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The enduring popularity of Grand Theft Auto 5 means that millions of people have taken the game for a spin, but many of these players have never discovered all the secret locations in GTA 5. This is unsurprising considering the scope of the game – providing players with a large, open-world map to explore and enjoy all the virtual free will they please. Being a highly expansive game with hundreds of different areas and locations, it’s easy to get lost in the exciting adventures one can go on in San Andreas.

Which Grand Theft Auto Has The Biggest World Map?

The original GTA was a revolution in world design in gaming. How do the different maps from various games stack up in size?

Since its initial release in 1997, the Grand Theft Auto franchise has cemented itself as one of the greatest video game series, both critically and commercially. In a recent interview with CNBC, Take-Two Interactive (parent company of Rockstar Games) CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that Grand Theft Auto V sold about 20 million copies in 2020, the most copies sold in a calendar year since its 2013 release.

Rockstar’s titular franchise takes place either on the West or East Coast in cities that are representations of real locations. Liberty City resembles New York City, Vice City is a carbon copy of Miami, and the state of San Andreas that contains the city of Los Santos is actually California and Los Angeles. All of the locations in Grand Theft Auto consist of incredible realism with a high level of detail. Certain entries in the franchise possess more realism than others, but what about the sheer size of each environment? Typically size doesn’t matter, but after cruising through Vinewood for what seems like an eternity it might be a good idea to know just how vast each terrain is in Grand Theft Auto.

5 GTA 3 – Liberty City (8.12 sq km)

Grand Theft Auto 3 was a monumental title right out the gate when it was released in 2001 as the first three-dimensional game of the franchise. Following the exploits of the main character Claude, GTA 3 is set in Liberty City. Loosely based on New York City, Liberty City also contains similarities with Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, and Detroit. Liberty City is divided into three main sections: Portland, Staunton Island, and Shoreside Vale. Measuring at 8.12 square kilometers, Liberty City is the smallest world map in the franchise. It’s no wonder the city’s motto is “the worst place in America.”

4 GTA Vice City – Vice City (9.11 sq km)

Sitting at 9.11 square kilometers, Vice City isn’t much bigger than Liberty City. It’s split into two main chunks: the Mainland and Vice Beach. Each area contains several individual districts, as well as featuring two main beaches. Resembling Miami, Grand Theft Auto Vice City was certainly an upgrade over GTA 3 in the visuals department.

Vice City features vibrant colors, palm trees, and (mostly) clear, blue skies. But the similarities with Miami don’t stop there. Heavily influenced by the crime drama television show, Rockstar placed many Miami Vice Easter Eggs throughout the game. If Tommy Vercetti gets three stars, a pair of undercover cops based on Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs try to bust him. Also, the actor who portrayed Tubbs in the show was the voice actor for Vercetti’s partner in crime, Lance Vance.

3 GTA 4 – Liberty City and Alderney (16.14 sq km)

Making its return from GTA 3, Liberty City is back and better than ever. Rockstar’s decision to return to Liberty City allowed the developer to expand the world map to include Alderney, which is based on New Jersey.

While Liberty City is still mostly urban terrain, northern Alderney becomes a bit more wild-like with its natural environment. By broadening the map, GTA 4’s iteration of Liberty City nearly doubles GTA 3 measuring at 16.14 square kilometers.

2 GTA San Andreas – San Andreas (38.2 sq km)

Many GTA fans would attest that not only is San Andreas the best game of the franchise, but the best game ever on the PlayStation 2. Something not as debatable is how profitable San Andreas was and how massive the map was. By selling a little over 17 million copies since 20004, San Andreas is the best-selling PS2 game of all time.

The game map of San Andreas checks out at 38.2 square kilometers, which upon release, was the largest three-dimensional map ever made. The design of San Andreas was heavily influenced by the state of California. It holds three major cities, multiple airports, and wide stretches of mountains mixed in with the city terrain.

1 GTA 5 – Los Santos (75.84 sq km)

The second reused location in the series, Los Santos returns with much more to offer this time around. Previously featured as one of the three main cities in San Andreas, Los Santos was rebuilt and more fully developed in GTA 5. With a measurement of 75.84 square kilometers, Los Santos completely dominates San Andreas as the biggest Grand Theft Auto world map. GTA 5 would hold the title of the largest open-world map ever made by Rockstar, until the developer’s other major franchise sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, was released.

Los Santos is loosely based on the city of Los Angeles. Los Santos translated from Spanish means “The Saints”, which is a play on words for “The Angels”, or Los Angeles translated. The amount of detail in creating the various cities, farmlands, towns, and other landmarks elevated the player’s experience and truly made Los Santos special. Tremendous amounts of realism brought Los Santos to life in more ways than one, which might be why GTA 5 continues to hold a ridiculously high player base. Ultimately, Los Santos remains one of the biggest world maps out there, and GTA 5 will forever be in contention for the greatest video game of all time.

