I put UFO sightings in Grand Theft Auto 5, though it didn't quite go to plan
A writer modded *Grand Theft Auto V* to spawn UFOs at random locations, aiming for eerie mystery, but the result was a garish, flashing object over downtown Los Santos that disrupted gameplay and failed to evoke suspense.
The author, who regularly modifies *Grand Theft Auto V* to test its limits or recreate elements of *GTA 6*, installed a mod called UFO Sightings to introduce extraterrestrial encounters into the game’s open world. The mod was designed to spawn a UFO at night in random locations, intended to feel mysterious and unsettling. Initially unaware of the nighttime restriction, the author spent hours searching Mount Chiliad in daylight, encountering only hostile hitmen before realizing the error.
After advancing the in-game clock to night, the mod triggered a notification: "UFO sighting reported." The author, equipped with Superman-like flight abilities, rushed toward the glowing red marker on the map. Expecting a subtle, distant anomaly, the author instead found a UFO hovering just 30 feet above a downtown Los Santos intersection, flashing intensely and immediately drawing attention.
The UFO’s flashing lights were so bright they risked triggering photosensitive epilepsy warnings, immediately dispelling any sense of mystery or isolation. The author attempted to engage with the UFO, shooting at it, after which it abruptly stopped flashing and ascended before vanishing entirely. The experience left the author questioning whether the encounter had ever truly occurred.
The experiment highlights the challenges of adapting real-world concepts like UFO sightings into game mechanics, where technical limitations and design choices can undermine intended atmosphere. While the mod succeeded in spawning an extraterrestrial object, it failed to replicate the uncertainty and solitude of a genuine sighting, instead creating a spectacle that disrupted rather than enhanced the game’s immersion.