20 Hidden Secrets in PS5 Games
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Brown
With plenty of great games on the PS5 comes many great secrets to uncover. Welcome to MojoPlays and today we're going hunting for secrets and easter eggs you might've missed across the PlayStation 5's library. Our list of hidden secrets in PS5 games includes the Extra Secret Ending in “Returnal” (2021), Origami Callbacks in “Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut” (2021), the Developer Logo in “Spider-Man: Miles Morales” (2020), the Berserker Ring in “Final Fantasy XVI” (2023), and more!
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re going hunting for secrets and easter eggs you might’ve missed in some of the PS5’s most recent releases. For this list we’ll be hunting for secrets in some of Sony’s biggest games released for the PS5. What’s an easter egg you think everyone might’ve missed in some of the PS5’s biggest games? Let us know some that you’ve found down in the comments.
The Goat Simulator series has never, not even once, taken itself seriously, and the games’ ridiculous nature also carries over to its easter eggs as well. There are of course no shortage of fun gags as well as nods to other franchises, but most if not all of these have been goat-ified to fit in with the game’s ludacris premise. However, you can play as a human character if you go to Liberty Island and bahh your little goat heart out until the rock dons a halo and ascends, allowing you to bound your way into the cave. Once inside, you’ll find what can only be described as “Disco Jesus” and if you step onto the rock where he’s resting, you can become the man himself and not only dress him how you like with the game’s numerous cosmetics, but also offer salvation one bahh at a time.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns manages to build quite a roster of recruitable heroes throughout its campaign along with additional characters being added through DLC, but there’s one famous family suspiciously absent from the rest of the Marvel lineup. But this doesn’t mean there aren’t still hints to their existence within the universe. Besides collectible Tarot cards for each member of the Fantastic Family, as well as T-shirts emboldened with their heroic logo, in the Abbey Gardens, players can also find a broken stained-glass window with only the Fantastic Four logo in the center remaining undamaged. However, the biggest hint to Marvel’s first family comes in the post credit scene revealing Doctor Doom emerging from a portal and stealing the Darkhold. Whether this is a sequel tease or future DLC remains to be seen, however.
The Stanley Parable is without a doubt one of the most self-aware games ever made. With its narrator somehow constantly critiquing your every action and choice, the game has a seemingly endless number of responses to any given action. However, with the release of the Ultra Deluxe edition, Crows Crows Crows finally added a much-requested feature, the jump circle. But they weren’t just going to add this feature without mocking the player for using it to find out of bounds areas. By climbing a section of cardboard boxes and crawling through a vent, players can find a glowing marker from seemingly another player or one of Stanley’s coworkers claiming players should “Praise the Jump” in the same vein of players leaving messages for one another in From Software’s Elden Ring and Dark Souls series.
Josef Fares’ follow-up to A Way Out was not only a surprise by far exceeding its sale projections, but it also even won Game of the Year at the 2021 Game Awards show. However, that doesn’t mean that Josef forgot about his previous two-player adventure A Way Out or its protagonists Vincent and Leo. In Chapter 3, players can find figurines of these two prison escapees and jumping on their buttons will make each character recite some of their lines from their game. This isn’t the only easter egg in this chapter either. After climbing to the top of the pillow fort, players can direct an antennae to pick up radio signals and one of the broadcasts happens to be Fares’ famous rant at the 2017 Game Awards word for word.
Much like James Gunn’s adaptations of the offbeat space faring heroes, Eidos-Montreal’s Guardians adventure was chock full of secrets, easter eggs and nods to the wider Marvel universe overall. And nowhere in the game is this better represented than in the Collector’s Emporium which houses over 20 objects of varying rarity all on display complete with descriptions and back stories. While there’s obviously too many to name here, some of our favorites are Kang’s Time Chair, Yondu’s Yaka Arrow, Eye of the Watcher, the Cosmic Cube, and best of all Throg, Frog of Thunder. The Collector’s Emporium is very easy to miss and honestly quite expensive to visit during your time on Knowhere but it's undeniably a treat for true Marvel fans.
