These are some references in Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.
Tron[]
The straight lines of the grid and mountains before the main menu screen, is a reference to the game grid in the 1982 movie Tron. The neon color gamut the characters wear in the film and beams of light from red, blue, green, yellow and so on.
Aliens[]
In the mission "What is this S#!t?", Rex has to destroy eggs in a Blood Dragon lair and is given a flamethrower for the job. This is a reference to the 1986 film Aliens, which features a scene near its conclusion where the protagonist, Ellen Ripley, destroys a nest of alien eggs using a flamethrower. Michael Biehn, who voices Rex, starred in Aliens.
Equalizer 2000[]
Upgrading the weapons such as the Galleria 1991 will get another barrel, making it a double and then a triple barrel gun. This is a reference to the 1987 film Equalizer 2000, where in a post-apocalyptic world the main character, Slade, makes a massive weapon with several barrels and attachments.
Assassin's Creed[]
Sometimes when a collectible is collected, Rex will say "I hope I don't have to collect any f#!king feathers/flags..." referencing the collectible feathers/flags in the Assassin's Creed series of games.
Austin Powers[]
During the final battle on Sloan's section of the island, one of the labs contains Cyber-Sharks with what appear to be weaponized laser beams attached to their backs. Sharks with laser beams were described by antagonist Doctor Evil in the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and were later seen in the 2002 sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember.
Back to the Future[]
When patrolling, Scientists may occasionally state "I really should try plutonium in the flux capacitor, instead. But where am I going to find a car at this hour?", referencing the flux capacitor from the 1985 film Back to the Future, and its illegal use of plutonium as fuel.
Community[]
While scientist NPCs are in combat, they will occasionally yell "I can't die here, I graduated from Greendale!" a reference to the television series Community.
Far Cry 3[]
The plane that Jason Brody parachutes from to reach the Southern Island in Far Cry 3 can be found as under-water wreckage at these coordinates: X:533.8 Y:322.8.
Several of the scientists can be heard indirectly referencing Citra Talugmai and Dennis Rogers, describing the former as a "native girl with tribal tattoos and a white savior complex", a nod to her feelings for Jason.
In the data console, the description for the Galleria 1991 reads "You don't have to be 20-something douche looking to go from zero to hero to save his grody friends" a reference to the main protagonist of Far Cry 3 Jason Brody.
Another Far Cry 3 reference is in the cutscene when you meet Sloan where he says Of course! They sent YOU boys after me? Now that right there is the definition of insanity. A clear reference to Vaas the main antagonist of Far Cry 3 and his monologue about the definition of insanity.
G.I. Joe[]
When the engineer dies during the final phase of the Dam mission, Darling says he was a good man, only to be countered by Rex calling him a "Real American Hero", which was the tag line of the 1980 animated television series G.I. Joe.
Rex mourns the death of a scientist with Dr. Darling by stating that he was "A real American hero."
| « | No, doc, He was a real American hero | » |
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Rex | ||
Jaws[]
There is a mission tasking the player with killing a unique shark nicknamed "The Brody", a reference to the film Jaws and its protagonist Martin Brody. In addition, the shark has to be killed with explosives. There are some explosive barrels scattered all over the wreckage of the boat where the mission takes place. If the player shoots them with a gun, it will mirror the final scene of the movie, which involved the shark getting killed by Martin Brody (he shot an oxygen tank which the shark was chomping on).
Jurassic Park[]
Due to their size and mass, the Blood Dragons share the same ground-shaking footsteps as the T-rex, although they aren't as powerful as the ones of the latter and can be felt only in close proximity of the Dragons. Also, the poor eyesight of both creatures can be used to the advantage of the protagonists.
Predator[]
In the game's opening sequence, Rex fires a Terror 4000 minigun from a helicopter, while the song "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard plays. This is a reference to the 1987 film Predator, which features a scene aboard a helicopter set to "Long Tall Sally". The film also prominently features a hand-held minigun.
Commando[]
When killing an enemy with a silent takedown, Rex will sometimes say, “He was dead tired.” This is a reference to the line spoken by Colonel John Matrix in the 1985 film Commando, “Excuse me, don’t disturb my friend, he’s dead tired.”
Miami Connection[]
The song "Friends" by the band Dragon Sound, which plays over the game's end credits, was originally recorded for the infamous 1987 b-movie Miami Connection.
Nightmares[]
During the Dam mission, Elizabeth mentions she is good at The Bishop of Battle. The Bishop of Battle was a haunted arcade game featured in the 1983 film Nightmares.
RoboCop[]
The game's handgun is called the A.J.M. 9, and part of its in-game description states "the gun was built and named in honor of a fallen DPD cop who fell in the line of duty fighting the creeps of the Detroit megaslums and industrial wastelands." Coupled with the design of the gun and its short rapid-burst fire, the gun's name most likely references "Alexander James Murphy", the real name of RoboCop. The Kobracon sniper rifle also looks very similar to the Cobra Assault Cannon featured in the film, and its explosive ammo upgrade mirrors the firepower of the movie weapon.
