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The alien frozen in ice under the bridge in Ludendorff, North Yankton.
In the mission Predator, Michael must use a sniper rifle fitted with a thermal scope to find the O'Neil brothers in the woods at night. If the player zooms in on the thermal heat dot on the bottom right, it appears to be Bigfoot standing still. Shooting it does nothing and it abruptly disappears after a few seconds.
Note the California license plate.
There is a wrecked car with a California license plate.
Multiple UFOs can be seen, most of them only after 100% completion is obtained. Three appear in the sky (sometimes only under certain circumstances). One can always be found off the northern coast of Paleto Bay, underwater, with sea plants growing on it.
At the Yellow Jack Inn, there are bloody footsteps around the 8 ball pool table in the back. This is a possible reference to the serial killer Merle Abrahams and his obsession with the number '8'.
Between 23:00 and 0:00, a female ghost appears on the eastern peak of Mount Gordo. The ghost doesn't move, and will not react to the player being present or shooting it. The ghost fades away if the player gets too close, and reappears when the player moves away. During the time the ghost is present, the word "JOCK" appears written in blood on the rocks under the ghost. Investigating online reveals that the ghost is Jock Cranley's wife.
If you access your phone in game and dial 948-555-0100, you will hear the dial-up internet sound. This is the same number for ZiT in GTA IV. The same will happen if the player dials any cheat codes from GTA IV and Episodes from Liberty City.
Once you have unlocked access to the Submersible, you can explore the seabed and discover a crashed jet airplane, north-east of the peninsula in Paleto Forest, somewhat close to the parachute jump activity. Another sunken jet can be found just south of the Murrieta Oil Field.
By using the submersible, you can find the famous 'hatch' from the TV series Lost, which is located to the far east of the map, over the coast near the San Chianski Mountain Range. You can not get too close to the hatch by submersible nor diving, as the player/submerisble will be crushed.
The secret markings on the Collector's Edition map.
Using a black light/UV light on the blueprint map that comes with the Collector's Edition of GTA V reveals markings, map legends, secrets and text. Most of the things that appear are pointing towards the existence of UFO's. Three of the collectible Space Ship Parts are also shown in the map.
In Franklin's first house in Chamberlain Hills, there are pornography magazines in the far right corner next to his bed, behind the fan.
In Trevor's trailer you can see a box of breakfast cereal next to the sink which looks strikingly similar to Sugar Puffs, a cereal from the United Kingdom.
If the player shoots at Michael's house while playing as Franklin or Trevor, they will receive an angry call or text from him telling them to stop.
A blueprint map, similar to the one given by Rockstar on the Collector's Edition.
If the player sneaks around Michael's house as Franklin or Trevor, they will receive a call or text from him asking politely if you are sneaking around.
Occasionally the player will find another protagonist walking around on the street. If the player follows them for an extended period of time, they will get frustrated and knock the player out.
There is a blueprint of the beta map on a wall inside Franklin's safehouse.
There is a Panzer II Medium Tank among other wreckage submerged off the coast near the Humane Labs and Research building. The exact location is accessible by scuba diving in story mode, or by Submersible in GTA Online. A lack of visible rust compared to other wreckage suggests it was sunk recently or was very well maintained.
If you go to the hatch, you'll hear someone knocking on the other side. This is a message in morse code which was translated by members of GTA Forums into "Hey you never call, how'd you fancy going bowling?". This is a reference to Roman Bellic.
In Strawberry, you will find a pathway on the side of the highway. If you continue going down that path, you will see the words "Turn Back" and an arrow pointing the way you came. If you go down the pathway on the pathway behind you, there will be the words "Nothing Here" in red paint on the wall.File:050.jpg
This is where the "Nothing Here" sign is located.
When you gain access to the Submersible, take it to the top right of the map using a Cargobob, and lower it down into the water, there is a sunken submarine. The submarine is a lot bigger and longer than the Submersible and it's snapped apart.
There is a sunken truck off the coast of the Humane Labs and Research building, by the Panzer II Medium Tank, and there is body armor on the bonnet.
In East Los Santos, a snowman can be seen inside a Fridgit warehouse, behind boxes. The room cannot be entered, but only seen and fired into.
In Sandy Shores, there is a hotdog stand with the words "Chihuahua Hotdogs". This is a reference to the GTA IV hotdog vendors scattered around Liberty City.
