Five most pointless collectibles in the GTA series

In the open world of the GTA series, there are plenty of hidden collectibles to search for. Not all of them are worth the time and effort, though.

With the promise of rewards, Rockstar incentivizes players to explore their surrounding environments. Whether these are hidden packages, rampages, or unique stunt jumps, players need to find them all to achieve 100% completion. Once they collect a certain number, they can expect individual bonuses.

However, there are a few collectibles that are counterproductive to the gameplay design of GTA. The main point of a video game is for players to enjoy themselves and have fun. Sometimes there are too many collectibles to find, only for a player to be met with a lousy reward.

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Five GTA Collectibles Not Worth the Effort

#5 - Security Cameras from Chinatown Wars

Chinatown Wars is an underrated classic for the Nintendo DS. One of the main collectibles in the game are security cameras placed across Liberty City. The player can only destroy them with either a molotov cocktail or grenade. There are 50 of these cameras in total, which players keep track of with a PDA.

Once they are completely destroyed, the player can lower drug prices and unlock the dealer Sean. While he does allow hefty profits, Sean can only be unlocked through Rockstar Games Social Club. Players without an account are left in the dust, although they are one step closer to 100% completion.

#4 - Monkey Mosaics from GTA 5

In the enhanced version of GTA 5, Lamar notifies Franklin about a street artist spray painting across the city. Known as Monkey Mosaics, players need to take pictures of the artwork with their phone. Apparently, this is a publicity stunt for the upcoming film Space Monkey 3D.

After the objectives are met, the player receives a few monkey costumes and a customizable vehicle. It's a nice little reward, but the problem is the player can accidentely kill the monkey artist in a random event. Doing so prevents the player from unlocking the rewards, making the entire journey a pointless one.

#3 - Horseshoes from San Andreas

When CJ collects horseshoes around Las Venturas, he can improve his overall luck. Fittingly, these collectible items are only found in the "city that only cares about slot machines". One would think increasing luck stats would improve the odds of winning at the table. However, it's a common misconception.

Horseshoes only increase a player's luck, not their gambling skills. Within the in-game script, luck doesn't seem to do anything at all. Rockstar should've considered making horseshoes increase a player's chances of winning luck-based games. Then again, these are casino slot machines; they're rigged from the start.

At the very least, CJ is rewarded $100,000 and weapon spawns at the Four Dragons Casino. Players should use their handy jetpack to find these elusive horseshoes, since they are often put in tricky spots.

#2 - Flying Rats from GTA 4

Within the concrete jungles of Liberty City, these flying rats are a futile exercise in frustration. There are 200 of them scattered throughout the entire GTA 4 map. In order to achieve 100% completion, players must put them on the endangered species list and kill every single one. It's easier said than done.

Flying rats are often in hard-to-reach areas, such as the infamous one in the Francis International Airport. The only indication these creatures are nearby is their orange glow and cooing sounds. While there is an in-game website that vaguely tracks their locations, it is missing one pigeon. It's a rather useless feature.

Once the players finally clean up the city of its pigeon infestation, they are "rewarded" with an Annihilator. However, since it's on a high-rise building, players need a helicopter to get there, making it pointless. Sometimes, it doesn't even spawn at the location. Rockstar seriously didn't think this one through.

#1 - Epsilon Tracts from GTA 5

The Epsilon Program provides arguably the most hated missions in GTA 5. Nobody in their right mind would think it's fun to have Michael run around the desert for 20 minutes. Tedious and tiresome, these are among the lowest points in the entire game. It's simply a waste of time.

After players complete the Epsilon mission chain, they receive a text to go on a scavenger hunt for religious tracts. There are nine in total, but the cryptic riddles make it difficult to narrow down their locations. Players should use a walkthrough to make it easier on themselves.

Once Michael collects all ten tracts, he receives the ninth paradigm of the Epsilon program. That's it. All he gets is a text-based reward a player can read online. It's a ridiculous sidequest that players are better off ignoring altogether.

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

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