Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest, if not the biggest gaming series around. For better or worse, for many people, Grand Theft Auto defines what gaming is. It is a series that has spawned controversy, imitators, and whole-sale rip-offs. It is a series that has worried politicians and parents for years with its depiction of every violent crime imaginable. Petty theft, robbery, and murder, no crime seems too big or small for developer Rockstar and its game Grand Theft Auto.
Throughout the series, gamers have traveled the rough streets of Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto’s version of New York City, Vice City (Miami), and the state of San Andreas (California). They have driven innumerable cars, flown planes and blimps, rode bicycles, lifted weights, and even explored the depths of the ocean. For all intents and purposes, the world of Grand Theft Auto is a living and breathing place where you can just as easily get your in-game character under the influence as you can hijack a military jet all with the world evolving and reacting to your every move.
It is also a series with a deep history and plenty of Easter eggs to find within its worlds. For this list, I tried to grab interesting tidbits about the series history including things like famous actors that have appeared in the series and controversies it has stirred as well as little-known or fun Easter eggs all serious GTA players should try and find for themselves.
Here are 31 Awesome Things You Didn’t Know About Grand Theft Auto.
31 The Series Has Sold Over 220 Million Copies
I still remember when Grand Theft Auto III came out. The game was unlike anything we had ever seen before. A fully explorable world with seemingly unlimited possibilities. Want to steal a car and run a bunch of pedestrians over? You can do that. Want to live your most dark criminal underworld fantasies out? You can do that too.
It was a huge success and it seemed like everyone had a copy. Even people who weren’t necessarily gamers went out of their way to get their hands on the game.
Little has changed since that time with the latest game in the series selling over 75 million copies on its own, bring the total number of Grand Theft Auto titles sold to well over 220 million copies. That’s crazy. And that number is even from a few years ago (2015, to be exact). One thing is clear: the world can’t get enough of Grand Theft Auto.
30 The Playboy Mansion Is In GTA V
If there’s one thing you can count on from every Grand Theft Auto since III, is for Rockstar to include iconic landmarks from every city they virtually create. New York has so many iconic landmarks: the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the boroughs themselves.
And Los Angeles has…the Playboy Mansion!
Ok, that’s not entirely true. There are certainly more landmarks in LA (and within the world of GTA) than just the Playboy mansion, but it does seem to be a defining landmark in LA culture.
So, of course, the Grand Theft Auto version of LA had to include its own version of the mansion. It is another Easter egg in a game already chock full of them to find. The mansion is located near the Los Santos golf course in Richman. Go and check it out next time you’re in town. Hang out, take a selfie.
29 There are 160,00 Lines Of Dialogue In GTA V
In many ways, AAA game development has become like making a blockbuster movie. Huge teams of people come together to create something massive, something larger than life. As consumers, it can be easy to forget just how many people and just how much work goes into the making of a movie or the development of a game. Whole teams of people are devoted to things players can take for granted.
Grand Theft Auto V is a great example of this. Everyone who has played Grand Theft Auto V knows how much dialogue is in the game. From the main quest with Michael, Trevor, and Franklin constantly talking to each other, to side quests, to random pedestrians just yelling at you on the street, the game is packed with dialogue.
Just how much dialogue exactly? 50,000? 100,000? 150,000?
Just how much dialogue exactly? 160,000 lines of it. For comparison, Mass Effect 3, another epic game in terms of story and scope, had about 40,000 lines.
28 Big Foot Is In GTA V
Big Foot. Sasquatch. You could probably even through Yetis and the Abominable Snowman on this list. Yes, that elusive creature (or creatures) that has been the subject of way too many movies, TV documentaries, and shows on the History Channel has finally been found, albeit in a fictionalized California in a video game. For all its seriousness, Grand Theft Auto V still provides plenty of moments of humor and just pure silliness for those willing to look for it. The Big Foot mission is a perfect example of Rockstars willingness to just have fun with the game.
