Each Grand Theft Auto game is a world unto itself. Therefore, multiple games create a universe that is as large as it is outrageous. Grand Theft Auto V alone has a total of 69 missions for players to navigate. Many are related to the main storyline, while others branch off into the weird and dangerous. Grand Theft Auto IV has 88 missions, while San Andreas has 100 missions total. Even if you think you have seen all that the GTA games have to offer, you have likely missed some major plot points that are just as interesting as the main storyline.
You chased down that train in San Andreas as CJ and decided whether to off Trevor or Michael as Franklin at the end of GTA V, but there is so much more to these games than hallmarks such as these. Did you know a corrupt politician killed his wife in GTA V? Were you aware that Niko Bellic may still be alive and active after the events of GTA IV? Your character can take on detective duties to research the existence of aliens, serial killers, and Big Foot. You may have thought you were done with Grove Street and Los Santos, but you will be pleasantly surprised to find out you aren’t. It is time to revisit the weird, sometimes insane, but always fun world of Grand Theft Auto. Here are fifteen hidden plot lines you may have missed throughout the franchise.
15 Solve A 20-Year-Old Murder Case
The unique thing about Grand Theft Auto is its ability to include cartoonish violence while tackling more serious issues. Everyone knows players can steal vehicles, and kill pedestrians at will, but there is still something unsettling about the potential appearance of a serial killer. This person in GTA V is known as the Infinity Killer. It is said that eight male joggers went missing during the 1990’s in Los Santos. Various clues and tips throughout the city will lead you to discover their grim fate in a secluded location. It is grisly and a reminder of the “reality” of our world that GTA mirrors. You will come across eight body bags that hold the remains of those killed by the Infinity Killer. This gives any A&E or Headline News cold case special a run for its money.
14 Catalina’s “Other” Activities
If there is any lady who deserves the title as “most ruthless woman,” it is Catalina. In San Andreas, Catalina’s criminal mastermind status cannot be denied. However, can she now add “black widow” to her long resume of crimes against humanity? When players go to pick up a spade weapon near her cabin, they can also find two shallow graves. Why would she have graves at her house carrying people for whom she did not care? She seems like the type of person who engages in a lot of murders, so what would make her treat these two as special? These would have to be people close to her for her to keep gravesites at her home. Other than family, the likely occupants are past lovers.
13 Trevor’s Tough Childhood
No one can deny the disturbed nature of Trevor. He is impulsively violent, and at times ridiculously cruel. These traits are disturbing, but developers may have left players clues as to why he is this way. Many signs point to Trevor having a really messed up childhood due to his reaction to his fears throughout GTA V. There is some evidence that he was abused by a clown as he asks one he sees if “there are any other [physical] offenders among them.” Yikes! He is also terrified of his mother. He cannot form sentences around her and is uncharacteristically passive when she asks something of him. It is highly likely she abused Trevor in some way as a child. It makes you have a little more empathy for this character.
12 The Sad Story Of Jolene Cranley
This entry almost sounds as if it was taken right from the headlines. Star meets girl, star asks the girl to do what he wants, she refuses, and the girl ends up dead. Jack Cranley —also known as Jock— was a narcissistic stuntman turned conservative governor candidate. He had aspirations to leave Blaine County to go to Los Santos to further pursue his political career. His wife, Jolene Cranley, was not open to the move. As punishment, he killed her by throwing her off a cliff during a hike. If that is not bad enough, the story takes a creepy turn as players can find her ghost on the cliff where she died. As players in GTA V approach her, she leaves the words, “Jock” on the rocks in bloody letters, alluding to his wicked deed.
11 UFOs, Bigfoot, And Peyote…Oh, My!
GTA V has a hidden mountain known as Mt. Chiliad. If players attain 100% completion of the game, they can then see a UFO at the top of the mountain. There they can find a map, which when put on top of Los Santos, reveals various locations they need to go to collect peyote plants. This journey eventually allows players to enter into an epic showdown with Big Foot. It is a paranormal hunting mission that many players may have missed. Remember all those times you may have seen a giant creature looming over the city? Your character was not crazy; Big Foot does exist in GTA V. The map may also point to some significant plot connections between Franklin, Trevor, and Michael. You aren’t done yet!
10 Art Mirroring Reality?
Ever heard of Area 51? Well, GTA’s developers sure did and wanted to throw a little “reality” into the art. From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in GTA V, FIB agents and scientists can be seen meeting at satellite dishes in the Senora Desert. Don’t get too excited, because you will not be able to make out what they are discussing. The second they hear or see you they immediately stop talking. If you stick around too long, the FIB agents will chase you and raise your wanted level. They will also attack you if you try to speak to the scientists. It seriously raises suspicion levels regarding their involvement with corruption or something “otherworldly.” Does someone at Rockstar know something we don’t?
9 The Fate Of Niko Bellic
Niko Bellic was the protagonist of GTA IV, and there has been much speculation about his fate after the end of the game. The game concludes with the death of someone very close to him depending on an important choice you make in the game. After this, his whereabouts are ambiguous. In GTA V, a few characters reference him. Trevor refers to a “Serbian who went quietly in Liberty City.” However, various signs and happenings around GTA V point to him still being alive and “active” in the crime world. For example, a homeless man holds up a sign saying that an “Eastern European man robbed him.” Will gamers receive more answers about GTA IV’s protagonist in later installments?
