs are definitely out there - Grand Theft Auto V
Now, we've already covered signs of extraterrestrial life existing within GTA V. But that isn't the only case of non-Earth life-forms being present all over Los Santos. Achieving the game's lofty 100-percent completion rating would activate a special Easter egg.
Under certain circumstances, players could get a closer look at three airborne UFOs. Engaging in some extreme parachuting thrills would lead to a cool encounter with a massive spaceship circling above Fort Zancudo. Another UFO could be seen atop Mount Chiliad at 3:00 AM during a rainy night. As for the third and final alien encounter, that secret instance could be experienced in Sandy Shores if players went airborne in their personal helicopter to find it.
In all three cases, players couldn't enter the UFOs or shoot them out of the sky. All they could do was bask in each ship's awesomeness and ponder the possibilities of what the developers meant by their inclusion. The truth is certainly out there.