5 things that make good collectibles within the GTA series stand out

While collectibles are often a hit or miss in the GTA series, good collectibles stand out for several reasons.

Collectibles are a divisive topic, with players either loving it or hating it. Those in the former category often think about the good collectibles as those that reward curiosity and exploration. Predictably, this means that there is a noticeable difference between the good collectibles in the GTA series and the bad ones.

Players who feel that there isn't sufficient incentive to search for a collectible will simply ignore it. Fortunately, there are plenty of good collectibles which positively impact a player's gameplay experience. The following is a list of good and bad examples of what makes collectibles seem interesting in the series, from GTA 3 to GTA 5.

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5 elements that make collecting collectibles in the GTA series worthwhile

#5 - There shouldn't be too many to collect

If there are too many of an item to collect, then it begins to feel like a chore. GTA 4's Flying Rats are a terrible collectible for several reasons, one of which is the fact that there are 200 of them.

In this case, having to collect a hundred of them would have been a more realistic number. But even if 200 Flying Rats was hypothetically worth it, it's still double the usual amount and so it leaves only a small subset of the most dedicated players willing to put in the time and effort for it .

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#4 - Incremental rewards

An all-or-nothing approach to collectibles makes it pointless for most casual GTA players to look for them. For example, another reason why Flying Rats is a bad collectible is that the player doesn't get much for killing them. Players need to kill all of them to get something, which makes killing just 199 of them largely pointless.

Good collectibles, like Hidden Packages in the 3D universe, often offer a reward for every 10 that's collected. Hence, even casual GTA fans can collect a few of them that they come across and still get something worthwhile.

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#3 - Good rewards

Hidden Packages usually give good rewards in the games they appear in (Image via GTA Wiki)

It should go without saying that if the rewards for collecting a collectible are worthless, then GTA players aren't going to bother trying. Something like Under the Bridge in GTA 5 doesn't incentivize players for going out of their way to fly under all 50 bridges.

This point doesn't necessarily have to be tied to incremental rewards (although it certainly helps). Of course, not all rewards would have to be monetary or related to weapons. For example, Peyote Plants in GTA Online are fun to collect and use.

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#2 - The collectibles should stand out visually

Stunt Jumps are hit or miss when it comes to how obvious they are to "collect" (Image via GTA Wiki)

If a player cannot tell that a collectible is something they can collect, then it's most likely not a good collectible. Something like rampage icons from the 3D universe of GTA games stands out, whereas letter scraps from GTA 5 don't.

Considering how vast the GTA maps can be at times, it's incredibly important that GTA players can tell if a collectible is in front of them. If not, then they're bound to ignore it and wander aimlessly elsewhere.

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#1 - Collectibles should make good use of the environment

Nuclear Waste can be found in the underwater areas in GTA 5 (Image via GTA Wiki)

The main purpose of having collectibles in the GTA series is to incentivize players to explore the world. For example, GTA 5 does a good job of placing its collectibles all over the place (including underwater locations).

Hence, players have more of a reason to explore the world. This inevitably leads to some players who love to explore being rewarded for doing so. If there were no collectibles for the player to bother with, then a good part of the overworld would feel empty and pointless.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.