The "Insomniac Games" poster in the opening credits references other games made by the developer under humorous names:

• Rivetor FMV (Disruptor)
• Flyro the Wagon (Spyro the Dragon)
• Flyro 2: Flipto's Gauge (Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage)
• Flyro 3: Gear of the Wagon (Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon)
• Catchet + Frank (Ratchet & Clank)
• Catchet + Frank: Going Again (Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando)
• Catchet + Frank: Round Up Your Decimal (Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Aresnal)
• Dreadlocks (Deadlocked)
• Persistence: Stall of Man (Resistance: Fall of Man)
• Catchet + Frank Moocher: Rules of Seduction (Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction)
• Catchet + Frank Moocher: Blessed With Booty (Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest For Booty)
• Persistence 2 (Resistance 2)
• Catchet + Frank Moocher: Snack'N Time (Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time)
• Persistance 3 (Resistance 3)
• Catchet + Frank: 4-Play (Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One)
• Chowdernauts (Outernauts)
• Overstrike (Fuse)
• Catchet + Frank: Into the Texas (Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus)

Many of the respawn animations are references to other media, these include:
• Portal
• Dracula
• Mission Impossible
• Bill and Ted-esque Phone Booth
• The Ring
• Terminator
• Star Trek
• Risky Business

At the top of a ship docked at the south-east part of the city, there is a telescope. Looking through the telescope will cause the player to say "Okay, I'm here. Do I synchronize now, or what? Oh, wrong game." This is a reference to the Assassin's Creed series.

In the mission "Crimson Eyes in the North", the last target is a Ice Banana stand. After destroying it, the player remarks that there's always money in the banana stand, referencing a running gag from the show Arrested Development.

The side mission "Breaking Booze" is filled with references to the TV show "Breaking Bad".

According to Marcus Smith, the game returns to Insomniac's "roots" and draws influence from ##Sega## games like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.