Like all Hideo Kojima games, narrowing this down to one easter egg was quite the challenge. From nods to other franchises as well as countless celebrity cameos, there’s no shortage of secrets for players to uncover. However, for this entry we wanted to highlight not only a completely random event the player might not even encounter in their entire playthrough. During one of Sam’s trips back to base, he’ll awaken from a nap and discover a shadowed figure in his shower. Approaching the shower will cause the figure to convulse violently before seemingly breaking free and providing one of the few genuine jump scares in the game. Many believe this shadowed figure to be the ghost of Lisa from the canceled P.T. that was set to be Kojima’s take on the iconic horror series. Seems we might not be the only ones mourning the game’s untimely demise.
Stray instantly became one of the breakout hits of 2022, with fans everywhere falling in love with the orange tabby’s exploits in a robotic post-apocalyptic world. While a lot of love and care went into crafting their own world in Stray, developer BlueTwelve Studios also paid homage to one of the all-time great post-apocalyptic games of all time, Half-Life 2. During the opening of Half-Life 2, Gordon arrives in City 17 on a tram car and in the Midtown chapter of Stray, our kitty friend finds a very familiar looking train car and resting on the seat is Gordon’s go-to melee weapon of choice, the classic crowbar.
There is no shortage of weapons and gear for Clive to find and upgrade during his exploits in the world of Valisthea, but some can be easily missed if you’re not diligently helping your fellow Bearers. Completing side quests will reward the player with “Renown” and various patrons who believe in your cause will offer donations and the higher your renown, the greater the reward. Arguably one of the most useful rewards is the innocuous Berserker Ring. Once equipped, if Clive performs a “Perfect Dodge”, Clive will gain access to some of his Limit Break abilities and his sword will automatically ignite for additional damage. This effect can also be stacked the more Perfect Dodges the player lands in a row, making it incredibly useful for those tougher encounters. Whatever you do, DO NOT accidentally sell this one-of-a-kind item.
While traversing the vast and mostly empty landscape of Forspoken discovering landmarks, you might have happened upon a seemingly impenetrable fortress in The Harvest Lands. With its enormous, locked door, the structure was clearly designed to keep intruders out. Not only that, but the game repeatedly tells the player they’re in combat despite no enemies present. This is by design and players will need to head southeast to find the Altar of Aasaan and defeat the enemies that spawn to reveal a portal that will allow you inside the Forbidden Meadows Fortress and all the treasures that were guarded within.
Many of Sony’s first party studios like to pay homage to the other developers under Sony’s umbrella and Sucker Punches’ Ghost of Tsushima is no different. Granted they might be a bit harder to spot given the time period the game is set in; the team nonetheless found a clever way to include nods to their fellow creators. Within the ruins of a dilapidated cottage, Jin will find one area untouched by the pillagers rummaging. On the table are origami figures of some of Sony’s other biggest franchises such as Shadow of the Colossus, God of War, Ratchet & Clank, and even Gran Turismo.
The first climatic battle between Kratos and Thor was a long time coming and it did not disappoint. During their clash, Kratos strikes what would be a mortal wound for any other ungodly combatant, but as we see throughout the rest of our time in Ragnarok, Thor’s wound never heals. We’ve seen most of the Gods within the Nine Realms take quite a lot of damage and eventually shake it off, Kratos included, but Thor’s gut wound remains festering throughout. This detail, as it turns out, calls back to Kratos and Atreus’ first meeting with Jormungandr in which the serpent imbues the Leviathan Axe with its poison Eitr. It would seem even at the start of their journey, the World Serpent was preparing Kratos for his battle with Tyr, as it's the serpent’s poison that prevents Thor’s wound from properly healing.
