The Grand Theft Auto series is known for including plenty of easter eggs and references. Because of its larger and more detailed map,Grand Theft Auto 5might have more references than any other entry in the series.
Many of them are easily recognizable and understandable. For example, most players will realize that the individuals dressed in green space marine suits are a nod to Master Chief from Halo. Yet, not every reference in the game is as obvious. There are some deeper cuts, too. Here are a few examples.
8"10 Points"
A Reference To The Original Grand Theft Auto
While driving around as Trevor in GTA 5, you’re able to sometimes hear him shout “10 points” when you crash into something. This is a reference to the original game in the series.
In that title, you would gain 10 points anytime you rammed into another car. This is because the game employed a scoring system that required players to reach a specific number of points to complete a level. Naturally, that points system doesn’t exist in GTA 5, but Trevor still gives it a shout-out now and then.
7Big Worm Wheels
A Reference To Friday
When visiting a garage in GTA 5, you’re able to replace various components on most vehicles. This includes the wheels, and there are plenty of them to choose from. If you head into the lowrider category in the wheel section, you will find an option called Big Worm.
Those with knowledge of comedy movies from the ’90s may find the design of these wheels to be familiar. This is because they’re based on a set of wheels seen in the film Friday. More specifically, they’re the wheels that are attached to Big Worm’s car, hence the name.
6Jimmy Hopkins Jersey
A Reference To Bully
Jimmy Hopkins from Bully is one ofthe best protagonists ever seen in a Rockstar game. Yet, since Bully came out in the 2000s and there hasn’t been a sequel, it’s easy to forget about him. However, Rockstar is kind of keeping his memory alive in GTA 5.
There is a guy you can find outside the Vanilla Unicorn strip club who is wearing a jersey with the Hopkins name on the back. Now, Hopkins isn’t a unique name. However, the fact that the guy spawns so infrequently and Rockstar loves referencing their other games means it’s fair to assume that it is a nod to Bully’s main protagonist.
5"Psycho Hosebeast."
A Reference To Wayne’s World
There’s a random event in the game that has you picking up a runaway bride. Once you do, the groom chases after you both while screaming at her. One thing he calls her is a “psycho hosebeast.” This is clearly a reference to the movie Wayne’s World, as the film popularized the term.
In the flick, it’s used to describe the titular character’s clingy ex-girlfriend. Therefore, it’s ironic that the guy who’s chasing his fiancee down in his Hummer is calling her a “psycho hosebeast,” even though he’s a better example of the term.
4Familiar Clown Music
A Reference To Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
One ofthe best strangers and freaks missions in the gameis Trevor’s Grass Roots quest. In it, he takes a hit of Barry’s joint and then begins to see killer clowns everywhere. What’s interesting is the music in the background.
It’s a tune that you may also hear in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. The ’80s movie features a dream sequence that includes a group of strange clowns, and the piece of music in question plays throughout. Both the sequence from the game and movie are very trippy and contain clowns, so you can see how the developers came up with the reference.
3Escalera Rent-A-Car
There are a lot of distinct locations and businesses in Grand Theft Auto 5. One of them is a rent-a-car place named Escalera. For those not in the know, it simply sounds like a nice, exotic name.
In reality, though, it’s a nod to Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption game. It is a Western, so you don’t rent cars, but there is a town in RDR called Escalera. This is clearly what inspired the name of this establishment.
2Tremor’s Rock
A Reference To Mortal Kombat
In Senora National Park, which you can find in GTA 5, there is a natural rock formation called Tremor’s Rock. It seems a slightly unusual name, but it could actually be a reference to the Mortal Kombat character, Tremor.
After all, he isa strong fighter in the MK series, who uses rock-based powers. It seems a slightly random character for GTA to reference since he’s hardly a poster boy of the Mortal Kombat series. However, the developers may just like the guy.
1Invasion: Los Santos
A Reference To Battle: Los Angeles
If you take a tour of Vinewood via the tour bus, you will be shown City Hall. Then, the tour guide will point out that this was where the climactic scene of Invasion: Los Santos was filmed.
This is the GTA version of the sci-fi film, Battle: Los Angeles. It’s a well-known 2011 movie that wasn’t exactly beloved by critics. Yet, being referenced by GTA is much more impressive than Rotten Tomatoes scores. That said, just because GTA references something doesn’t mean they’re praising it. In fact, it’s usually the opposite.