Franklin's neck tattoo, joining hands and a cross along with it, was first seen in LA Noire, it is the necklace of the murder victim in the homicide case "The Silk Stocking Murder". You come across it as a clue in a grocery store named "Just Picked Fruits".
At the Yellow Jack Inn, inside is a fridge and to the left is a wall with 4 trophy shields. The top 2 have the words 'Best Of Show 2008' and a picture of a motor bike. This refers to the release year of GTA IV and the expansion The Lost & Damned. The middle shield has the words 'Best Of Show 2010' with a picture of what appears to be a Stagecoach Wheel. This refers to Red Dead Redemption and its release year.
In the first trailer, there is a number on the curb of a house for sale that says "2405". This is likely a reference to the birthday of the Houser brothers, who were both born on the 24th of May.
In Chamberlain Hills, close to Franklin's house, there is graffiti that reads "Welcome Back - We missed you last time", welcoming players back to San Andreas.
On the most recent San Andreaslicense plates, the month-of-manufacture sticker says 'MAY'. This could be the original release date for the game which was confirmed to be in Spring 2013, making May a plausible release date, or the month in which GTA V entered development. It could also, albeit less likely be a nod to the Houser brothers' birth month.
On the eastern side of the Del Perro Pier a piece of graffiti can be found reading 'Nothing to see here - groove along' accompanied by a small illustration of a smiling face. This may be a reference to a similar sign in Grand Theft Auto III.
A pedestrian can be heard saying when pulled out of a car: "I'm moving to Vice City!".
In the Yellow Jack Inn, to the left of the entrance is a coat hanger with a jacket that closely resembles Niko Bellic's first brown jacket from behind.
There are multiple newspapers scattered around the map with pictures of Johnny Klebitz from The Lost and Damned appearing on the front, along with the headline "LOVE'S HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TAXES". Some can be found on Merle Abrahams' house in Sandy Shores.
During the mission Hood Safari, on the last turn before arriving in Grove Street, there are three people riding BMX's down Grove Street away from the cul-de-sac. They closely resemble C.J., Sweet and Big Smoke in the events of Sweet & Kendl mission.
There is a billboard of Toni, a radio DJ from the 3D Universe.
One of the lines Michael will say after parking a car inside the garage of the mansion is "Daddy's back, bitches." This is similar to Dave Bosoy's famous line from the very beginning of GTA IV, "Daddy's back, you bitches!"
During planning for the first heist, Lester mentions an Eastern-European man doing jobs Liberty City who went quiet. This is an obvious allusion to Niko Bellic, the protagonist of GTA IV. It also suggests he has either given up his life of crime, or that he was killed. It's more likely that after the ending of GTA IV, Niko had no more problems and settled down to a good life.
Jimmy can be seen viewing Niko Bellic's LifeInvader page on his laptop while sitting at the dining table in his house. It is difficult to see the page in detail, however he appears to have Roman in his friends list and is stalking Burger Shot, possibly a humorous reference to the health system in GTA IV, where health can be replenished by eating hot dogs and burgers.
During one of the fares for Downtown Cab Co, Franklin has to bring a guy down to the docks to deal with some bikers. They will be standing next to an AlbanyEmperor with a license plate reading "ROMANB", a reference to Roman Bellic and his cab company.
In a random event, the player can help two people get away from a robbery. One of the robbers is Irish and keeps saying that Liberty City was easier to rob. This robber turns out to be Packie from GTA IV. After this encounter he becomes a possible hire for a heist. During one of the heists Packie mentions that Niko Bellic is most likely dead but he does not know for a fact.
There is an advert featuring the artwork of one of The Twins painted on a building.
Multiple QUB3D arcade machines from GTA IV can be found.
If you listen to Trevor's radio in his Bodhi, you can hear a conversation between a truck driver and another who goes by the name Eddie Low, who was a serial killer that could be found in Alderney by Niko in GTA IV.
If the player goes into the Yellow Jack Inn in Sandy Shores, behind the counter will be several $50 bills hanging on the wall. Pictured on these bills is the artwork of Rochell'le that appeared on the disc and coverart of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
In Franklin's House in Vinewood Hills there are three Gold Records on the wall, one of which belongs to OG Loc from GTA San Andreas. There is also a Madd Dogg CD sitting on top of the DJ Booth, and a red and blue coloured artwork of Madd Dogg with MADD written across the bottom.
