The Creepiest Things We've Found In GTA: The Trilogy

"Grand Theft Auto" fans are used to a few rough edges at this point, particularly when it comes to glitches. In fact, the "GTA" series' bugs are arguably a major factor in the charm of "GTA." Some players have even found ways to take advantage of glitches and cheat in creative ways. But not every glitch is as fun as spawning infinite cash or launching a car through the air. While the remastered "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy" contains some funny glitches, some of them have been downright upsetting.

Of course, "Grand Theft Auto" has always been home to some creepy things, either thanks to bizarre programming errors or purposeful dark easter eggs, but there are moments in Rockstar and Grove Street Games' "GTA: The Trilogy" that take things to the next level. If you thought you knew every ugly secret hidden in "Vice City" and "San Andreas," you've only just scratched the surface. Be prepared to bite your ghoulishly long fingernails; here are some of the most unintentionally creepy things players have uncovered in "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy."

It's no secret that "GTA" players have had some issues with the character models in "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy," particularly when their proportions glitch out and they begin to look like they're made of rubber. But one slightly rarer glitch makes the characters look like they're being rendered and then disintegrated before the player's eyes.

A number of San Andreas players have shared screenshots of characters' faces suddenly turning into a pixelated, multi-colored mess. These examples of human static are made even more upsetting when said character's arms and legs appear to be phasing out of existence. In a clip shared by @Erick_Moraless_ on Twitter, Carl "CJ" Johnson suddenly turns a bright, glowing blue-ish color, which seems to change every time the camera gets close to him. And yet again, his face has been replaced by a bizarre void of static. All in all, CJ looks more than a little bit radioactive.

"San Andreas" gives players plenty of opportunities to alter CJ's physicality and clothing, but none of the customization options come close to this bizarre effect. It definitely doesn't look comfortable.

The earlier "GTA" games featured characters with blocky, almost finger-less hands, so it stands to reason that the remastered "Grand Theft Auto" trilogy would make an effort diversify characters' digits. And for the most part, this has paid off, with even minor background characters having distinct and articulated fingers. But when this update goes wrong, boy, is it a creepy sight to behold.

"San Andreas" players have specifically pointed to a scene involving Cesar Vialpando, the leader of the Varrios Los Aztecas gang as being the "Trilogy" moment with the most upsetting finger alterations. In this sequence, the wildly-gesticulating Cesar suddenly has extremely long fingers that rival Lady Dimetrescu's claws. Some players have compared the long-fingered Cesar to the titular character of the web series "Salad Fingers," while others have noted this mistake as another example of the "GTA" remaster feeling rushed. One thing's for sure: Cesar could give Freddy Krueger a run for his money.

Of the many issues that plague "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition," the in-game rain effects are among the most notorious and unsettling. As seen in many clips circulating on the internet, the new in-game engine seems to be generating rain that is both opaque and slow-moving, leading to some gamers complaining of eye strain. 

One user on Twitter, @JankyNedelko, posted a video of CJ riding a bike on a country road in "San Andreas." The rainy conditions, mixed with the dark of night, all but eliminate any kind of visibility. The poor rain rendering is also adversely effecting "GTA 3," as seen in a capture from YouTube user MrHort Workshop.

Being one of the most well-documented bugs in the remastered bundle, this "glass shard" rain adds another unsettling layer to the remastered bundle by giving players the insurmountable task of accomplishing tasks without the ability to see what they're doing. Avoiding country roads in "San Andreas" is probably the best course of action until it's fixed. This rain makes it feel like you're one wrong turn away from ending up in a horror movie — or a disaster film.

Ever since the "GTA" series switched to a 3D engine, players have been able to look behind them. This mechanic can be used both on foot and in a vehicle by clicking the right stick, and is especially useful in combat situations to identify enemies that may be following you. Unfortunately, this useful tool has been more or less ruined in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

When riding the quad bike in "San Andreas," clicking the right stick and looking directly behind you does little to help survey the situation. Instead, players are treated to a cursed close-up of Carl Johnson's blank face staring directly at you, rocking side to side along with the quad bike. This hilariously creepy bug was posted to Reddit by user The_Friendly_Bro, and has generated a number of funny responses from players who are both creeped out and amused. 

User BURMoneyBUR expressed gratitude for the existence of this glitch, remarking, "[I'm] glad they released it just for the ridiculous videos we are getting from this." Another user, officialtwiggz, sarcastically remarked "This is what peak performance looks like." CJ seems to be eerily relaxed, even as his head rocks side to side on the back of the bike. 

"GTA: The Trilogy" already added a Big Head Mode to the games (per NME), but there's one instance of huge faces that was likely unintentional — and pretty creepy.

On the "Grand Theft Auto" subreddit, user Ansbernf posted an image from "Vice City" showing an island with faces imposed on its elevated sides. While this could (in theory) be an Easter egg of sorts, the general consensus among players is that it's a baffling visual glitch that wasn't caught by Grove Street Games prior to the remaster's release.

"I'm pretty convinced they basically did no testing at all on this," Reddit user Universal-Gleam commented. "There are too many obvious problems that would've been noticed quickly." Another user speculated that the entirety of "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition" was a "last minute thing sloppily thrown together."

Clips of the fleshy island have revealed that the faces may appear and disappear as you drive by, like a super-slow jump scare. Visual glitch or not, several wide-eyed faces without any pupils staring off at the player as they pass through is definitely nightmare fuel. Probably best to avoid this area entirely if you wish to sleep at night.