Insomniac’s Spider-Man swung onto the scene in 2018 and instantly became a fan favorite among webheads and the acclaimed developer followed up their surprise hit with another banger in 2020 with a new adventure focused on Mile Morales’ early days as a new Spider-Man. Early on in his solo outing, Miles is trying to wrangle a rampaging Rhino as he smashes his way through a crowded mall during holiday shopping. As Rhino jumps from one balcony to another, he grabs a familiar looking decoration on the way. This is Insomniac’s company logo, cleverly hidden within the other holiday festivities in a blink and you’ll miss it moment that is admittedly difficult to catch on your first playthrough due to the chaos unfolding around the Spider-Men.
As the Ishimura was about to meet its end at the claws and severed limbs of the necromorphs, the marker led much of the remaining crew to lose their minds. However, for those who came to investigate the aftermath, some were able to leave hidden messages for their doomed rescuers to decipher. In song form! Within the break rooms, particularly the ones with the staticy image of the Marker, scrawled on the ground are a series of actions for Isaac to perform which will unlock a hidden audio recording of the crew recounting the events that led to the infestation of the Necromorphs as well as their hope for an inevitable rescue that would arrive too late all in the form of the popular sea shanty Wellerman. It’s as catchy as it is unsettling.
Nearly everything in the PS5’s pack in game Astro’s Playroom pays homage to Sony’s popular consoles but the final boss’ significance might have gone unnoticed by only the most die-hard of Sony fanboys. Just before the PS1’s release in 1994, Sony gave a presentation to demonstrate the power of the PS1 and the star of the show was one of the most realistic T-Rex animations outside of Jurassic Park. Everything about the T-Rex during the start of the final boss fight is lifted almost directly from the PS1’s official tech demo, complete with the slightly stuttery animation and even the aspect ratio.
You wouldn’t think that Polyphony’s super serious racing sim would have a lot of Easter Eggs hidden within it, but the developers of Sony’s flagship racer seem to have quite a lot of fun with hiding secrets for only the most dedicated of players to discover. Seemingly wanting to up the stakes from hiding the Loch Ness Monster in the last three entries, Polyphony upped the ante and if players pack their car and wait a decent amount of time at the curve near the onlookers on Mount Panorama, in the distance you can witness a UFO slowly descend and abduct an unsuspecting cow. And if players use the game’s photo mode, they can see that just like the hundreds of cars in the game, the UFO has a suspiciously impressive amount of detail. Is there something else Polyphony isn’t telling us?
With one notable exception, Bluepoint’s remake of FromSoftware’s original Demon’s Souls is a near one-to-one faithful remake. The key difference being a secret door that taunted fans with its hidden secrets and possibilities after launch. The community immediately came together to solve the mystery which even included callbacks to Bluepoint’s previous remake of Shadow of the Colossus. By collecting at minimum 26 Ceramic Coins scattered the game in Fractured Mode, players trade the coins to the crow for the Rusty Key which unlocks the door hidden behind an illusory wall, and inside players can find the Penetrator’s Armor who also happens to be a boss in the game, and now super fans and those dedicated enough can wear his armor with pride as they battle their way through Boleteria.
Portrayed brilliantly by Lance Reddick, Sylens became an uneasy ally during the events of Horizon Zero Dawn as well as its sequel Forbidden West. Seemingly always looking out for his own interests, Sylens eventually realized there was a greater threat on the horizon and teamed up with Aloy and company. Sadly, Lance Reddick passed away shortly before the release of Forbidden West’s DLC The Burning Shores, and shortly after, Guerilla Games paid homage to the late actor with a memorial appropriately overlooking the Hollywood sign. This isn’t the only honorary site in Forbidden West either. On a small island, Aloy will find a shrine dedicated to Patrick Munnik, one of the lead producers at Guerilla Games who also sadly passed away. Aloy will also find a note left behind and read the eulogy aloud for the developer’s lost friend and co-worker.
