The 10 BIGGEST Unanswered Questions In GTA Games
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VOICE OVER: Mathew Arter
WRITTEN BY: Mathew Arter
"Grand Theft Auto" may seem simple from the outside, but the series has several questions we'd like some answers to. For this list, we'll be looking at plot holes, mysteries and things that just straight up make no sense. If we can't make heads or tails of it, then we're gonna talk about it. Our list includes The Mount Chiliad Mystery, The Romero Riddle, The Urban Legends of GTA, Why Was Michael in Jimmy's Car?, and more!
Script written by Mathew Arter
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are sitting back with a glass of chardonnay, and pondering the 10 Biggest Unanswered Questions in GTA Games. For this list, we’ll be looking at plot holes, mysteries and things that just straight up make no sense. If we can’t make heads or tails of it, then we’re gonna talk about it. Do you have an answer to any of these mysteries? Let us know in the comments below and be nice about it or I’m telling mum.
One of the more fun mission genres in the GTA V campaign was the heists. Assembling a team, making a plan, executing it with all of the ups and down based off of your prep choices, it was a load of fun that offered a handful of different outcomes. During the third campaign heist “The Paleto Score”, Michael, Trevor and a hired third enter the Blaine County Savings Bank with some duffel bags. They exit the bank after collecting the money they need kitted out in heavy duty body armor and chain guns. The big question is, where the hell did that gear come from? Of course opening up this can of worms also forces the player to ask “where do the characters store their regular arsenal of guns?”, but something about this being folded into the plot of the game, and the real world events, makes it a little harder to overlook.
After the prologue of the game where the player plays as Michael, the game jumps ahead 9 years and lets you take control of Franklin for the opening missions of the main campaign. One of these missions requires Franklin (under the orders of his boss Simeon) to break into a client's house and repossess their car. After successfully sneaking through the house and getting a brief look at the dysfunctional family that lives there, Franklin goes into the garage, steals the car and drives away. This is where the player learns they just repossessed Michael’s son's car, as also Michael is lying in the backseat, and now has a gun to Franklin's head. Play the game to learn what happens next, because we have a bigger mystery: why the hell was Michael just lying in the backseat of his son's car? There are currently only theories available, as it’s never explained in the plot. Some people online believe Michael saw Franklin sneaking around and went to lie in wait, but this would require Michael to somehow know that this man who is breaking and entering was attempting to repossess his son's car, and not that he was doing one of the other 400 things a person might do when they break into your home. “I’m gonna get this guy good, ah dammit he was just here to kill my kids, bugger … this backseat is hella comfy though”
This is not a plot hole or something in the story that doesn’t really make sense, this is a developer having a laugh, and leaving us all wondering. If the player goes to the northern slope of Mount Chiliad to a very specific location, they will see what appears to be a face spray painted into the side of the mountain. To this day, nobody knows who this is, or why it’s there. Who are you, mysterious man? Many commenters claim it’s Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad with a brazen amount of confidence, but these claims have never been substantiated.
As we’ve already discussed, heist planning was a major part of the GTA V campaign. One of the key factors was choosing your team. Choose someone more experienced and they require a bigger cut, choose someone less experienced and the player will pocket more money, obviously this will require more from the player during the actual heist, but if you can handle it then the payoff will be worth it. The problem is with the getaway driver, as the player can save money by choosing a less experienced driver with a less reliable car... but why would this ever be an option? The getaway is arguably the most important piece of a heist, so we struggle to believe that any of the characters involved in these heists would even humor the idea of getting an unreliable vehicle to save a few thousand dollars.
In GTA Vice City, the player can find two locations in the game, Funeraria Romero (a funeral home and cemetery), and Carnicero Romero (a nearby butcher). The shared family name, combined with the skeleton in the graveyard missing an arm (which can be seen in the butcher window), helped players to draw the obvious conclusion that these businesses are owned by the one family, and are dealing in some VERY unethical behavior. The Romero Riddle, is a myth online that theorizes that this family's dealings run deep in the fabric of Vice City. Players believe the Riverside Pavilion Chinese restaurant, located between the two Romero businesses, either deals with the Romeros for human meat, or even possibly is owned by them as well. Man holes, basements for meat running, a competing business as a front for them to transfer human meat to businesses all over Vice City, this theory is full, but we’ll never know for sure what is true and what is human bologna.
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, there is a large radio telescope in Bone County known as The Big Ear. At this point, there is no clear understanding of what this telescope is used for. The signals are known to cause strange effects on the player’s radio when driving near it, both causing static and changing the channel, and with the heavy references to aliens throughout the game, it’s not crazy to believe that the big ear is receiving signals from extraterrestrials. My own personal theory is that it’s being used to broadcast all the fake communications from Australia so the world doesn’t work out, we aren't actually real... I’ve said too much.
After the events of the prologue, the government puts in a significant amount of effort to make sure that Michael Townley can live safely, and carefully, under witness protection. Fake funerals, faked deaths and faked survivals, relocation and financial aid, an agent assigned directly to this family and a cozy house in the Hollywood Hills. Witness Protection is an incredibly well thought out and executed process. So, how is it that a drug-burnt, ice cream loving juggalo who doesn’t understand voicemail, can’t work his phone, and lives in the middle of nowhere, managed to track down Michael? Is Wade a secret genius? No, probably not.
