Ratman refers to a rat-like humanoid cryptid that is thought to inhabit the subway tunnels of Liberty City. The creature has been reported to be hostile to the player and potentially feeds on the hobos who also call several parts of the subway home. The Ratman myth has enjoyed immense popularity and interest in the myth hunting community since reports first surfaced and is considered to be in the same legendary vain as Bigfoot in San Andreas or GTA V's Goatman.
Rumors of Ratman began when a photo was shared of what looked like a humanoid rat with the torso of an adult human male. Some believe the photo is fake and that it's either photo-shopped or the result of modifications. Some have questioned the low quality of the image and if this was deliberate in an attempt to further hide fraud. However, this could be merely due to the previous generation of consoles not having any kind of screenshot or recording feature and the encounter was just hastily snapped with an older cell phone.
Reports of Ratman seem to differ in one of two ways. Either the creature is alleged to be a bi-pedal rat hybrid who appears hostile or merely a hobo that seems to be able to run at high speed and likes to stay out of sight. Many accounts report the same behavior of fleeing from the player, into a tunnel or nearest station.
The only official recognition of anything related to Ratman is leftover files that are part of what is thought to be cut content. Originally, train conductors seemed to have been more fleshed out than those that appeared on release. Upon inspecting the game's files, leftover audio of a train conductor's radio comms can be found. The conductor would have reported that "I just saw a rat the size of a pit bull down in the subway". While the find brought hope to the Ratman myth, the line however is likely meant to merely parody New York City's historic problem with vermin.
No convincing evidence has yet been produced of Ratman's existence and no associated texture or model files have been discovered in the games files, ultimately casting doubt on this myth and making the existence of Ratman unlikely.
Orange Blood
Interestingly, several pools of a strange dried orange liquid can be found at the entrance to the subway in Easton, Algonquin in addition to various other places inside the subterranean Subway system. Strangely, this same orange fluid can be found on the Abandoned Hospital's rooftop. Some have suggested this substance to be blood from the Ratman. It is most likely the fluid is intended to be some kind of industrial liquid such as hydraulic fluid or brake fluid, and is either deliberately colored bright orange to assist in locating leaks or has oxidized and turned the observed shade. This theory however conflicts with the texture's placement on the Abandoned hospitals roof. While the fluid's presence would make sense in an industrial area like the subway, it seems out of place at the hospital. It is entirely possible that the developers placed it in other locations of Liberty City to indicate industrial zones and perhaps not all of these make perfect sense.
Rat References
There are several references to rats throughout the city. In both The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, during TV commercials a Weazel News segment will report that the mayor is planning on flooding the subways to deal with a rat infestation. Additionally, on the Craplist website in the jobs section, there is an ad for "Human Lab Rats." This listing however is most likely merely advertising the opportunity to participate in laboratory testing of pharmaceuticals. Lastly, in several places throughout the city, graffiti can be found with what appears to be a rat's head on a human male body.
Video Investigations
 
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