As we already stated, the devs at Sony’s studios love to honor their fellow creators by including nods to their games and characters, but Insomniac truly went above and beyond with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Making full use of the game’s central mechanic of multiversal rifts as well as the series iconic R.Y.N.O or Rip You A New One for newcomers, once fully upgraded, this gun will drop in familiar friends, foes, and even objects from some of Playstation’s most iconic franchises. These include Jak from Naughty Dog’s Jak and Daxter series, Sly Cooper as well as his van from Sucker Punch’s Sly series, a Thunderjaw and Sawtooth from Guerilla Games’ Horizon series as well as callbacks to Insomniac’s own catalog with the likes of Sunset Overdrive’s Fizzie dropping in to say hello.
Simply reaching the ending of Housemarque’s roguelike can be challenging enough, but for those wanting the true ending of the game, you’re going to have to work that much harder for it. The game’s plot might already be a mind trip but the extra secret ending players can unlock does manage to answer at least a few more of players’ burning questions about the world of Returnal. To unlock the secret ending, you’re going to have to play through the game a second time, this time collecting artifacts known as the Sunface Fragments, but these appear randomly throughout the world so prepare to live, die, and repeat numerous times to collect them all. Returning to the house and picking up the car keys and after beating Ophion a second time and using the keys on the car will unlock the secret ending.
While many bemoaned the need for a remake of Naughty Dog’s iconic 2013 release of The Last of Us, there was no denying the game was a gorgeous overhaul. And while the game’s accessibility as well as graphics seemed to be the only things the remake updated; some players found a familiar location in Pittsburg also received a facelift. While not immediately noticeable, especially for those unfamiliar with the show, the abandoned offices had been updated from their original incarnation to resemble the offices of Dunder Mifflin from the ever-popular Steve Carrel series. The placement of Pam’s desk as well as the couch near the entrance as well as the conference room and even Dwight and Jim’s desks are unmistakable. Clearly some die-hard fan at Naughty Dog saw an opportunity and took it.
Disco Resurrection
“Goat Simulator 3” (2022)The Goat Simulator series has never, not even once, taken itself seriously, and the games’ ridiculous nature also carries over to its easter eggs as well. There are of course no shortage of fun gags as well as nods to other franchises, but most if not all of these have been goat-ified to fit in with the game’s ludacris premise. However, you can play as a human character if you go to Liberty Island and bahh your little goat heart out until the rock dons a halo and ascends, allowing you to bound your way into the cave. Once inside, you’ll find what can only be described as “Disco Jesus” and if you step onto the rock where he’s resting, you can become the man himself and not only dress him how you like with the game’s numerous cosmetics, but also offer salvation one bahh at a time.
A Fantastic Nod
“Marvel’s Midnight Suns” (2022)Marvel’s Midnight Suns manages to build quite a roster of recruitable heroes throughout its campaign along with additional characters being added through DLC, but there’s one famous family suspiciously absent from the rest of the Marvel lineup. But this doesn’t mean there aren’t still hints to their existence within the universe. Besides collectible Tarot cards for each member of the Fantastic Family, as well as T-shirts emboldened with their heroic logo, in the Abbey Gardens, players can also find a broken stained-glass window with only the Fantastic Four logo in the center remaining undamaged. However, the biggest hint to Marvel’s first family comes in the post credit scene revealing Doctor Doom emerging from a portal and stealing the Darkhold. Whether this is a sequel tease or future DLC remains to be seen, however.
Praise the Jump
“The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” (2022)The Stanley Parable is without a doubt one of the most self-aware games ever made. With its narrator somehow constantly critiquing your every action and choice, the game has a seemingly endless number of responses to any given action. However, with the release of the Ultra Deluxe edition, Crows Crows Crows finally added a much-requested feature, the jump circle. But they weren’t just going to add this feature without mocking the player for using it to find out of bounds areas. By climbing a section of cardboard boxes and crawling through a vent, players can find a glowing marker from seemingly another player or one of Stanley’s coworkers claiming players should “Praise the Jump” in the same vein of players leaving messages for one another in From Software’s Elden Ring and Dark Souls series.