Grand Theft Auto 5: 12 Secret Areas That You Had No Idea About

Grand Theft Auto 5’s map is sprawling and detailed, meaning even over a decade after release, there are still some secrets you might not have seen.

The enduring popularity of Grand Theft Auto 5 means that millions of people have taken the game for a spin, but many of these players have never discovered all the secret locations in GTA 5. This is unsurprising considering the scope of the game – providing players with a large, open-world map to explore and enjoy all the virtual free will they please. Being a highly expansive game with hundreds of different areas and locations, it’s easy to get lost in the exciting adventures one can go on in San Andreas.

The most well-hidden and little-known locations scattered about the map have only been found by the most observant players. These range from tiny, yet useful areas that can shelter players from potential enemies, to simply creepy, mysterious locations that hold a number of unanswered questions. Whether searching out secrets with friends in GTA Online or taking on the hunt alone in the single-player campaign, fans who want to discover the best GTA 5 secret locations have plenty to look forward to.

12 Inside The Humane Labs

The Humane Labs is a research facility that is found in a more secluded area of GTA 5‘s map, and with a few sneaky game tricks, players can find themselves exploring the secret spaces inside this private building. The interior of this laboratory can be accessed as follows: approach the building, accept a job invite from the player character’s phone, and back out of the job menu that displays. This will spawn the player inside the Humane Labs itself.

From there, players can roam about and discover the miscellaneous Easter eggs that it has to offer. Unlike the other hidden labs or bunkers found in Grand Theft Auto 5, the interior of this facility is completely empty, leaving less chance of making enemies, as players go about their exploring. It is quite a large secret area, with numerous rooms and wide spaces that players may potentially even find themselves getting lost in.

11 Clock Tower

On the west side of Los Santos stands a sky-scraping tower with a large black and white clock, and while the building is nice enough to view as it is, players can actually set foot on the very top of the structure through any form of air transport. Upon landing on one of the tower’s roofs, players will discover various ladders which are placed to easily get around the upper outside areas.

Should GTA 5 players climb one of these ladders to get to the topmost level of the tower, they get a grand 360-degree view of the entire city, as well as the perfect vantage point for shooting down enemies. Air vehicles can also be easily gunned down at this location, and is an unexpected hiding place that can effectively give players cover. It’s also worthy noting that the clock in the tower is connected to real-time and is properly functioning.

10 Hidden Mine

As one of the more expansive hidden locations in GTA 5, this secret mine tunnel is both interestingly designed as it is mysterious. Found in the more mountainous region of the map, players can access this secret area by detonating the wooden doors that block the place from outside entry.

Upon being blown up (either by grenades or any other explosive weapon), a dark entrance is revealed that leads to an eerie mine tunnel – one that extends to cover a wide range of ground, even branching off into different directions at some points in the area. Players will also discover a perplexing dead body upon venturing inside – a man dressed in typical ’40s fashion.

9 Los Santos Airport Bunker

Grand Theft Auto 5 is known for having quite a few useful bunkers on the map, though this one’s a little harder to find. In online mode, one of these can be stumbled upon at the Los Santos airport; players can access the location either by sneaking down a hatch on the roof or through the back doors of the area’s building. Inside, the place houses quite a few objects to interact with, including a number of vending machines and a water cooler.

While it’s a large enough bunker, the doors inside sadly read “Authorized Personnel Only,” leaving not a lot to do or explore. However, it’s a suitable location to hide from the cops as a wanted felon on the run. It is also not known for sure whether Rockstar had initial plans for this room to play a more integral role in GTA 5‘s main campaign, given its level of interactivity.

8 Large Hotel Swimming Pool

Right in the middle of Los Santos’ map features a large hotel, and within lies a large, oasis-looking swimming pool. Unmarked on the map and unseen from the streets, the creators of GTA 5 did an effective job of hiding an undoubtedly random, yet entertaining location. Players can enter this area through the doors of the hotel itself, leading to a corridor that eventually exits to an outdoor pool.

This swimming pool area offers an elegant design of marble and palm trees, and it makes a perfect mini-feature for shooting scenarios with other players in GTA Online. The pool itself can also be interacted with and is large enough to hold a crowd of several others. Because of the exposed environment, the location can also be spotted from above via helicopter.

7 Secret Cave Bunker

At a much more elusive part of the map, this hidden area can be located among one of the tiny islands of the Pacific Ocean. Players will have to access this via some form of water transport, and carefully seek out a portion of land standing two trees side-by-side. Upon reaching the base of one of these trees, GTA 5 players will suddenly find themselves transported into a secret underground bunker, complete with mercenaries and FBI agents standing guard.