This is one of the many ‘secret’ missions peppered throughout the world that the player can encounter. Franklin can accept this quest from a hunter in the Mount Chiliad region. When he finally tracks down and shoots the beast, there is a special surprise awaiting players that seems to fit perfectly into the world of Grand Theft Auto’s outlaws and weirdos.
27 Politicians Love To Hate GTA
One would be forgiven for thinking the politicians in our country have never gotten along, that they have never agreed on a single thing which is why seemingly nothing gets done. But that wasn’t always the case, and Grand Theft Auto was one of those few things that seems to have had the ability to unite politicians from both sides of the aisle against it.
Famously, Clinton and Joe Lieberman co-sponsored a bill that would have severely limited the kinds of games that could be sold and to whom. Clinton famously said “We need to treat violent video games the way we treat tobacco, alcohol, and [adult video].” While this seems like a ridiculous notion now (even if it didn’t then), we do have to remember this was at a time when the nation was reeling from Columbine and struggling to understand how two teenagers could do something so heinous.
26 Aliens Are Real
Grand Theft Auto V is a game that opens up with a bang. You are dropped right into the middle of a bank robbery. You play as Michael in the sequence as you hold up employees, blow up the safe door, and attempt to escape with a ton of money. Of course, something goes wrong, and the cops show up, forcing you to shoot your way out, eventually trying to escape in a high-speed car chase. It’s an intense bit of gameplay and a great way to start the game.
However, if you ignore what you are supposed to be doing in the beginning escape sequence of GTA V, you may stumble upon a particularly disturbing creature frozen in the ice. It’s just one of the many aliens that pepper the landscape of Grand Theft Auto V and seems to answer the definitively the question of whether we are alone or not.
25 Australia Banned GTA III
In America, it is rare for a game to get banned. What has happened in the past, is games deemed particularly offensive have been slapped with an ‘Adults Only’ rating which effectively has kept them off the shelves of major retailers such as Target and Walmart. No developer wants that because it can significantly impact sales numbers.
But that doesn’t mean all countries are as lenient when it comes to what games can and can’t be released. Australia is one of the most ban-happy countries and has had an interesting history with banning video games. Some of the many games the Australians have banned include: F.E.A.R. 2, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and, weirdly enough, Mark Eco’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.
While it may not come as a surprise to many that GTA III is on the list, it is certainly one of the biggest games ever banned in the land down under.
24 Still Some Unsolved Mysteries In GTA V
Like all the best adventure games, Grand Theft Auto encourages players to explore. Developer Rockstar clearly wants to encourage players to wander around their worlds with all the easter eggs and secrets they have packed into out of the way places. This system that encouraged players to explore started out as just a general collection quest with the packages in GTA III to actual mysteries found in later games.
GTA V is such a big game it seems likely there are still secrets buried within its 3-dimensional walls. The aforementioned Mount Chiliad is just one mystery that still begs to be answered and if Rockstar ever gets around to adding more single-player content to the game, I’m sure other secrets will appear.
Apparently, aliens and bigfoot exist within the world, who knows what else the developers have hidden in the game? In the meantime, always remember that in the world of Grand Theft Auto, crime pays.
23 Catastrophe Changed Grand Theft Auto III
The events of September 11th, 2001 are forever burned into the memories of those alive at the time and they are events that still shape and impact our world today. It was an event that not only affected people in terribly personal ways, it also had a deep impact on popular culture. Movies were pushed back or canceled altogether. Games were forced to change their tones or push back release dates.
Grand Theft Auto III was no exception. Suddenly, Rockstar found itself in a difficult position. Do they keep their game the way it was or do they change things in light of the horrible events of September 11th, 2001? Ultimately, Rockstar decided the right thing to do was change their game. Their version of New York City had to be changed. Dismemberments were taken out, LCPD cars were altered to make them looked less like real NYPD cars, and some flying missions were scrapped.
22 You Can Tour Vinewood In GTA V
Grand Theft Auto V is, needless to say, a massive game. Not only have the developers expanded the actual size of the map, allowing more room to explore and play around in than ever before, they have also added more things to do within it than ever before.