It Takes a Way Out
“It Takes Two” (2021)Josef Fares’ follow-up to A Way Out was not only a surprise by far exceeding its sale projections, but it also even won Game of the Year at the 2021 Game Awards show. However, that doesn’t mean that Josef forgot about his previous two-player adventure A Way Out or its protagonists Vincent and Leo. In Chapter 3, players can find figurines of these two prison escapees and jumping on their buttons will make each character recite some of their lines from their game. This isn’t the only easter egg in this chapter either. After climbing to the top of the pillow fort, players can direct an antennae to pick up radio signals and one of the broadcasts happens to be Fares’ famous rant at the 2017 Game Awards word for word.
The Collector’s Collection
“Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” (2021)Much like James Gunn’s adaptations of the offbeat space faring heroes, Eidos-Montreal’s Guardians adventure was chock full of secrets, easter eggs and nods to the wider Marvel universe overall. And nowhere in the game is this better represented than in the Collector’s Emporium which houses over 20 objects of varying rarity all on display complete with descriptions and back stories. While there’s obviously too many to name here, some of our favorites are Kang’s Time Chair, Yondu’s Yaka Arrow, Eye of the Watcher, the Cosmic Cube, and best of all Throg, Frog of Thunder. The Collector’s Emporium is very easy to miss and honestly quite expensive to visit during your time on Knowhere but it's undeniably a treat for true Marvel fans.
B.T. Lisa
“Death Stranding: Director’s Cut” (2021)Like all Hideo Kojima games, narrowing this down to one easter egg was quite the challenge. From nods to other franchises as well as countless celebrity cameos, there’s no shortage of secrets for players to uncover. However, for this entry we wanted to highlight not only a completely random event the player might not even encounter in their entire playthrough. During one of Sam’s trips back to base, he’ll awaken from a nap and discover a shadowed figure in his shower. Approaching the shower will cause the figure to convulse violently before seemingly breaking free and providing one of the few genuine jump scares in the game. Many believe this shadowed figure to be the ghost of Lisa from the canceled P.T. that was set to be Kojima’s take on the iconic horror series. Seems we might not be the only ones mourning the game’s untimely demise.
A Stray’s Half-Life
“Stray” (2022)Stray instantly became one of the breakout hits of 2022, with fans everywhere falling in love with the orange tabby’s exploits in a robotic post-apocalyptic world. While a lot of love and care went into crafting their own world in Stray, developer BlueTwelve Studios also paid homage to one of the all-time great post-apocalyptic games of all time, Half-Life 2. During the opening of Half-Life 2, Gordon arrives in City 17 on a tram car and in the Midtown chapter of Stray, our kitty friend finds a very familiar looking train car and resting on the seat is Gordon’s go-to melee weapon of choice, the classic crowbar.
Berserker Ring
“Final Fantasy XVI” (2023)There is no shortage of weapons and gear for Clive to find and upgrade during his exploits in the world of Valisthea, but some can be easily missed if you’re not diligently helping your fellow Bearers. Completing side quests will reward the player with “Renown” and various patrons who believe in your cause will offer donations and the higher your renown, the greater the reward. Arguably one of the most useful rewards is the innocuous Berserker Ring. Once equipped, if Clive performs a “Perfect Dodge”, Clive will gain access to some of his Limit Break abilities and his sword will automatically ignite for additional damage. This effect can also be stacked the more Perfect Dodges the player lands in a row, making it incredibly useful for those tougher encounters. Whatever you do, DO NOT accidentally sell this one-of-a-kind item.
The Forbidden Meadows
“Forspoken” (2023)While traversing the vast and mostly empty landscape of Forspoken discovering landmarks, you might have happened upon a seemingly impenetrable fortress in The Harvest Lands. With its enormous, locked door, the structure was clearly designed to keep intruders out. Not only that, but the game repeatedly tells the player they’re in combat despite no enemies present. This is by design and players will need to head southeast to find the Altar of Aasaan and defeat the enemies that spawn to reveal a portal that will allow you inside the Forbidden Meadows Fortress and all the treasures that were guarded within.