In Strawberry, under the freeway, there is a lot of graffiti on the walls. One of them resembles a silhouette of John Marston riding a horse at night time, with a full moon. John is the protagonist of the game Red Dead Redemption, another game developed and published by Rockstar.
There is a book case in the living room of Franklin's Vinewood house, with a few titles that stand out, like the book "Red Dead", by a J. Marston. "J. Marston" could refer to John's son Jack, who regularly reads books and stated that he may write a book himself one day.
In the mission, The Paleto Score, on the drive to the bank, Michael mentions that his first score was a heist in the outskirts of Carcer City in 1988. This is a reference to Rockstar's game, Manhunt.
If you go to Sub Urban as Michael, you are able to buy a Hawaiian shirt very similar to the one Max Payne wears in Max Payne 3, which is another game created by Rockstar.
Sometimes when Michael enters his house, he will say "Honey, I'm Home!" This is the same line spoken by Max Payne during a cutscene as he enters his home before realizing it has been attacked. Similarly, Michael also has his home and family attacked during the mission Meltdown.
There is a Rent-A-Car agency named "Escalera". Escalera was a town in Red Dead Redemption.
The surname "De Santa" that the FIB gave to Michael Townley and his family is a reference to Vincente De Santa, a major Red Dead Redemption antagonist.
References to other video games
Dead Island Easter Egg
There are numerous billboards scattered around the game for the TV Show "Rehab Island". The commercial for the TV shows can also be found on TV. The logo in the middle looks similar to the logo from the game "Dead Island", with a marijuana leaf replacing the palm tree.
In Paleto Bay, there is a junkyard that contains some sort of machine with paint art that resembles Claptrap from the game Borderlands.
There is graffiti in an alleyway in Downtown Vinewood (where the mission Bearing the Truth starts) on which, amongst multiple Kifflom rambles, is written "The fruit tree is a lie", referencing the iconic "The cake is a lie" catchphrase from the Portal series and possibly comparing it to the fruit tree in the Adam and Eve creation myth.
Two garden mushrooms can be seen in Denise Clinton's house, a short red mushroom and a tall green one, which could be a reference to Mario and Luigi in the Super Mario series.
References to other media
The mission Predator, may be a reference to the movie Predator in which the predator hunts down men one by one with thermal vision.
Floyd's apartment, Trevor's first safehouse in Los Santos, is modeled upon Melanie's apartment from the movie "Jackie Brown" by Quentin Tarantino. Even the pictures on the kitchen's pillar are very similar to those depicted in the movie.
The reference to Reddit.
Sometimes, there can be some thrash of the Daily Rag newspaper. The title reads "Narwal? Bacon?", which is a reference to the saying "The Narwhal bacons at midnight". This is a reference to the popular website Reddit.
Trevor's calculator watch is a nod to Walter White from Breaking Bad, as both wear the exact same watch and both are in the methamphetamine business.
Some power stations have an orange sticker that says 1.21 GW (GW most likely an abbreviation of gigawatt), a very likely reference to the Back to the Future trilogy.
When Michael hangs out with his son Jimmy, he mentions on how he wants to be a comedian. This is probably a reference to his voice actor Danny Tamberelli, who was a cast member during the original run of the Nickelodeon comedy sketch show All That.
There are two churches (one in Pacific Bluffs and the other in Great Chaparral) called Hill Valley Church. This is another reference to the Back to the Future trilogy as the three movies take place in a Californian fictitious town called Hill Valley.
A poster reference to the X-Files.
There's an airline called MyFly. This could be a reference to Marty McFly, one of the main characters in Back To The Future.
There is a customized JB 700 armed with machine guns, tire spikes and a passenger ejector seat in one of Devin Weston's car jobs. This is a reference to James Bond's specially modified Aston Martin DB5 (on which the JB 700 is modeled) from the 1964 movie Goldfinger.
There is also an advertisement near Sandy Shores that mentions a company called, "J's Bonds". This is a reference to the main protagonist of the 007 franchise, James Bond.
If you go to the clothing store near Trevor's house, there is a jacket called "Champagne Driver Blouson," which has a crab on the back. This is a reference to the movie "Drive," as the main character wore the same jacket, with the only difference being that there was a scorpion on the back.