Los Santos is a thinly veiled recreation of Los Angeles, California and, just like its real-life counterpart, it features its own version of Hollywood: Vinewood.
Just like the really Hollywood, the world of Vinewood in Grand Theft Auto V features a tour bus that will take around parts of the city and show you famous landmarks and homes of the stars. Unlike the real Hollywood tours, the Vinewood tour is well worth taking for the $40 it will cost. It features the typical cleaver and funny writing the series is known for and it adds just another layer of depth to an already bustling and interesting city.
21 Rockstar Was Originally Called DMA Designs
When you mention the name Rockstar to a gamer, several things will no doubt pop into their minds. First, will no doubt be Grand Theft Auto. If they’re an especially knowledgeable gamer, other such titles like Max Payne or Bully might pop into their minds as well. But did you know that the developers of GTA, Max Payne, Red Dead Redemption, and so many other classic titles, wasn’t always known by that name?
Before Rockstar was Rockstar it was a little-known company called DMA Designs. They actually released the first two GTA’s under this name until being acquired by Take-Two and eventually being renamed Rockstar North. While DMA was not a terrible name at all, it certainly doesn’t give off the same impression that the company’s current name does. Rockstar seems to be a fitting name not only for the games they make, but also the attitude of the developers themselves who could care less about courting controversy in addition to adoration from within the gaming community.
20 GTA Advanced Only Game Not Developed By Rockstar
Like previously mentioned, the names Grand Theft Auto and Rockstar seem to go hand in hand. They have been so huge and influential within the gaming industry it’s weird to think about a game not being developed by the people at Rockstar, but yes there has been exactly one Grand Theft Auto game not developed by the people who made crime pay and that was for a game on the Game Boy Advanced.
Simply called Grand Theft Auto Advanced, it featured the old-school, top-down perspective from the first two games in the main series and did a serviceable job of bringing on a feeling of nostalgia for the older games, but all-in-all it was a forgettable GTA experience. With 3D GTAs already out, who really wanted to go back to the old 2D versions of the game? That the game was forgettable shouldn’t be all that surprising considering Rockstar wasn’t behind the development of the game.
19 The Original GTA Was Banned In Brazil
By today’s standards, the original Grand Theft Auto is pretty tame. Yes, it still features a lot of the mayhem, destruction, and murder that has defined the series, but its top-down perspective along with its graphics which were dated even for the time make it pretty tame in comparison to other entries in the series. The driving is kind of clunky, and shooting can be a chore at times.
However, the name alone seemed to send a shiver down the spines of politicians and parents alike when it first debuted. Many decried it (with probably never having played the game), saying kids shouldn’t be playing games like that. While some said it shouldn’t be considered a game, meanwhile Brazil just outright banned it. While the game isn’t as much fun to play these days, it is funny nostalgia trip to go back and look at what they were so upset about back in the ’90s.
18 San Andreas Was The First GTA To Feature Multiple Cities
Sticking with the motto ‘bigger is better,’ Rockstar continued to expand their gaming universe with the release of San Andreas. It was the first game in the series to feature a ‘state’ with multiple cities within the world. It seems strange to think about now, but before Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came out, all the other games had only featured one city. Looking back, those original worlds, particularly the worlds of III and Vice City, they didn’t feel small. In fact, they felt like massive open worlds. Of course, by today’s standards, they feel almost empty. But that’s not how they felt when you first dove into the world’s of Liberty and Vice City. Grand Theft Auto V continues to series in the San Andreas area and expands upon everything that made that original game so great. With Red Dead Redemption 2 on the horizon, it seems likely Rockstar will continue the trend of making their games bigger and bigger.
17 The Scarface Chainsaw Moment Is Referenced In Vice City
It’s clear to anyone who has played Vice City and seen the movie Scarface that the game clearly takes a lot of inspiration from it. From your character’s mansion at the end of the game to some of the dialogue and even the look of the game, it’s clear the developers were heavily influenced by the classic gangster movie from the 1980s.
