The No Country For Old Men Tribute You Missed In Grand Theft Auto
Despite its existence for nearly a decade, players are still finding new things and rampantly discussing "Grand Theft Auto 5." Whether it's because the title imitates real-life in a number of shockingly accurate ways, or because players still actively play the ultra-successful "Grand Theft Auto Online" component, Rockstar's title has proved to have real staying power. One of the things that helps "Grand Theft Auto" carve out that unique identity is the impressive number of references tucked away within the game. Whether it's a callback to real-life occurrences like the Playboy mansion or the mysterious hatch from the tv series "LOST," there's still plenty that die-hard fans likely don't know about "GTA 5."
Though some of these easter eggs are well hidden and others are just out in plain sight, some of the best occurrences rely solely on chance. That's the case for the "No Country For Old Men" tribute players likely missed — or never even saw. There's a chance to encounter a "GTA 5" recreation of one of the opening scenes in "No Country For Old Men," but it'll require a little luck and familiarity with the film to get the most out of the chance encounter. Here's how "No Country For Old Men" goes down in "GTA 5" and how it compares to the original.
How Does No Country For Old Men Fit Into Grand Theft Auto?
Players have a chance of coming across a peculiar situation while roaming around the western foot of Mount Chiliad (per IGN). There's the possibility that they may come across what looks like a drug deal that went terribly wrong. There will be a circle of pickup trucks parked around a clearing with several dead gang members lying about. If players choose to get involved, they can hunt down and eliminate the remaining gang members for a cool $25,000, but involvement comes with a price.
After players deal with the surviving gang members and claim a briefcase full of blood money, they'll think they've come out on top. However, after only traveling a few miles away from the grisly scene, it'll become clear that the character has attracted some unwanted followers. Players will notice two pickup trucks, similar to those abandoned at the deal, aggressively following and engaging to get back the stolen money. Luckily, dealing with these pursuers is as simple as pulling over and gunning the criminals down — but it wasn't quite that easy in the film.
What No Country For Old Men Scene Was GTA 5 Depicting?
While a valiant effort, "GTA 5" only captures a fraction of the tension built during the start of "No Country For Old Men." In the film, the set-up is the same, with someone happening upon a gang-adjacent deal gone wrong. Only there's a lone survivor and they don't put up much of a fight before giving up the ghost on account of wounds they'd already sustained. Otherwise, the visual set-up and aesthetics of "GTA 5" recreates are fairly on-point, with the film also setting the events off the beaten path and initially creating the imagery of the encirclement of pickup trucks.
While $25,000 is a nice sum of cash in "GTA 5," the briefcase in "No Country For Old Men" contained $2 million. Now, that's not really an issue, but it might explain why players are only chased by two no-name goons as opposed to the film's antagonist, the fearsome Anton Chigurh, portrayed by Javier Bardem. Players aren't hunted by a merciless assassin, but that's probably for the best at the end of the day.
"GTA 5" does a pretty good job at incorporating "No Country For Old Men" into itself, so much so that players might even miss it if they happen upon the random event. It feels just like the type of thing that would normally happen in the game — but to those familiar with the film, it's a clever easter egg.