Titles from Rockstar Games likeGrand Theft Auto 5andRed Dead Redemption 2are renowned for their realism. To that end, fans are constantly discovering new details in-game even years after the games are released. Now, in a bit of an inverse situation, one fan has found an odd real-life location that is likely the inspiration for one ofGrand Theft Auto 5’s major in-game spots.
While driving through Mecca, California, one fan spotted an all too familiar-looking liquor store. In fact, the Redditor had come across the real-life inspiration for the infamous Liquor Ace, a run-down shop where one ofGTA 5’s main protagonists, theever-quotable Trevor Philips, ran a meth lab.
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In the comments, many Californians revealed the depth of parallels between that region of California and its in-game equivalents. The Liquor Ace is not the only in-game location to draw heavy inspiration from that area of California. For example, the Silent Probe Mountain, the central location in the “Beam Me Up” mission is an obvious nod to Salvation Mountain, a real-life location that sits less than an hour’s drive from Mecca, California. In fact, the entire Sandy Shores andBlaine County regionis loosely based on the Salton Sea area in Southern California.
If fans felt inclined to take a look at the area, one commenter suggested googling “Historic North Shore Service Station California.” The real-life version of the Liquor Ace is just up the road from where Google Maps drops viewers off. Obviously, the Liquor Ace is far from the onlyreal-life inspired location inGTA 5, but it’s among the most niche and unexpected. While most of the major locations inGTA 5draw some inspiration from actual places, the Liquor Ace is truly just a dilapidated gas station in the middle of a desert.
Grand Theft Auto 5is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.
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