With the main part of the base designed to look like a garage, one will additionally find a variety of vehicles on display, including a red monowheel bike. When further explored, players may also stumble upon a few police operatives having a confidential meeting in what looks like a combined office and lounge, with fancy-looking sofas, a sleek TV system, and untouched, filled shot glasses.

6 Tongva Cave

Yet another secret hideout, this one is elusively situated among the Tongva Hills. It is a small cave that overlooks the mountains of the San Andreas map, carefully hidden away for Grand Theft Auto 5 players to find, from the rest of the territory. Players can arrive at this location through the simple means of a helicopter (or any other form of aircraft).

However, it may take a while to spot, as at first glance, it may seem like a mere shadow or boulder. There is a narrow entrance into a small, dark cave with a beautiful view of the region’s mountainous horizon. The secret GTA 5 area is also the perfect place to hide away from enemies; bombs or booby traps can be placed around the entrance to ward off potential bounty hunters.

5 Taco Van Location

If players are looking for a large, unique assault vehicle (and are a fan of tacos), this secret GTA vehicle location should be quite useful. Located to the north of Sandy Shores, a huge taco van can be found along a dirt road, right next to a few people who were probably down with the afternoon cravings. It is important that players arrive at this secret Grand Theft Auto 5 location between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, as the vehicle is only spawned onto the map during this time.

The van is unoccupied, saving GTA 5 players the worry of having to kick someone out of their precious food truck. One can easily hop inside and drive off with the vehicle, and – having the mechanics of a van – a second person can safely stand on its roof and be completely immune to falling off onto the roads.

4 Jack Howitzer’s Motel Room

Players can’t unlock the full potential of a Grand Theft Auto map without doing a few sly wall breaches here and there. Done successfully, wall breaches can access discoveries just as creepy as they are interesting. Set behind the back wall of the police station, players will be able to “break” the game map and jump into an empty, grey void beneath the streets of Los Santos. From there, their character must activate their parachute and glide underneath the city, eventually reaching an invisible platform that spawns the setting of a dark, abandoned hotel room.

While initially seeming like a random, mysterious site, this secret Grand Theft Auto 5 area is actually first seen in an in-game television series: the motel room of actor Jack Howitzer and his sock puppet, Ho Chi. In the show, the room was a setting for the possible murder of a sex worker, featuring Howitzer on his bed holding a gun, with bullet holes and blood sprayed across the walls and several jars with his own urine. Thankfully, the creators save players from those details in this Easter egg, though it still maintains much of the same, sinister interior as viewed from the TV scene.

3 Ghost Voices By The Seaside

If GTA 5‘s in-game clock strikes 11:00 PM and players are ready to get spooked, this area may provide a few supernatural surprises. Located by the sea at what seems like a popular campsite (being crowded with several tents), players will eventually start hearing the eerie sounds of various ghostly voices, given that they linger at the site for long enough.

These noises range from soft, sinister whispers to distant wailing screams, and randomly occur in striking contrast to the setting’s tranquil sounds of ocean waves and fireflies. As the voices sound both male and female, it’s safe to say the area is haunted by not one, but a number of restless souls. Also, judging from their pained shrieks, it seems that their passings were none-too-pleasant either.

2 The Tennis Coach’s House

This particular Easter egg is a little easier to spot, and closer to another well-known location on the map than many players would suspect. The backstory behind this little-known detail revolves around the in-game mission titled, “Marriage Counseling,” in which Grand Theft Auto 5‘s protagonist Michael De Santa comes home to his mansion in the Rockford Hills looking for his wife.

Upon arriving, he notices two suspicious tennis rackets leaning to the side of the entrance doors, triggering De Santa to rush up the stairs and into his and his wife’s bedroom, where he – sure enough – catches her cheating with her tennis coach Kyle Chavis. It’s during this part of the game where players chase down Chavis and eventually find him hidden in the home of businessman Martin Madrazo, which De Santa mistakes as Chavis’ house and destroys. However, by traveling across from Madrazo’s affluent home, players will come upon what seems like the GTA 5 tennis coach’s actual home – a more rundown-looking shack littered with tennis balls and rackets all around its outside premises.

1 Epsilon Vantage Point

Another wall breach trick, this hidden location can be found at the Epsilon Program building, and is once again an extremely helpful area for players seeking that perfect vantage point. Once at the building, players can get to this secret location by climbing up the building’s back ladders – leading the player to the topmost level from where various cone-like structures can be found.

These structures overlook the Los Santos roads at the edge of the Epsilon roof, and, when done correctly, the player can actually climb one of these cones and hide inside the structure itself. Though it may take a few, persistent tries, once inside, the player can then have a good top view of the streets, making it a perfect hideout for sniping unsuspecting enemies. Being fully inside a metal cone also makes a player character essentially invincible, providing complete protection from the bullets of outside attackers, a useful spot for all sorts of Grand Theft Auto 5 shenanigans.

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