Starting late yesterday, PC gamers finally have their shot at playing Grand Theft Auto 5. After 18 months of waiting, the time has finally come. Those who do pick up the game will be rewarded with an intriguing story, eccentric characters, and exciting gameplay.

As players jump in and cruise the unforgiving streets of Los Santos, they may discover a few interesting and captivating Easter Eggs. Thanks to the creative team at Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto 5 is full of these hidden gems, which provide a fun distraction from the intense gun battles and car thieving in the game.

Here are some of our favorite Easter Eggs from Grand Theft Auto 5.

-

The Ghost of Mount Gordo

San Andreas is full of tragedy and death. One sad example is that of Jolene Cranley-Evans, whose spirit can be seen along the cliffs near the El Gordo Lighthouse. Each night between 23:00 and 0:00 hours, players can approach the cliffs and see Jolene’s ghost standing silently alone. If players get to close, the ghost disappears, but she leaves a one-word message on the rocks: “Jock”, the name of her husband.

According to legend, as Jolene was walking along the cliffs enjoying the view, her husband shoved her off the edge, resulting in her death. Blaine County police ruled the episode an accident and cleared Jock of any wrongdoing.

What makes this Easter Egg more interesting than just a simple San Andreas ghost story is that it closely resembles a real life event. It turns out a woman in Pennsylvania was hiking on Mount Gordon (one letter off of Grand Theft Auto 5’s Mount Gordo) with her boyfriend. During the hike, her boyfriend shoved her off a cliff to her death.

-

Grove Street Trio

Those who have played Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas are likely very familiar with Grove Street, as it’s the home of the Grove Street Families, a gang that plays prominently in the game. As players drive through the neighborhood during the Hood Safari mission in Grand Theft Auto 5, they can see the protagonist of GTA: San Andreas, CJ, riding a bike with his two friends Big Smoke and Sweet.

While this Easter Egg is subtle and passes quickly, it’s a nice homage to the previous Grand Theft Auto game. Maybe the various Grand Theft Auto protagonists from the different games will one day meet each other. Maybe even in Grand Theft Auto 6?

-

The Infinity Mystery

Probably the most elaborate Grand Theft Auto 5 Easter Egg is the mysterious history and actions of Merle Abrahams, a serial killer in the game. Although players never get to meet or see Abrahams, his activities are well documented around San Andreas and players can follow the clues to learn about the murders Abrahams committed.

The Easter Egg turns into a scavenger hunt as players visit Abrahams’ home, the prison, and eventually the watery grave of the killer’s victims. While the story is disturbing, the discovery is a fun adventure and welcome distraction for those who have spent a lot of time running around San Andreas.

-

Video Game References

Grand Theft Auto 5 is replete with references to other video games. These Easter Eggs include a piece of machinery that has the same paint job as Clap Trap from Borderlands, a Master Chief lookalike street performer who hangs out near the Chinese Theater, Nico Bellic’s (the protagonist from Grand Theft Auto 4) LifeInvader page, a “Red Dead” titled book on Franklin’s bookshelf, and an in-game clothing option that outfits players to look like Max Payne.

Additionally, those who take the time to browse around Lester’s house will find a plethora of video game and other nerd references, including X-Files, Halo, Big Foot and others. It seems the developers at Rockstar Games wanted to share their geeky passions with every gamer who plays Grand Theft Auto 5.

-

Unidentified Flying Objects

There are four UFOs scattered around San Andreas, though players will have to achieve 100 percent completion of the game to see three of them. The one available for players to find immediately can be found underwater at the North side of the map. It apparently crash landed some time previous to the events of Grand Theft Auto 5.

The remaining three unlock once players successfully finish every mission and side quest in the game. One can be found near Sandy Shores, another above Fort Zancudo, and the last one hangs out above Mt. Chiliad, though it’s only visible during thunderstorms.

While no aliens ever emerge from the UFOs (gamers will have to play Saints Row for that type of adventure), the disks are a fun discovery that’s worth unlocking if players have the time and patience to fulfill the requirements.

-

Frozen Alien

GTA V Frozen Alien

Although no aliens ever exit the UFOs, there is one alien to be found in Grand Theft Auto 5. During the game’s prologue, as players are evading the police, they can make a small detour and stop near the bridge.

Under the bridge, entombed in the icy river is an extra terrestrial. Unfortunately, no amount of shooting, jumping, or driving can break the creature from its frozen grave. Maybe Trevor and Michael will just have to go back and visit during the summer months to get a more personal experience with the alien.

-

Many More

There are dozens of additional Easter Eggs in Grand Theft Auto 5 beyond the few mentioned above. Players have found references to the movies No Country for Old Men, Thelma & Louise, Gone in 60 Seconds and Drive. Others found a mysterious hatch that closely resembles the one from the popular show Lost, as well as a tap dancing hillbilly.

The folks at Rockstar Games were very clever with their Easter Eggs in Grand Theft Auto 5, and despite the huge number of Easter Eggs already discovered, we’re sure there are plenty more yet to be found. Hopefully as PC gamers join the ranks in San Andreas, we’ll be able to finally identify them all.

What do you think about the Easter Eggs in Grand Theft Auto 5? Have you found any others we didn’t mention? Let us know about your discoveries in the comments.