The GTA games may feature more urban legends than any other series. With references throughout the games as well as people trying to show proof online, these urban legends have become things of legend and almost all of them are left unproven. Whether you’re talking about the classic Bigfoot theory that suggested the developers placed a real bigfoot in GTA San Andreas to roam the countryside and be very rarely spotted, or you’re talking about the lesser known Ratman who plagues the sewers of GTA IV, you’re definitely playing the right game. There are lines of code in the original games to suggest that Bigfoot either exists, or was meant to exist at one point, and both GTA III and IV feature articles in the liberty tree outlining the urban legends of Liberty City. We’ve seen our fair share of secrets and mysteries in these games, so is it so hard to believe there’s not still a goat/rat/bigfoot hybrid wandering the hills of GTA V? I’m asking you? Is that hard to believe, because my therapist thinks I’m crazy and I’m also not allowed to see him anymore.
Michael De Santa (previously Michael Townley), is not a good guy. He is both violent and hot tempered, a combination that you don’t want anywhere near your life. He proves throughout the campaign that he is always acting within his best interests, and willing to kill, maim, harm and do anything to get what he wants. But he also has a lovely little catchphrase that he is known to utter to folks he decides not to kill during heists. It's almost like a calling card. The question is, why on Earth would a violent, seasoned criminal who kills indiscriminately do this? Even if he suddenly decided he didn’t want to kill this particular person, why would he take the time to reveal either his face/voice/motives or all of the above? Most likely so they could force a plot point to make Trevor go to find Michael... seems a little lazy, Rockstar. I won’t be forgetting this anytime soon, pal!
The holy grail of GTA mysteries lies at the summit of Mount Chiliad in GTA V. At the cable car station, the player can find a mural with a few mysterious symbols including a spaceship, cracked egg, jetpack and an all seeing eye watching from above. Seemingly pointing the player to strange and secret locations across the map, players have already used the chart to lead them to a sunken spaceship right where the spaceship points, and an underwater hatch, seemingly where the egg sends you. The big question remains, is there a jetpack hidden in GTA V somewhere? What has an underwater hatch got to do with a cracked egg? How do all these elements work in conjunction with one another? Is there more to this mystery or is it a half cooked elaborate troll by Rockstar to leave us scratching our heads? Who took my panini I left in the fridge? Did you not see my name on it? Has anyone seen my car keys? THE QUESTIONS ARE ENDLESS!
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are sitting back with a glass of chardonnay, and pondering the 10 Biggest Unanswered Questions in GTA Games. For this list, we’ll be looking at plot holes, mysteries and things that just straight up make no sense. If we can’t make heads or tails of it, then we’re gonna talk about it. Do you have an answer to any of these mysteries? Let us know in the comments below and be nice about it or I’m telling mum.
Where Did That Come From?
One of the more fun mission genres in the GTA V campaign was the heists. Assembling a team, making a plan, executing it with all of the ups and down based off of your prep choices, it was a load of fun that offered a handful of different outcomes. During the third campaign heist “The Paleto Score”, Michael, Trevor and a hired third enter the Blaine County Savings Bank with some duffel bags. They exit the bank after collecting the money they need kitted out in heavy duty body armor and chain guns. The big question is, where the hell did that gear come from? Of course opening up this can of worms also forces the player to ask “where do the characters store their regular arsenal of guns?”, but something about this being folded into the plot of the game, and the real world events, makes it a little harder to overlook.
Why Was Michael in Jimmy’s Car?
After the prologue of the game where the player plays as Michael, the game jumps ahead 9 years and lets you take control of Franklin for the opening missions of the main campaign. One of these missions requires Franklin (under the orders of his boss Simeon) to break into a client's house and repossess their car. After successfully sneaking through the house and getting a brief look at the dysfunctional family that lives there, Franklin goes into the garage, steals the car and drives away. This is where the player learns they just repossessed Michael’s son's car, as also Michael is lying in the backseat, and now has a gun to Franklin's head. Play the game to learn what happens next, because we have a bigger mystery: why the hell was Michael just lying in the backseat of his son's car? There are currently only theories available, as it’s never explained in the plot. Some people online believe Michael saw Franklin sneaking around and went to lie in wait, but this would require Michael to somehow know that this man who is breaking and entering was attempting to repossess his son's car, and not that he was doing one of the other 400 things a person might do when they break into your home. “I’m gonna get this guy good, ah dammit he was just here to kill my kids, bugger … this backseat is hella comfy though”
Who’s Face is That?
This is not a plot hole or something in the story that doesn’t really make sense, this is a developer having a laugh, and leaving us all wondering. If the player goes to the northern slope of Mount Chiliad to a very specific location, they will see what appears to be a face spray painted into the side of the mountain. To this day, nobody knows who this is, or why it’s there. Who are you, mysterious man? Many commenters claim it’s Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad with a brazen amount of confidence, but these claims have never been substantiated.