Star Wars[]
In the final dialogue, Sloan explains to Rex that he gave him all his memories and DNA. He then says, "I'm your father!", Rex answers with the well-known "Nooooooo!", a reference to the 1980 Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader reveals to Luke Skywalker that he is his father.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles[]
One Predator's Path mission involves killing four Mutated Turtles living beneath a garrison. Upon entering the sewer, empty pizza boxes lead to their locations, while each of the Turtles wears a different colored headband, both of which are references to the animated television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There is also a crocodile in one a of the rooms, which is presumably a nod to the TMNT character Leatherhead, a mutant crocodile.
The Thing[]
The track "Blood Scope" from the OST is a remix of "Humanity part 2" from the 1982 horror movie "The Thing", the former being its main theme. Also, the name "Blood Scope" might be a reference to the film's intro scene, during which a man on a chopper is shooting to an Alaskan malamute (the Thing as an imitation) with a scoped rifle.
Transformers[]
Upon acquiring the Killstar, Rex says "I got the touch! I got the power! Yeah!" These are lyrics taken from the Stan Bush song "The Touch", which was featured in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie.
Terminator[]
Some of the ambient music in the game is a remix of the score from the 1984 film The Terminator. The bionic arm and eye of Rex is also a possible reference to the cyborgs in the Terminator series.
The crouching icon is replaced with a symbol of a man with his fist at the ground and his head down. This is how Terminators were posed when traveling into different times.
The Galleria 1991 is also a reference from the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgement Day, where the gun was the same gun used by the T-800 through scenes of the movie. The gun is a Winchester Model 1887 sawed-off edition, similar to the 1887 in Far Cry 3. The first scene in Terminator 2: Judgement Day in which the gun is used takes place in a mall named "The Galleria." The weapon reload animation also references to the way the T-800 reloaded it, flipping it in his hand.
Sylvester Stallone's Cobra[]
The mission I DON'T DEAL WITH PSYCHOS, I PUT 'EM AWAY is a line straight off from the character's mouth when he has to "deal" with his first psycho in the supermarket, right before putting him away.
Forrest Gump[]
The scientists directly mention the titular movie character in combat when questioning the Omega soldiers' IQ.
Krull[]
The Killstar slightly resembles the Glaive from the 1983 film Krull.
No Retreat, No Surrender[]
When Rex gets the Killstar, the song "Hold On To The Vision" by Kevin Chalfant plays from the 1986 martial arts film No Retreat, No Surrender. The scene is a reference to training montages of the 1980s.
Rocky IV[]
When Rex is being trained, Darling and the other scientist use high-tech equipment to monitor his every movement. This is a reference to the 1985 film Rocky IV when Ivan Drago is training. The sequence where Rex rides the armored Blood Dragon in the final mission is set to a remix of the score War by Vince DiCola. The armored Blood Dragon says, "I must break you", which is what Ivan Drago says to Rocky Balboa prior to their fight. "I Must Break You" is also the name of the mission.
Rambo III[]
The Bow and arrows that Rex uses have a neon glow, this is a reference to the 1988 film Rambo III, when Rambo is fighting the Soviets in a cave, he fires an arrow with an attached blue cyalume light.
Mortal Kombat[]
Spider's face mask bears a striking resemblance to the mask worn by Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat.
During the mission where Rex obtains the Killstar, a booming voice challenges Rex by stating "Test Your Might". Rex fights against hordes of running dead, all the while saying lines such as "Finish Him" and "Fatality".
Bad Taste[]
The achievement "The Only True Stopper" is a reference to Peter Jackson's 1988 film debut Bad Taste, where Barry shoots an alien pursuing him three times in the head with a .44 Magnum after his warning shots fail to intimidate it and Derek tells him to aim for the head.
The Karate Kid[]
Before setting out to confront Sloan, Rex dons a headband and strikes a few martial arts poses in front of a sunset, this is a reference to Daniel from the 1984 film The Karate Kid.
Blade Runner[]
During the ending cut scene, Sloan tells Rex that he's nothing but a bundle of wires and programs, that he gave him his memories, experiences and childhood. This a reference to the 1982 film Blade Runner when Deckard tells Rachael that her memories, such as her childhood, are not her own, they belong to someone else.
Thriller[]
The ending scene has Dr. Darling turning her head, looking at the camera with her eyes glowing and Rex doesn't notice. The scene is a reference to the ending of the 1983 Michael Jackson music video "Thriller".
The Six Million Dollar Man[]
The infamous sound effect from the show can be heard in the opening cinematic as Rex flexes his new bionic arm.