The Top 5 Best Video Game Easter Eggs of 2021

Here we are again, with our final festive feature of the year. We’ve checked out the best video game dogs of the year, and listed some of the best vehicles too. We ran through some of the best indie games you might have missed, and also lamented the futility of the Christmas gaming backlog. And now, finally, we’re dusting off our annual Easter Eggs list once again. As per last year, and the year before, and the year before that (you can see where we’re going here) we’ve put together five of our favourite hidden references, jokes, and moments in video games this year. 

So, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here’s hoping that things only get better in 2022. Oh, and beware, there might be some spoilers for a few of the games below.

Hitman 3 - Talking Hippo

What do hippos have to do with Hitman? Well, the hippo is one of the world’s deadliest mammals, just like Agent 47 himself, but outside of seeing a hippopotamus in a finely tailored suit, it doesn’t necessarily fit into the World of Assassination. A talking hippo makes even less sense, but that’s just what we get in Hitman 3, within the game’s Berlin level. To unlock this Easter Egg, you need to obtain the Golden Idol from Hirschmuller’s Office, and take it to a lone chair out in the area by the power plant. Place the idol on the chair, wait for it to disappear, and then sit down yourself. After waiting a few minutes, a talking hippo will rise from the pond in front of you, telling you “don’t trust anyone” and “when the wine is poured, the blood will flow”, among other sinister statements. Actually, it does sound like this hippo would make a pretty good assassin, doesn’t it? I’ll get that tailor on the phone. Hitman games have always had great Easter Eggs, and Hitman 3 keeps up the high standard with this one.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - The PlayStation Dimension

The RYNO 8 is the latest incarnation of the devastating endgame weapon from the Ratchet & Clank series. Previous RYNOs have dealt in a more traditional type of mass destruction, chock full of rockets to take out pretty much every foe on the screen. The RYNO 8, however, leans into the interdimensional travel that’s become the signature of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Firing the weapon opens a dimensional tear (or several) above the enemy, dropping items from other dimensions on them. What’s the Easter Egg then, you ask? Well, these objects are often pulled directly from other PlayStation titles! These include the Sawtooth and Thunderjaw creatures from Horizon; the jeep from Uncharted 4; a Precursor Orb from Jak & Daxter; and plenty more from the likes of Sly Cooper and even Sunset Overdrive. Even outside of the RYNO 8, collectible audio logs make reference to other PlayStation dimensions, like LittleBigPlanet and even a deep cut like Intelligent Qube on PS1. Rift Apart is full of references to other PlayStation titles, and discovering them can’t help but make you smile.

Death’s Door - Secret Ending

I wouldn’t be surprised if most people who start Death’s Door eventually reach the credits - the game can be tricky at times, but its short length and high quality will likely see most players through to the end. However, I can’t imagine many have seen the true ending of Death’s Door, which hides a massive Easter Egg, especially for fans of developer Acid Nerve. Finding this secret ending is long and convoluted, and really hard to pull off without a guide, requiring players to travel the entire map again, tracking down ghosts, and owls, and keys. Do so, though, and you’ll find out the truth behind the world of Death’s Door - it’s directly connected to the developer’s previous game, Titan Souls, and you’ll find yourself face to face with both that game’s protagonist and final boss. It’s an amazing secret that so many players will miss, and it truly pulls the worlds of those two games together in an interesting way.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - Getting Steamy

You’d expect a Marvel game like Guardians of the Galaxy to be absolutely crammed with Easter Eggs and references to some classic Marvel comics, and in this case, you’d be absolutely right. During your adventure, you’ll come across characters like Throg, the amphibious version of Thor, as well as references to characters like Jack Flag and Nova. By far the best Easter Egg in the game, however, has nothing to do with Marvel at all. Instead, it’s a reference to the previous work of Eidos Montreal, in the form of a very familiar shower scene. Yep, that’s right, if you choose to take a shower as Peter Quill in Guardians, you’ll be treated to a perfect recreation of the infamous (and weirdly intense) shower scene from Deux Ex: Mankind Divided, just with Quill in the main role. It’s weird, it’s completely missable, and it just didn’t need to be there at all - all of the traits of a great Easter Egg, then, and it's nice to see the developer referencing its own past work, with their tongue planted firmly in their cheek. Good work Eidos.

Resident Evil Village - Merchant

You know what, there are probably some slightly more elaborate Easter Eggs in Resident Evil Village - references to the Umbrella lore, or some cool hidden details. But by far the Easter egg that put the biggest smile on our face this year is this one, and it’s hidden in plain sight, if you know what it’s referencing. Speaking to the Duke, he’ll occasionally lower his voice and ask “What’re ya buying?”, in direct reference to one of the iconic lines of Resident Evil 4’s merchant, one of our favourite side characters in gaming. The Duke even goes on to comment that it was something that an “old friend” of his used to say. It’s a small, quick reference, but for anyone who grew to the tune of “What’re ya buying, what’re ya selling, ha ha ha, thank you” in Resident Evil 4, it’s a great call back.