Origami Callbacks
“Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut” (2021)Many of Sony’s first party studios like to pay homage to the other developers under Sony’s umbrella and Sucker Punches’ Ghost of Tsushima is no different. Granted they might be a bit harder to spot given the time period the game is set in; the team nonetheless found a clever way to include nods to their fellow creators. Within the ruins of a dilapidated cottage, Jin will find one area untouched by the pillagers rummaging. On the table are origami figures of some of Sony’s other biggest franchises such as Shadow of the Colossus, God of War, Ratchet & Clank, and even Gran Turismo.
Thor’s Wound
“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)The first climatic battle between Kratos and Thor was a long time coming and it did not disappoint. During their clash, Kratos strikes what would be a mortal wound for any other ungodly combatant, but as we see throughout the rest of our time in Ragnarok, Thor’s wound never heals. We’ve seen most of the Gods within the Nine Realms take quite a lot of damage and eventually shake it off, Kratos included, but Thor’s gut wound remains festering throughout. This detail, as it turns out, calls back to Kratos and Atreus’ first meeting with Jormungandr in which the serpent imbues the Leviathan Axe with its poison Eitr. It would seem even at the start of their journey, the World Serpent was preparing Kratos for his battle with Tyr, as it's the serpent’s poison that prevents Thor’s wound from properly healing.
Developer Logo
“Spider-Man: Miles Morales” (2020)Insomniac’s Spider-Man swung onto the scene in 2018 and instantly became a fan favorite among webheads and the acclaimed developer followed up their surprise hit with another banger in 2020 with a new adventure focused on Mile Morales’ early days as a new Spider-Man. Early on in his solo outing, Miles is trying to wrangle a rampaging Rhino as he smashes his way through a crowded mall during holiday shopping. As Rhino jumps from one balcony to another, he grabs a familiar looking decoration on the way. This is Insomniac’s company logo, cleverly hidden within the other holiday festivities in a blink and you’ll miss it moment that is admittedly difficult to catch on your first playthrough due to the chaos unfolding around the Spider-Men.
Sea Shanty
“Dead Space” (2023)As the Ishimura was about to meet its end at the claws and severed limbs of the necromorphs, the marker led much of the remaining crew to lose their minds. However, for those who came to investigate the aftermath, some were able to leave hidden messages for their doomed rescuers to decipher. In song form! Within the break rooms, particularly the ones with the staticy image of the Marker, scrawled on the ground are a series of actions for Isaac to perform which will unlock a hidden audio recording of the crew recounting the events that led to the infestation of the Necromorphs as well as their hope for an inevitable rescue that would arrive too late all in the form of the popular sea shanty Wellerman. It’s as catchy as it is unsettling.
Technical T-Rex
“Astro’s Playroom” (2020)Nearly everything in the PS5’s pack in game Astro’s Playroom pays homage to Sony’s popular consoles but the final boss’ significance might have gone unnoticed by only the most die-hard of Sony fanboys. Just before the PS1’s release in 1994, Sony gave a presentation to demonstrate the power of the PS1 and the star of the show was one of the most realistic T-Rex animations outside of Jurassic Park. Everything about the T-Rex during the start of the final boss fight is lifted almost directly from the PS1’s official tech demo, complete with the slightly stuttery animation and even the aspect ratio.
Alien Abduction
“Gran Turismo 7” (2022)You wouldn’t think that Polyphony’s super serious racing sim would have a lot of Easter Eggs hidden within it, but the developers of Sony’s flagship racer seem to have quite a lot of fun with hiding secrets for only the most dedicated of players to discover. Seemingly wanting to up the stakes from hiding the Loch Ness Monster in the last three entries, Polyphony upped the ante and if players pack their car and wait a decent amount of time at the curve near the onlookers on Mount Panorama, in the distance you can witness a UFO slowly descend and abduct an unsuspecting cow. And if players use the game’s photo mode, they can see that just like the hundreds of cars in the game, the UFO has a suspiciously impressive amount of detail. Is there something else Polyphony isn’t telling us?
