5 most obscure secrets and references in the GTA series

GTA offers a wide-ranging landscape for player exploration. There are several hidden secrets that reward players who look for them.

Rockstar frequently puts easy-to-miss details within the GTA series. From obscure lines to rarely seen locations, most players never end up finding these on their own. More than likely, they will uncover the secrets for themselves via helpful YouTube videos and walkthroughs.

While there is plenty of ground to cover, it's only scratching the surface. Attentive GTA fans are always dedicated to discovering new things within the series. Even several years after their release, players can find out something they didn't know about before.

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Five hidden secrets within the GTA series

5) Grove Street representation in GTA 5

While set in a separate continuity, GTA 5 does give a callback to San Andreas. During the mission Hood Safari, players must defend themselves in a cul-de-sac shootout. However, there is a small detail Rockstar left behind for players to find.

At the start of the mission, players can follow a GPS route to Grove Street. Right before they take a right-turn to their destination, players can find some familiar looking characters riding their bikes. These characters resemble CJ, Sweet, and Big Smoke. It's quite reminiscient of the original San Andreas opening.

4) 8-Ball Autos in Vice City and San Andreas

GTA 3 introduced 8-Ball Autos, a local bomb shop that allows players to set up explosive rigs within their vehicles. It's mainly used in a few missions, such as when Claude blows up a container ship full of cartel members. 8-Ball Autos can also be found in Vice City and San Andreas.

Both games have a total of one bomb shop on the map. However, there is no storyline importance for this location, given the absence of 8-Ball himself. Most players never realize that the bomb shop is in the game, since there are no specific mentions of it during missions. It's entirely optional for players to use.

8-Ball Autos still has its uses, such as getting rid of enemy combatants in large numbers. Players can also set up traps for carjackers, given Vice City and Los Santos have plenty of them prowling the streets. It's a fun little diversion from the main game missions, but very easy to miss.

3) Hidden cave in Fort Carson

Within the desert wasteland of Bone County, there is a secret tunnel inside Fort Carson. The cave is right next to the safehouse, underneath the railway overpass. Players can head straight down to the beach, where they can find the tunnel right behind the rocks.

Halfway inside the cave is a police bribe, which can remove up to one wanted level. The tunnel leads out to the shoreline of Tierra Robada. Visiting this secretive location is entirely optional, since no storyline missions make use of the area. Mainly strange myths have originated from this particular location.

2) Unique police behavior in Home Coming

In San Andreas, CJ and Ryder perform a robbery for the mission Home Coming. Once they collect three crates, they can proceed to wake up the colonel. Doing so triggers a cut-scene where two police officers arrive at the scene. What makes them interesting is their scripted behavior.

For starters, these cops will stick around even if the wanted level is removed. One of the cops ends up chasing the player around, with the intent to kill. The other cop has a unique dialog when a player holds them up at gunpoint. This is notable, since most GTA cops shoot on site when provoked in this manner.

If a player tries to take off afterward, the second cop will hijack another vehicle and follow them. These cops only appear in Home Coming, which makes them easy to miss. Most players end up stealing the crates without waking up the colonel.

1) Ten points for Trevor

Trevor is very accident prone (Image via Yandex)

Trevor Philips is the violent personification of the GTA series. For this reason, it's only fitting that Rockstar traces him back to their roots. Whenever Trevor runs over pedestrians in a vehicle, he might shout "Ten points!"

This seemingly random line is an old-school throwback to the points system of the 2D GTA games. In the first game of the series, players can earn points to complete specific levels. To do so, they must commit various criminal acts. One example involves a player getting ten points for hit-and-runs.

Most players inevitably miss this reference, considering the vast majority never played the 2D entries. It wasn't until GTA 3 that Rockstar finally took off. Nonetheless, they never forgot where they came from.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.