If you go to Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness, you will see a drug deal that has gone bad. If you go down a small slope, you will see a guy on the ground telling you to "stay away from the case." If you grab the case (which grants you $25,000), he still state that you are a dead man. This is a reference to the movie "No Country for Old Men," as one of the protagonists stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad and a case which contains $2,000,000. When the protagonist finds and takes the money, he discovers that a hitman (as well as the police and cartel) are out to recover the money.
In one of the discount stores, you can find a red jacket named "Overlooked red blouson", which is the jacket worn by Jack Torrance in the movie The Shining. The hotel where the Torrance family stays in the movie is also called The Overlook Hotel.
Lester owns a poster depicting a flying saucer and the phrase "Accept the truth", a reference to Fox Mulder's "I want to believe" poster in X-Files.
In the Tuner section of the available wheels in Los Santos Customs, there is a design called Fujiwara - a clear nod to the Initial D manga/anime. The wheel design is also based on the design used for the Toyota Corolla Trueno AE86 used in the anime/manga.
Also in the Sports section of the available wheels, there is a design called Duper 7. This wheel design is based on Nissan GT-R models produced between 2007 and 2010.
Sometimes when you switch to Trevor when not in a mission, he and another man in front of him will be riding a Faggio and Trevor will say, " We are scooter brothers! Scooooter brothers!". This is a reference to 4PP (4PlayerPodcast).
In Strawberry, there is a graffiti in an alleyway that resembles Nyan Cat.
During an optional tour in Downtown Vinewood, the Vinewood Tour lady will state that the mayor's office appeared during a "twenty-minute final dogfight to save Earth in the movie Invasion: Los Santos". The "dogfight to save Earth" is a reference to 1996 alien invasion movie Independence Day, which ends with a lengthy dogfight sequence, while the title Invasion: Los Santos is a reference to another alien invasion movie, Battle: Los Angeles.
The serial killer's inscription.
In the desert in Sandy Shores, on a few rocks, a lot of the number 8 are inscribed. There is also an inscription which writes: " One is done, Two was fun, Three tried to run, Four called mom, Five's not alive, Six is nix, Seven's in heaven, 8 won't wait. " This may be a reference to Freddy Krueger's poem from the Nightmare on Elm Street-franchise and this may have been written by a serial killer or rapist, possibly Merle Abrahams.
Inside Lester's safehouse, to the right of his bedroom, there are some action figures that closely resemble Master Chief from Halo, Superman and Black Adam from the DC Universe, presumably Han Solo from Star Wars and two other figures. Below the figures is a replica of the Excalibur sword.
There is a car tuning garage close to the Vanilla Unicorn called "Car Tune Network." This is a reference to the TV station Cartoon Network.
The subtle approach of the heist mission The Big Score is a reference to the film 'The Italian Job' where 3 Mini Coopers are used to carry out a heist to steal gold bars. However, the protagonists use four Gauntlets to steal gold. Still, both involve manipulating the traffic light system and armoured trucks.
In the mountains there is a Thelma and Louise Easter Egg. If you go to the right part of the mountains between 7:00 and 8:00 PM you see a vehicle similar to the one from the movie. A few feet behind the vehicle are a few police cars and a helicopter. You see an officer begin to approach the vehicle. As he gets closer the vehicle's engine starts and the car drives off of the edge of the cliff. This Easter Egg only happens if you are in a helicopter. You will not see it on foot however, if you approach the scene on foot from the bottom of the cliff, you will see the vehicle crash and it is possible that it can land on you.
During one of the main missions a pilot that is flying with Trevor will remark that the LSPD have come a long way concerning racism in the last two decades. The pilot may be referencing the events of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and C.R.A.S.H.
While driving in Blaine County you will sometimes come across a parked camper van with two men dressed in chemical overalls standing nearby. One of the men is an older bald man with a goatee and glasses, the other is a younger man with a beanie hat on. This is an obvious reference to Breaking Bad depicting Walter White and Jesse Pinkman respectively.
Sometimes a person can be found outside the Vanilla Unicorn at night texting. When passing near him, one of the lines he might say is "I sent that bitch a smiley face, bitches love smiley faces!", referencing the popular line from the show The Boondocks.
There is a calendar inside the Merryweather base in Elysian Island (Seen over the safe in Stocks and Scares) with a picture of a Reefer and a caption saying "I'm on a boat!", referencing the Lonely Island song I'm on a Boat.
