The French Republic, simply known as France, is a country in Western Europe, with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. The capital and largest city is Paris. It is among the six founding members of the European Union. It is bordered by Spain and Andorra to the southwest, Italy and Monaco to the southeast, Switzerland and Germany to the east, and Belgium and Luxembourg to the northeast.
There are a few but subtle references to France in the Grand Theft Auto series.
References in the Grand Theft Auto Series
2D Universe
Grand Theft Auto 2
- Ulrika Afrique, the girlfriend of the Zaibatsu boss in the Anywhere City chapter Uno Carb, has the French word Afrique in her name. Afrique is French for Africa.
3D Universe
Grand Theft Auto III
- There are three French flags on the Orbit Building in west Belleville Park, Staunton Island.
- "Belle ville", as in Belleville Park, is French for "beautiful city". Belleville is a name of a district in Paris.
- Claude is a French name.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Pierre La Ponce is from France.
- In the mission Mall Shootout, Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez sends Tommy Vercetti to retrieve some guidance chips used in French missile technology. The deal goes awry and is ambushed by French law enforcement.
- The GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) and DGSE (Direction Generale de la Securite Exterieure) make two appearances, once in the mission Mall Shootout when intercepting the deal between Tommy Vercetti and Pierre La Ponce, and a second time in the mission All Hands On Deck! when they attempt to capture/kill Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez.
- The Haitians speak some French words with, sometimes, the Haitian Creole accent. Haiti was also a former French overseas colony, until they declared independence on January 1st 1804.
- There's a store in Little Haiti called Belle Maitresse Beauty Salon, "Belle Maitresse" means "Beautiful Mistress" (or alternatively "Beautiful Teacher").
- There's a church in Little Haiti called "Église Baptiste De La Régénération" (or "Baptist Church of Regeneration" in English).
- There's a travel agent named Avec Moi Holidays. Avec Moi is French for "with me".
- The French FAMAS appears on the Ammu-Nation wall.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- As with Vice City, there's a Belle Maitresse Beauty Salon, located in Angel Pine.
- Richard Goblin's World of Coq restaurant chain is French. The word "Coq" is French for "rooster", but it may just be a further example of the crude, sexual humor of Rockstar Games.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- On the LCFR radio station, there's a radio cooking show named Coq-o-Vin (which translates into English as: "chicken in wine"), hosted by Richard Goblin.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Le Singe d'Arbre is a French-named café in Little Haiti. However, it is written in incorrect French. The name should translate as The Monkey of the Tree ("Le Singe de l'Arbre"), but instead translates as The Tree's Monkey.
- Les Beans Café is a French café.
- Camus is a French denim brand advertised around Vice City and mentioned by some shoppers as being sold in Paris. In addition, the brand is named after French philosopher Albert Camus.
- When engaging in combat, a shopping woman will exclaim, "I fight for equality, like the French".
- "Boxing the One-Eyed Clown", an episode of The Time Ranger, takes place briefly in France during the revolutionary period. In addition, Jonathan Freeloader claims at the end of the show that people with talent were storming Normandy.
HD Universe
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Some pedestrians speak French.
- Paris can be seen on the television channel CNT.
- According to Weazel News, the French government is considering requesting the return of the Statue of Happiness.
- Babiesovernight.com offers "Feminine chain-smoking French babies".
- Derriere - A business, it means "behind", a synonym for the human buttocks, as seen in the store logo.
- Fourchette - A clothing company, seen in Peepthatshit.com, it means "fork".
- Le Chien - A high-end fashionable clothing company featured in Peepthatshit.com, it means "the dog".
- The "American Travel: The European Travel Guide" website mentions France and includes several derogatory French stereotypes. The website also incorrectly claims that Brussels is in France, whereas it is actually the capital city of Belgium.
The Ballad of Gay Tony
- Arnaud is from France. Luis Fernando Lopez has two random encounters with him. Once in Algonquin where they converse and Luis eventually drives him to a massage parlour in Chinatown and a second time in Bohan.
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
- Fabien LaRouche, who is Amanda De Santa's Yoga instructor, is French.
- Marie Antoinette, the final Queen of France before the French Revolution; is mentioned on the website Yourdeadfamily.com.
- The French flag is among the numerous world flags flying in front of the Jetsam Terminal Headquarters.
- There is a clothes shop called Caca, which means "poo" in French.
- The car manufacturer Cheval is French for horse.
- Bourgeoix is a French cognac.
- When Trevor is caught up in traffic by cyclists, one thing he yells at them is "go to France with your bicycles", referring to Le Tour de France.
- A stripper at the Vanilla Unicorn, Fufu, is from France.
- On the Jock Cranley website on the EyeFind browser, the player can take part in a patriotism test. If the player scores badly on the patriotism test, text pops up at the bottom of the screen: "If you hate America so much get the fuck out and go live in France. Part of it is in Canada." (refering to Quebec) "Or vote Jock Cranley and turn your life around." In addition, Jock mocks France during his appearance on Bless Your Heart.
- Certain brands vehicles in the game are based on French makes and models:
- Truffade is a French automotive manufacturer, which resembles Bugatti.
- The Canis Kalahari is based on the Citroën Méhari, and the Southern San Andreas Super Autos website claims the Kalahari is still used by the French military.
- The Lampadati Pigalle is based on the Citroën SM.
- The Nagasaki Ultralight is based on the Air Creation Racer.
- The HVY Vetir is based on the French Saviem SM8 and Renault TRM-4000.
- Toundra is a French automotive manufacturer based on Alpine, manufacturing the Panthere added in the Los Santos Drug Wars update for Grand Theft Auto Online.
- Penaud is a French automotive manufacturer based on Renault, manufacturing the La Coureuse added in the San Andreas Mercenaries update for Grand Theft Auto Online.
- During An American Welcome, Josef shouts "Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!", the motto of the French Republic, mistakenly believing it to be related to the United States.
- It can be implied that Lézard is a French brand, judging that it parodies the Lacoste company (lézard is French for lizard).
- Le Chien stores can be found in Los Santos, with one located in Rockford Plaza on Las Lagunas Boulevard.
- The San Andreas Flight School Update added a France Chute Bag in the game.
- The Bullpup Rifle Mk II is modeled after the FAMAS bullpup assault rifle.
- Bob Mulét, the owner of the high-end barbershop Bob Mulét, is a French stylist.
- There are two streets in Los Santos named Calais Avenue and Normandy Drive, a reference to the port city of Calais and the region of Normandy.
- Tanisha Jackson mentions on her Lifeinvader page that her new boyfriend is taking her on holiday to Paris in the next year.
- Val-de-Grâce is a French clothing brand.
- There is a French flag as a decal on the Tour Bus.
- Some pedestrians such as tourists and rich men can be heard speaking in French phases. One black tourist starts off a phone call in French only to say that he's doing it because it's "très chic".
- One of the antagonists in the featured episode of Kung Fu Rainbow Lazer Force is French.
Gallery
Paris landmarks portrayed in a poster for the Stafford.
Trivia
- GTA V sold 1,951,000 copies in France during 2013, thus making it by far the best-selling game of the year.
