Open world games are a dime a dozen these days, with many new titles opting for a less linear player experience in favor of throwing them into a sandbox, patting them on the back, and letting them loose on unsuspecting NPCs. There was a time, however, whenGrand Theft Autowas one of the only games to do this and has since cemented itself as the crowned king of open-world games.
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As the top dog, Rockstar is basically allowed to do whatever they want within their games, with a few exceptions, which can make for some weird and hilarious experiences for the player when they are found.
10Make Fun Of Past Protagonists
One of the draws ofGrand Theft Autois that the protagonist changes with each new iteration of the series, allowing players to experience a new city as a low-level criminal, rather than some outside force reducing them back to level oneSaint’s Rowstyle.
What this often means is those past protagonists are brought up in future games, usually poking fun at them somehow. Claude fromGTA IIIappears inSan Andreasand is mocked for being a silent protagonist by C.J., while Tommy Vercetti fromVice Cityis mentioned in passing, and C.J. replies with “Who the f*** is Tommy?”, indicating the mob bosses irrelevance in a more modern game.
9Feature A Blind Yakuza Leader
San Andreasdefinitely embraced the more silly aspects of an open-world crime game, allowing the player to – among other things – infiltrate Area 69 and steal a jetpack during a mission aptly named “Green Goo.”
One of the more ridiculous characters in the game, however, is Woozie, a drag racing member of the Yakuza who is later revealed to be totally blind and incredibly lucky. As C.J. finds out this information before Woozie can tell him, it makes for some hilarious interactions between the two as Woozie pretends to be able to see, with some less than successful results.
8Take Selfies During Cutscenes
One of the added features inGTA Vis, of course, the ability to take selfies. As much asGTAgames in the past have used some sort of photo mode or camera, this is the first time in series that these options have produced an odd glitch during cutscenes.
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If the Snapmatic app is opened just as a cutscene starts, the player character will pull out their phone and start taking selfies, reducing what could have been a serious conversation into a hilarious case of the character only half paying attention.
7Literal Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are hidden all over the place across theGTAgames. There are subtle nods to Umbrella Corporation fromResident Eviland signs that poke fun at the death of Rockstar’s competition, but one of the stranger ones is a literal egg found inVice City.
Inside the wall of a building, one that can only be reached by suicidally jumping from an adjacent roof, hides an egg sitting on top of a pedestal that reads “Happy Easter.” It would seem that whoever was in charge of placing Easter eggs around the world took their job a little too literally.
6Big Foot VS Werewolf
WhenSan Andreaswas released, there were all sorts ofrumorsgoing around that there was a hidden Big Foot roaming the wilderness, whose images were faked quite believably through mods.
Years later, when players were able to revisit Los Santos, Big Foot was brought intoGTA V, for real this time, and had his own string of missions to complete. Not only that, but it all culminates in a final confrontation with a wolfman who bears a striking resemblance to Michael J. Fox’s character inTeen Wolf.
5Play As A Normal Citizen
Many open-world games, such asSaint’s RowandJust Cause, completely embrace the ridiculousness of their worlds, allowing players to do some truly insane stuff in your travels. What this style of gameplay leaves behind, however, is the ability to casually traverse the cities as a regular citizen, rather than as a one-man army who doesn’t stop speeding for the old lady crossing the road.
In all 3DGTAgames, the player is able to complete taxi, police, and ambulance missions for various rewards. Admittedly, this makes one wonder about the competency of those who actually work in those fields in-game, as they will allow literally anyone to step in and do the job for them.
4Dress As Other Rockstar Characters
GTA: Vice Citywas the first to introduce the ability to change outfits, although back then those were pre-set as either rewards or required for certain missions. Many years later inGTA V, character customization has grown to the point where it is very easy to dress yourself up as not only otherGTApersonalities but characters from other Rockstar games as well.
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The signature Hawaiian shirt worn by the protagonist inMax Payne 3makes an appearance, as well as Pigsy’s mask from the often forgotten but controversialManhuntgames.
3"Nothing To See Here"
Of the many Easter eggs scattered throughout theGTAfranchise, possibly the biggest slap in the face for players who scoured the corners of the map to search for them are the signs that simply read “Nothing to see here.”
San Andreaseven goes a step further on the Gate Bridge, where there is a sign on top that reads “There are no Easter Eggs up here. Go Away.” While they may be a little disappointing to find, it’s funny to think that a developer’s job was to find somewhere to put these signs.
2Gambling Terminology
One of the biggest money-makers forGTA Onlineis the cash cards, quick injections of money that players can buy with real-world cash to help them get a leg up while they run rampant around Los Santos.
What makes these cards funny is how they are named, with the largest of the two being the Whale and Megalodon cards. In gambling terminology, a whale is someone who is a consistent source of a large amount of money, and Rockstar seems to think it’s totally fine to make that reference about its player base. There are probably very few companies out there who could get away with that.
1Phallic Lights
Saint’s Rowmay have fully embraced the insanity with its later entries, but long before that was the hotel room lights inVice City.
On the side of the Chariot Hotel, the room lights will form a very suggestive pattern when seen at night, which probably isn’t a surprising find considering that one of the game’s missions involves shining a spotlight of an adult actress’s chest onto the side of another building.
Next:5 Things You Can Only Do In Saints Row (& 5 You Can Only Do In GTA)