The Secret Door
“Demon’s Souls” (2020)With one notable exception, Bluepoint’s remake of FromSoftware’s original Demon’s Souls is a near one-to-one faithful remake. The key difference being a secret door that taunted fans with its hidden secrets and possibilities after launch. The community immediately came together to solve the mystery which even included callbacks to Bluepoint’s previous remake of Shadow of the Colossus. By collecting at minimum 26 Ceramic Coins scattered the game in Fractured Mode, players trade the coins to the crow for the Rusty Key which unlocks the door hidden behind an illusory wall, and inside players can find the Penetrator’s Armor who also happens to be a boss in the game, and now super fans and those dedicated enough can wear his armor with pride as they battle their way through Boleteria.
Sylens Tribute
“Horizon Forbidden West: The Burning Shores” (2023)Portrayed brilliantly by Lance Reddick, Sylens became an uneasy ally during the events of Horizon Zero Dawn as well as its sequel Forbidden West. Seemingly always looking out for his own interests, Sylens eventually realized there was a greater threat on the horizon and teamed up with Aloy and company. Sadly, Lance Reddick passed away shortly before the release of Forbidden West’s DLC The Burning Shores, and shortly after, Guerilla Games paid homage to the late actor with a memorial appropriately overlooking the Hollywood sign. This isn’t the only honorary site in Forbidden West either. On a small island, Aloy will find a shrine dedicated to Patrick Munnik, one of the lead producers at Guerilla Games who also sadly passed away. Aloy will also find a note left behind and read the eulogy aloud for the developer’s lost friend and co-worker.
R.Y.N.O. 8
“Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” (2021)As we already stated, the devs at Sony’s studios love to honor their fellow creators by including nods to their games and characters, but Insomniac truly went above and beyond with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Making full use of the game’s central mechanic of multiversal rifts as well as the series iconic R.Y.N.O or Rip You A New One for newcomers, once fully upgraded, this gun will drop in familiar friends, foes, and even objects from some of Playstation’s most iconic franchises. These include Jak from Naughty Dog’s Jak and Daxter series, Sly Cooper as well as his van from Sucker Punch’s Sly series, a Thunderjaw and Sawtooth from Guerilla Games’ Horizon series as well as callbacks to Insomniac’s own catalog with the likes of Sunset Overdrive’s Fizzie dropping in to say hello.
Extra Secret Ending
“Returnal” (2021)Simply reaching the ending of Housemarque’s roguelike can be challenging enough, but for those wanting the true ending of the game, you’re going to have to work that much harder for it. The game’s plot might already be a mind trip but the extra secret ending players can unlock does manage to answer at least a few more of players’ burning questions about the world of Returnal. To unlock the secret ending, you’re going to have to play through the game a second time, this time collecting artifacts known as the Sunface Fragments, but these appear randomly throughout the world so prepare to live, die, and repeat numerous times to collect them all. Returning to the house and picking up the car keys and after beating Ophion a second time and using the keys on the car will unlock the secret ending.
The Office Remake
“The Last of Us: Part 1” (2022)While many bemoaned the need for a remake of Naughty Dog’s iconic 2013 release of The Last of Us, there was no denying the game was a gorgeous overhaul. And while the game’s accessibility as well as graphics seemed to be the only things the remake updated; some players found a familiar location in Pittsburg also received a facelift. While not immediately noticeable, especially for those unfamiliar with the show, the abandoned offices had been updated from their original incarnation to resemble the offices of Dunder Mifflin from the ever-popular Steve Carrel series. The placement of Pam’s desk as well as the couch near the entrance as well as the conference room and even Dwight and Jim’s desks are unmistakable. Clearly some die-hard fan at Naughty Dog saw an opportunity and took it.
