Top 10 Funniest Grand Theft Auto Moments

Upon arriving in Liberty City, Niko is greeted by an incredibly intoxicated Roman. It’s clear from the get-go that Roman shouldn’t be driving – he’s even got a bottle of liquor in a brown paper bag in the trunk. It’s his drunken rambling about how happy he is to see Niko and welcome him to America that earns them the ire of nearby dock workers. This opening scene perfectly sets up the game’s trademark dark humor, as it quickly becomes clear that Roman and Niko are in no position to “take over the world” as the former suggests, and that Roman has been lying about having a mansion and a sports car. What better way to welcome us back to Liberty City?

This cutscene is a wild ride from start to finish. Franklin gets home just as his aunt Denise is setting off on one of her feminist “spirit walks”. Trevor shows up at the same time and tells them to shut up, only to get his just desserts shortly after when he trips over the fence and into Franklin’s front yard. Franklin, like everybody playing, can’t help but laugh, which Trevor – being the loose cannon he is – doesn’t take too kindly to. Franklin apologizes to calm him down, but it doesn’t work too well, as he leaves and promptly knocks out a random guy on the street. It’s one of the best examples of Trevor flying off the handle in the funniest way possible.

“Strangers and Freaks” side missions are often weird, but Franklin’s encounters with this unusual dog are especially odd. The first of two missions where Franklin has to help an inept adrenaline junkie begins when he runs into a Labrador at the side of the road, who barks to get his attention. Franklin can inexplicably understand the dog’s barking, and the sentences get increasingly more complex - from a man being stuck in a tree, to “morality” being a “human construct.” Once Franklin rescues Dom Beasley, he tells him he has a very loyal dog, but Beasley doesn’t have a dog. The dog, known as the Ghost Dog, promptly disappears, never to be explained.

Switching on-the-fly between the three main characters of “GTA V” was a great mechanic, and Rockstar went the extra mile by including many amusing moments. But it’s Trevor’s scenes that really take the cake, as we drop in on him doing all manner of crazy things. Some of the tamest involve Trevor waking up after a bender and dealing with the consequences of his actions – be that throwing up in a fountain, waking up in a dumpster, or even wandering around the streets in a dress. Other times, Trevor can be in the middle of a car chase chasing down a witness to a crime or fleeing from a cavalcade of cops. And who can forget the famous “scooter brothers” moment.

The “GTA” franchise has always had a knack for parodying American culture, and never is this clearer than during the mission where Michael is sent to infiltrate the HQ of Lifeinvader, the Rockstar version of Facebook and other Silicon Valley companies. This lampoon of Big Tech is hilarious, as Michael explores an office full of beanbags and arcade cabinets and helps an inept programmer clean porn from his computer. He plants an explosive in a prototype phone and watches on the TV later as CEO Jay Norris reveals it to the world, and subsequently gets his head blown off when Michael dials the number. It’s quite the statement about the misuse of personal data by tech companies, which Norris boasts about in his final keynote.

Zaniness abounds in this strange mission, in which CJ is tasked with breaking into the secretive “Area 69” out in the desert. The hilarity starts before you even get there, as you’re given the mission by The Truth, who’s doing yoga on top of a wrecked airplane for some reason. While mowing down the soldiers who occupy the secret base, the PA system spouts one-liners about prohibiting staff from stealing sensitive alien technology and asking people to move their flying saucers – as well as reminding people armed with guns that running with scissors is dangerous. You unfortunately don’t come across any aliens, but you do score a sweet jetpack for your trouble.

While “GTA” has certainly mocked and parodied lots of celebrities, “Vice City Stories” featured a genuine appearance from Phil Collins, the first ever celebrity performance of its kind in the series. Since they landed him, it makes sense that they would want to give him as much screen time as possible, which includes a lengthy performance of “In the Air Tonight.” While this is happening below, Vic has to fight off a group of hitmen trying to kill Phil, which all makes for an exceptionally weird segment. But the whole thing is made even funnier if you take the time to notice that the developers didn’t actually render anybody in the crowd of the stadium – he’s performing to an empty room.

Ryder wants to punish a pizzeria for repeatedly painting over the Grove Street tag on the side of the building, which he does in his own unique way. He doesn’t tell CJ what he’s planning, instead sending him to just order some pizza, but promptly appears with a mask and a gun threatening to rob the place. Hilariously, the clerk immediately recognizes him because “no one else is that small.” While Ryder and CJ argue, the clerk takes out a gun and threatens to shoot them. They’re forced to flee or risk getting wasted by a guy who works in a pizza store. It’s the ridiculousness of Ryder’s scheme that’s the funniest thing of all.

In the aftermath of Vlad’s death, Roman fears retribution from the late criminal’s boss, Mikhail Faustin. He’s so scared that when Niko finds him... he’s been hiding in a dumpster and apparently stinks of cabbage. Roman frantically refuses to get out of the dumpster, which Niko also thinks is funny, but his fears are proven correct when they get kidnapped by one of Faustin’s goons. Though the brief interrogation ends in Roman getting shot, it has a few funny moments of its own, like when Faustin murders one of his guys because his wife doesn’t like all the shouting – not to mention Niko’s various snide comments.

Nothing ever goes smoothly in “GTA”; even a routine trip to Cluckin’ Bell ends in chaos. CJ, Ryder and Sweet all order normal meals, but Big Smoke lives up to his reputation and orders a staggering amount of food – even Ryder and CJ can hardly believe it. They get in a car chase with some Ballas, but Big Smoke is too preoccupied with his food to help fight them off. The insane order became such a prominent meme that some have tried to eat the real world equivalent, but we personally wouldn’t recommend taking in that many calories of Big Smoke’s junk food.