Rockstar Games have always paid immaculate attention to detail in their games in an effort to make their world look as realistic and alive as possible. Divided into multiple areas (Blaine County, Downtown, Vespucci Beach, etc.), Grand Theft Auto V’s Los Santos is almost a faithful recreation of Los Angeles and keen-eyed players have encountered many familiar landmarks in the game as Rockstar’s art team has painstakingly recreated various famous tourist attractions and well-known places for Los Santos in a bid to make the world look believable.
Here’s a look at some other places in GTA V that are influenced by real places:
Vinewood Sign
This giant sign is hard to notice. Located in Vinewood Hills, this location is obviously based on the famous Hollywood Sign.
In both the game and real life, this place is a spot for tourists that can be seen wandering around it, and perhaps it is the most famous landmark in the world.
Los Santos Observatory
Located in Verdant Bluffs. This location is based on Griffith Observatory on the slopes of Mt. Hollywood in L.A. and is next to identical to the real thing with its spacious area, the giant dome, and the overall architectural design. The observatory also overlooks Los Santos’ skyline which is a sight to see.
The Oriental Theatre
Based on the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, the place holds a historical significance. Rockstar has managed to replicate the entire theatre in Downtown, Los Santos and both locations have the same Forecourt entrance and color scheme.
The theatre is also featured in one of the missions later in the game and players can revisit the theatre during freeroam to watch a select number of movies.
Del Pierro Pier
Located in Del Pierro, Los Santos, this place shines vividly at night and is perhaps one of the most beautiful locations to visit in the game. The Pier also has its own amusement park called Pleasure Pier, equipped with a Ferris Wheel and a roller coaster, both of which are interactive.
This location is a replica of Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California and looks just as vivid and beautiful as its real life counterpart.
Trevor’s Lab (Liquor Ace)
Players have also managed to find a location that resembles Trevor’s lab in the game. Located in Sandy Shores, Trevor uses a run-down liquor store as his base of operations. The place is featured in multiple story missions as well as in GTA Online.
Its real-life influence is located in the Salton Sea region in Mecca, California, and is an abandoned liquor store called Carniceria Toro Loco. Both places have a giant yellow sign and are equally worn down.
Maze Bank West, Del Pierro Heights & Eclipse Towers
All three of these buildings are prominently featured in GTA Online as two of these (Maze Bank West & Del Pierro Heights) are utilized as Executive Offices for the player’s organization while an apartment in Eclipse Towers can be purchased by players to use as a Safe House.
Maze Bank West was inspired by 401 Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, California, while Del Pierro Heights was inspired by the Searise Office Tower, also in Santa Monica.
The Eclipse Towers building was inspired by a 31-story residential building called Sierra Towers in Hollywood, California.
These places are almost completely indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts. However, this isn’t the first time a video game has included real-world places, as Marvel’s Spider-Man is well known for recreating an almost true to life New York City and Rockstar’s approach to the same formula isn’t short of impressive either, or is it a new concept for them, since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto 3 & IV were based on Miami and NYC respectively.
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