There’s one particular reference to the movie that is a little hard to find, but is well worth seeking out for anyone who is a fan of the movie. I am of course referencing the infamous chainsaw scene. In the game, you can find the room (apartment 3C, just like in the movie) where the gruesome murder was committed and then there’s even a chainsaw for the player to pick up next to evidence of the terrible act committed there. It doesn’t really give the player much (other than a chainsaw), but it’s another fun thing to seek out if you’re bored.
16 Famous Actors Have Played GTA Characters
It is amazing to see just how far games have come from their infancy to now. Gaming is still very much a new art form. So new, in fact, that some critics don’t even consider it an art yet. From the simple gameplay of the original pong, to the grand epics we have nowadays, the art of making games has only grown more and more complicated. As games have grown more complicated, so have the stories they are looking to tell.
Games like Call of Duty and Halo have been using recognizable, big-name actors in their games for years, but the Grand Theft Auto series is one of the first to bring in big-name talent to play their characters. Ray Liotta, Tom Sizemore, and even porn star Jenna Jameson all played characters in Vice City and since then, Rockstar has gone on to employ many more famous actors including Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, and Peter Fonda.
15 Lemmings Was Made By Rockstar
Anyone old enough to remember the original Lemmings games that came out on PC 20+ years ago should get a chuckle out of this.
For those of you who don’t remember, Lemmings was a puzzle game of sorts where you had a limited number of creatures called Lemmings who would do whatever you said and some had special abilities and the goal was to get as many to end of the level as possible. Of course, you might have to sacrifice a few along the way, but it was about a tame as you could get and the graphics were pretty rudimentary. Looking back, it seems funny coming from the guys who would define the controversy surrounding video games in just a few years. It is also a great example of just how Rockstar studios have come from making a relatively simple puzzle game to creating entire worlds for players to live and explore in.
14 Lindsay Lohan Sued Rockstar
What happened Lindsay? She used to be one of the best child actresses around seemingly starring in everything Disney cranked out at the time. Her big break came when she starred in the remake of Parent Trap. From there she went on to star in Means Girls and several other films before falling into the same hole so many child actors seem to fall in. She became a tabloid phenomenon, not for her movies, but for her wild nights and crazy behavior.
It was around the time she seemingly hit rock bottom that she accused Rockstar of ripping off her image in GTA V in 2014. While many can see similarities in the character and Lohan (both were/are movie stars struggling with eating disorders), the supreme court in New York threw out the case stating that the suit “must fail because defendants did not use [plaintiffs’] name, portrait, or picture.”
13 Vice City Is Mentioned In GTA III
It’s a small thing and easy to miss and, honestly, something most people wouldn’t have been looking for if they had not had prior knowledge of where Vice City was going to be set. While cruising around Liberty City you can come across a billboard that reads “See You In Miami.” Rockstar knew we would be heading to Miami soon even if players back then didn’t.
Like I said, it’s subtle. If you didn’t know the next game was going to be set in Miami, you wouldn’t think twice about the sign, especially when it’s compared to some of the other, funnier signs that dot the Liberty City landscape. But it’s cool looking back knowing the developers were leaving hints for us even back then. This got me thinking though, I wonder what subtle hints Rockstar has left in San Andreas for us to find about the next GTA?
12 Is That You Master Chief?
Master Chief from the Halo series has been all over the galaxy. From the mysterious Halo rings to alien planets and spaceships to anything in between, it seems he has been everywhere and fought everything. But did you know, he’s also been to Grand Theft Auto’s version of Hollywood?
Besides being a wonderfully crass take down of Californian and Hollywood culture, Grand Theft Auto V is full of little details that are there for people who really want to look. One of my personal favorites is a couple of people dressed up in what suspiciously looks like the Mjolnir armor from the Halo series. Of course, it is different enough to have plausible deniability, but who else could it really be? I guess Chief has decided to spend his retirement dressed up for tips along Vinewood Boulevard. It really is a terribly sad retirement for such a great character.
