3 big movies that inspired GTA games (and 2 that inspired Red Dead Redemption)

Games in the GTA series have always had a cinematic feel, and most of them tell engaging stories that immerse players. As such, it's not surprising that Rockstar has been heavily inspired by movies while crafting their narratives. Some of the influences have been confirmed by the developers, while others have been noticed by fans.

There are countless movies that influenced all the Grand Theft Auto titles, but this article picks a select few that are noteworthy. It also includes movies that inspired the Red Dead Redemption games, another major franchise from Rockstar. This game is inspired by several iconic Westerns.

Here's a small list of movies that have inspired the GTA and RDR games.

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3 movies that the GTA games were based on

1) Scarface

Rockstar has admitted that Scarface (1983) had a significant impact on the general rise-to-criminal-power concept of GTA 3, and some music was incorporated as a tribute to the film in the form of the Flashback FM radio channel. This was a major factor behind the success of GTA 3.

Their next game, GTA Vice City, was much more influenced by the movie. The game has several Easter eggs and direct references to the movie, such as missions, characters, locations, and even clothing. The Vercetti Estate, Apartment 3c, and the Malibu Club are notable locations based on the movie. The final mission almost seems like a parallel to the final shootout in Scarface, except Tommy manages to finish off his opponents and survives the ordeal.

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2) Brat

GTA 4's Niko Bellic was inspired by Vladimir Mashkov's character Sasha in Behind Enemy Lines (2001). However, the story itself seems to be heavily based on two iconic Russian movies — Brother (1997) and Brother 2 (2000), which are transliterated as Brat and Brat 2, respectively.

In Brat, the protagonist becomes associated with the Saint Petersburg mob via his criminal elder brother.

In the second film, the brothers arrive in the United States, specifically at Brighton Beach, which served as the model for Hove Beach, the starting location in GTA 4. The GTA 4 plot of two cousins getting involved with the criminal underworld of New York City is heavily reminiscent of the Brat movies. The soundtrack also shares similarities, with a song by Bi-2 appearing in both Brat 2 and GTA 4.

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3) Menace II Society

GTA San Andreas often feels like a 90s movie that depicts the violent life of Los Angeles-based African-American gangs in the 90s. As such, it shares several parallels to some of the most famous 'hood dramas' from the 90s, such as Menace II Society (1993). Some of the missions, dialogues, parts of the story, and NPC models were all inspired by the movie.

The final scene in the film, which depicts a drive-by, is strikingly similar to the one in GTA San Andreas. The vehicle used for the drive-by is also identical to the Green Sabre from the game. Apart from this, some of the actors from the film have provided voices for the game's characters, including MC Eiht as Ryder, Clifton Powell as Big Smoke, and Samuel L. Jackson as Officer Tenpenny.

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2 movies that inspired the Red Dead Redemption series

1) High Plains Drifter

Red Dead Redemption shares similarities with High Plains Drifter (1973), a classic Western by Clint Eastwood. Eastwood's character in the movie is that of a mysterious stranger who arrives in a small desert town with a quest for vengeance. His personality and his gait are a clear influence on John Marston from Red Dead Redemption.

The town of Lago seems to be a major inspiration behind Armadillo from the game. The protagonist in the movie is quite morally ambiguous. He commits both questionable and charitable acts, much like Marston in Red Dead Redemption.

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2) The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch (1969) seems like an obvious inspiration behind Red Dead Redemption 2, as both the movie and the game feature a gang of robbers who are forced to be on the move after a failed robbery. A major theme of the movie is the death of the Old West and the age of outlaws. This was allegedly what made Dan Houser set Red Dead Redemption in 1911.

This allows for the story to take place in the Industrial era, when the Old West is already dying out, but the characters refuse to let go of the past despite being haunted by it. The final shootout in Red Dead Redemption was also inspired by the movie.