Earlier this week, Rockstar released a massive free update for Grand Theft Auto Online. For the most part it focused on improving and expanding on what was already in the game. But the update also included a new series of missions involving covert government operations and conspiracies, and this new campaign ends with what is easily GTA Online’s creepiest mission ever, surprising many unsuspecting players.
GTA Online’s latest update, “Criminal Enterprises,” was a biggie, helping make the game feel more modern while also making it easier (and more fun) to earn in-game cash. It’s a solid update, even nerfing the legendarily OP jetbike and adding the ability to run in the casino. While it did add a really shitty semi-auto rifle that nobody likes, that’s a minor blip in an otherwise great patch.
Also added is a new campaign made up of a few missions involving the IAA (GTA’s version of the CIA) fighting to stop a rich family from controlling the planet’s oil prices. Don’t give them too much credit, as they want to take the tech the family is using so they can control prices themselves.
But what I and many others didn’t expect was for this spy-themed thriller full of car chases and shootouts to end with a creepy, horror-game-like mission that’s genuinely scary and unsettling. I don’t want to spoil it for folks who haven’t played yet, so here’s your spoiler warning!
In the final mission, the IAA sends you to a bunker last seen in the “Doomsday Heist” update. It turns out that the super AI developed and housed here wasn’t completely erased by authorities back when you raided the place, and that’s how a rich family was able to control oil prices—using a copy of this AI. (Just nod your head and pretend this makes sense…) Inside the bunker, the power is out, and lurking in hallways and around corners are “sleeping” robots with human faces. These are the juggernauts from Doomsday, and they were left here to hibernate because apparently, the IAA is really bad at cleaning up its messes.
These slumbering hulks seem to breathe, or at least make a noise that sounds like breathing. As you walk around in the dark, relying on a flashlight, these things will occasionally make other noises and even twitch. I even swear one of them moved when I wasn’t looking. Rockstar also made sure to place these scary juggernauts in specific spots where you’ll run into them or will hear them as you explore somewhere else, looking for fuses to get the power back on.
I won’t give any awards for guessing what happens once you get the power back on and start hacking into the place: Shocker, all of those creepy robot bastards wake up and start coming for you. But after skulking by them all for 20 minutes or so in the dark, at least you know how many are waiting, and how long of a trek you have to escape out of the bunker. Luckily, I had my giant Gatling laser gun with me and made short work of them all before escaping and completing the mission.
Like myself, other players hopping into this final mission had no idea what to expect and many have shared stories online of how scary it was, with one player suggesting they will have trouble sleeping now. Others shared how tense they felt creeping around in the dark, trying to avoid the robots out of fear that touch would activate the nasty buggers. It should also be noted that one of the fuses you have to find is hidden behind some breakable boxes, which is a very uncommon gameplay mechanic for a GTA Online mission. Many players report spending a long time just creeping around the dark hallways, desperately trying to find the last fuse to escape the nightmare.
I love when Rockstar experiments and gets creative with GTA Online missions. Nearly a decade after its release, it’s a bit boring to drive around and just shoot a few people. Randomly ending things with a Slenderman-like experience is not only fun, but a great way to keep the game feeling fresh after all these years. More of this in the future, Rockstar.