8 Real-Life Inspiration For GTA San Andreas?
GTA San Andreas was set in 1992. It is no secret that there is not much tranquility between cops and pedestrians in the games, but you might have missed a few clues that point to this. If CJ goes to an impound lot behind the police station, he will witness two cops beating a pedestrian. It is implied that these are referencing the Rodney King incident that led to the LA Riots in the early 1990s. These riots severely strained relations between the public and police. Rockstar looks to have recognized this and added the viciousness of the police as a major plot point in GTA San Andreas. At first glance, it always seemed just to be directed at CJ and criminals; this shows that their violence also extends to pedestrians.
7 The Altruist Still Live!
The Altruist Cult is a group of baby boomer-aged men in GTA V who kidnap people younger than them for their flesh and organs. They hate technology and anything from younger generations. One of Trevor’s missions is that he can deliver victims to them. However, as many players of the series find out, things do not turn out well for Trevor with this group. He is almost killed in a gunfight with the group after the fourth victim is delivered. A gun-battle is thought to have either killed them all or forced them to leave the compound for fear of their safety. Later on in the game, if players drive a helicopter over the compound, they can see a few members still living there. How did they survive, and what is their new purpose?
6 Grim Secrets Of The Mine
This list is full of dark and odd moments in the GTA Universe, but this might be one of the weirdest and out-of-place entries on the list. In GTA V, players can use explosives to open a closed mineshaft. Once they are inside, they can then explore the area. As players descend into the mine, they will discover a dead body that is dressed in clothing from the 1940’s. There is a movie reel next to it. If the person watches it, they will see that it is a late cartoonist who might have been killed because they knew a deadly secret. There is also another body submerged under the water. Was the other deceased person also in on this secret? What was it, and does it have any bearing on the present?
5 So Lamar And Franklin’s Aunt?
Have you ever had that friend who looked at your mother or relative a little longer than was comfortable? Did they ever say anything cringe-worthy? Well, this entry is for you. Lamar is one of Franklin’s good friends in GTA V. However, Lamar may also be “friends” with another person in the Clinton household. A psychic side quest that Franklin can engage in allows him to talk with a medium that reveals seeing visions of someone sleeping with Lamar on Franklin’s bed. There is speculation that Lamar and Denise Clinton; Franklin’s aunt had an affair. He is seen leaving Franklin’s house with her and making suggestive comments about her throughout the game. Did Lamar and Denise cross that line? Talk about a “Stacy’s Mom” situation.
4 A Little More “Cultish” Behavior
Again, Rockstar pulled some “real world,” inspiration on this entry. Michael De Santa is the only player in GTA V who can accomplish the Epsilon Missions. He has to engage in ridiculous and exploitive tasks for the Epsilon cult to stay a member. Some of the tasks include things like taking intrusive quizzes, delivering vehicles to random locations, and finding alien artifacts throughout the map. He also has to donate large sums of money to stay a member. There is much talk that these missions are a parody of the real-life Scientology group. Grand Theft Auto is a product of the world around us and encompasses many themes we encounter in daily life. Religion is one of those themes, and Rockstar handles this particular situation with some realism and humor.
3 “The Truth” Made His Way Into GTA IV
The Truth is a conspiracy theorist that befriends CJ in GTA San Andreas. He specializes in listening in on the government and recruits CJ to go peyote hunting. He is also involved in one of the most captivating events in San Andreas, a trial involving Tenpenny (who tried to frame a politician using The Truth’s marijuana). He looks to have disappeared after the events of San Andreas, but The Truth is not done spreading his…well…truth. This guy pops up again in GTA IV. He sends Niko Bellic an email instructing him on how he can enter into the “truth.” Could he also be connected to the peyote journey in GTA V? There is a reason to believe The Truth is not done with his message of enlightenment and government conspiracy.
2 The 3D And HD Universes Are Connected In Subtle Ways
There are tons of subtle Easter Eggs and side mission details that combine the 3D and HD Universes. Rock Star has ambiguously maintained that San Andreas and certain other one-off stories were in alternate universes compared to GTA IV and GTA V. Many fans have determined that the plots of these games intersect which gives, even more, meaning to the GTA Canon. The appearance of The Truth in GTA IV and certain radio station hosts that are in GTA San Andreas, IV, and V could connect all these various stories. Can we eventually see an older CJ in a later installment of GTA? Could Roman Bellic’s son (or daughter) make an appearance in a later game? These are interesting premises to think about, and this discovery shows these could be a reality.
1 The Aliens Have Invaded Los Santos
It is evident from earlier entries that the FIB is hiding something. Well, it may be the existence of alien life forms. It was originally thought that aliens were only hallucinations due to peyote, but there is a whole plot linking these beings to the game. Part of it includes the discoveries on Mt. Chiliad, but the other is that a real alien is shown to be frozen in the ice during Michael De Santa’s escape earlier in the game. There is also a UFO down there as well. There is one flying saucer in the game that has the words “FIB” inscribed on it, which is the game’s version of the FBI. It looks like a government cover-up of Area 51 proportions. An alien DLC is long overdue.
