In the beginning of the game the player rings the bells, for the floating city of Columbia to respond with horns and lights. The horns that play from above the clouds bears a striking similarity with the last scene of Steven Spilberg's movie "Close encounters of the third kind".

Image credits: BigMacDavis / ilovethevopo (Brutal Doom)

In the level "Death Row" there are two references. The tunnel hidden behind a poster in one of the prison cell's wall is a reference to the movie "Shawshank Redemption", in which the protagonist digs a tunnel in his cell's walls to escape the prison. The poster of a woman conceals the tunnel.

There is another reference in the same level to the game "Doom", a direct competitor from the time.

Games referencing other games can both be in the form of jokes or it could be related to sarcasm. Whether or not those references are taken personally and be offensive it's a completely different matter.

Image credits: SourceSpy91 (Max Payne)

In the last part of the game the building's entrance is a reference to the movie "The Matrix". Upon passing through the security scanners the alarm goes off, much like in the movie. The setting of both the game and the movie also have a tall building dominated by granite, marble and black colors. The game's "Bullet time" mechanic is also inspired by the same movie. The movie, in turn, has references to other media such as the anime "Ghost in the Shell".