Getting Away MATTERS!
As we’ve already discussed, heist planning was a major part of the GTA V campaign. One of the key factors was choosing your team. Choose someone more experienced and they require a bigger cut, choose someone less experienced and the player will pocket more money, obviously this will require more from the player during the actual heist, but if you can handle it then the payoff will be worth it. The problem is with the getaway driver, as the player can save money by choosing a less experienced driver with a less reliable car... but why would this ever be an option? The getaway is arguably the most important piece of a heist, so we struggle to believe that any of the characters involved in these heists would even humor the idea of getting an unreliable vehicle to save a few thousand dollars.
The Romero Riddle
In GTA Vice City, the player can find two locations in the game, Funeraria Romero (a funeral home and cemetery), and Carnicero Romero (a nearby butcher). The shared family name, combined with the skeleton in the graveyard missing an arm (which can be seen in the butcher window), helped players to draw the obvious conclusion that these businesses are owned by the one family, and are dealing in some VERY unethical behavior. The Romero Riddle, is a myth online that theorizes that this family's dealings run deep in the fabric of Vice City. Players believe the Riverside Pavilion Chinese restaurant, located between the two Romero businesses, either deals with the Romeros for human meat, or even possibly is owned by them as well. Man holes, basements for meat running, a competing business as a front for them to transfer human meat to businesses all over Vice City, this theory is full, but we’ll never know for sure what is true and what is human bologna.
What is The Big Ear?
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, there is a large radio telescope in Bone County known as The Big Ear. At this point, there is no clear understanding of what this telescope is used for. The signals are known to cause strange effects on the player’s radio when driving near it, both causing static and changing the channel, and with the heavy references to aliens throughout the game, it’s not crazy to believe that the big ear is receiving signals from extraterrestrials. My own personal theory is that it’s being used to broadcast all the fake communications from Australia so the world doesn’t work out, we aren't actually real... I’ve said too much.
Witness Protection Sucks
After the events of the prologue, the government puts in a significant amount of effort to make sure that Michael Townley can live safely, and carefully, under witness protection. Fake funerals, faked deaths and faked survivals, relocation and financial aid, an agent assigned directly to this family and a cozy house in the Hollywood Hills. Witness Protection is an incredibly well thought out and executed process. So, how is it that a drug-burnt, ice cream loving juggalo who doesn’t understand voicemail, can’t work his phone, and lives in the middle of nowhere, managed to track down Michael? Is Wade a secret genius? No, probably not.
The Urban Legends of GTA
The GTA games may feature more urban legends than any other series. With references throughout the games as well as people trying to show proof online, these urban legends have become things of legend and almost all of them are left unproven. Whether you’re talking about the classic Bigfoot theory that suggested the developers placed a real bigfoot in GTA San Andreas to roam the countryside and be very rarely spotted, or you’re talking about the lesser known Ratman who plagues the sewers of GTA IV, you’re definitely playing the right game. There are lines of code in the original games to suggest that Bigfoot either exists, or was meant to exist at one point, and both GTA III and IV feature articles in the liberty tree outlining the urban legends of Liberty City. We’ve seen our fair share of secrets and mysteries in these games, so is it so hard to believe there’s not still a goat/rat/bigfoot hybrid wandering the hills of GTA V? I’m asking you? Is that hard to believe, because my therapist thinks I’m crazy and I’m also not allowed to see him anymore.
You Forget A Thousand Things Every Day, Pal
Michael De Santa (previously Michael Townley), is not a good guy. He is both violent and hot tempered, a combination that you don’t want anywhere near your life. He proves throughout the campaign that he is always acting within his best interests, and willing to kill, maim, harm and do anything to get what he wants. But he also has a lovely little catchphrase that he is known to utter to folks he decides not to kill during heists. It's almost like a calling card. The question is, why on Earth would a violent, seasoned criminal who kills indiscriminately do this? Even if he suddenly decided he didn’t want to kill this particular person, why would he take the time to reveal either his face/voice/motives or all of the above? Most likely so they could force a plot point to make Trevor go to find Michael... seems a little lazy, Rockstar. I won’t be forgetting this anytime soon, pal!
The Mount Chiliad Mystery
The holy grail of GTA mysteries lies at the summit of Mount Chiliad in GTA V. At the cable car station, the player can find a mural with a few mysterious symbols including a spaceship, cracked egg, jetpack and an all seeing eye watching from above. Seemingly pointing the player to strange and secret locations across the map, players have already used the chart to lead them to a sunken spaceship right where the spaceship points, and an underwater hatch, seemingly where the egg sends you. The big question remains, is there a jetpack hidden in GTA V somewhere? What has an underwater hatch got to do with a cracked egg? How do all these elements work in conjunction with one another? Is there more to this mystery or is it a half cooked elaborate troll by Rockstar to leave us scratching our heads? Who took my panini I left in the fridge? Did you not see my name on it? Has anyone seen my car keys? THE QUESTIONS ARE ENDLESS!