However, it is most likely a reference to Borderlands, which has a similar easter egg.
The theme of major heists in GTA V is heavily inspired by the 1995 film Heat, which is set in Los Angeles, the city Los Santos is based on. Michael De Santa seems to be loosely based on the film's main character, Neil McCauley, as both are seasoned bank robbers and leaders of crews; in fact, Michael's default gray suit is virtually identical to one that McCauley wears prominently during the film. Furthermore, the armored car heist in the game is an almost exact recreation of the opening sequence of the film. Devin Weston's habit of calling people "slick" is apparently another reference to Heat, in which the character Michael Ceritto is explicitly said to constantly refer to people using the term "slick". Also, you can make Michael De Santa look almost exactly like the protagonist from that film.
Marlowe Vineyards and Marlowe Drive's name is probably a nod to the character Phillip Marlowe, a famous fictional private eye from Raymond Chandler's novels. The settings in the novels were established mostly in Los Angeles.
The design used for the Organ Farm billboard in GTA V depicts a clutched bleeding heart similar to the one depicted on the Green Day album, American Idiot.
The dog that Franklin speaks to during Risk Assessment could possibly be a reference to the famous dog Lassie. It could also be a reference to the movie A Boy and His Dog.
If you stand around long enough in an Ammu-Nation store, the cashier will mention something about "a pregnant lady who bought a flamethrower earlier", referencing the Blues Brothers.
There are four motorboats at the pier that have the colors red, white, black, and yellow, a possible reference to Roosterteeth's animated series "RWBY", which stands for red, white, black, and yellow.
The colours are randomized each time, however.
The brand name of the coffeehouse chain Cool Beans may be a reference to an iconic scene from the cult comedy film Hot Rod, where the words "cool beans" are repeated numerous times.
In Vinewood Hills, there is a house (near the runaway bride's home) with a garden gnome leaning forward with his pants down, as if he is ready for anal sex/mooning.
In Michael's bedroom, there's a copy of the Kama Sutra on the night table.
After switching to Michael in his home, sometimes when he suddenly enters his room and his wife is on the bed, Amanda says that thought she had locked the door, and throws away a dildo, then goes to sleep.
Wiwang (wee wang) is the brand of various air conditioning units installed on building rooftops.
The route layout for the "Freeway" street race resembles a crude drawing of a penis and testicles when viewed from above (best seen on the Rockstar Social Club page ).
On a billboard at San Andreas Avenue there's an advertisement for a show called Prison Bitches, with the subtitle "break out before they break you in" which is a crude reference to prison rape. The show is shown on MeTV.
In the construction site assassination mission (Mile High Club), a factory who developes the sites building materials is named Fap, which is a slang term for masturbation.
When seen from high above, the roller coasters tracks resemble male genitailia.
In all Rob's liquor stores there's an advertisement for Pisswasser featuring a girl with a bottle of Pißwasser in her mouth.
If you go to any fruit stand in Blaine County or Sandy Shores, on a table you'll see two oranges together with a banana on top of it, resembling a penis.
Two oranges and a banana resembling the shape of a penis seen in a fruit stand.
References to real life people and events
The 2011 London riots in the UK are mentioned on radio advertisements.
The character Poppy Mitchell possibly mocks Lindsay Lohan.
Leonora Johnson's murder is a clear reference to the Black Dahlia murder: the victim, Elizabeth Short, was found murdered and severely mutilated on January 15, 1947 in Leimert Park, Los Angeles. Some of her wounds, like cuts on her breasts and portions of flesh removed, are similar to Leonora's.
Just outside of Sandy Shores is a small hill painted and engraved with many words and pictures relating to aliens and UFOs. One of the engravings is '6EQUJ5'. This is a reference to the famous Wow! signal, a mysterious and controversial radio signal from space detected in 1977 that many believe originated from an artificial interstellar source.
On the north shore of the Alamo Sea, north of the westernmost dock is a run down house with a tapdancing hillbilly outside. He is marked on your radar as a friend, while a woman sits nearby and watches on. This is a reference to Jesco White from the documentary "The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia".
Weazel News occasionally references the poor state of the healthcare program in the United States.
Bath Salts and cannibalism were mentioned in a radio segment advertising toilet cleaner, which is a reference to the Miami Cannibal Attack, in which a man suspected to be on bath salts attacked a man and bit off most of his face.
