The most recent release God of War Ragnarök includes clever references to other PlayStation-exclusive games, and this style of Sony Easter egg has become a running trend. Sony’s lineup of first-party developers includes God of War creator Santa Monica Studio, Last of Us developer Naughty Dog and Ratchet and Clank studio Insomniac Games. The PlayStation Studios family appears to be a tight-knit and self-referential community, as evidenced by various Easter eggs hidden within each others’ games.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.]Fans recently discovered an in-depth God of War Ragnarok Easter egg that references various other PlayStation properties. These shout-outs come in the form of Kvasir’s Poems, a series of collectible items which take the form of various poems. Players quickly discovered that each of these lyrical pieces pays tribute to a specific PlayStation-exclusive game with their titles and contents. For example, the poem We Who Remain, Part The Second is a direct reference to The Last of Us Part 2 and essentially outlines the post-apocalyptic sequel’s somber plot using poetic verse. These amazing Easter eggs firmly cement God of War Ragnarok as part of the PlayStation Studios lineup, and they call to mind past references hidden within other PlayStation-exclusive titles.
Ghost of Tsushima Honors PlayStation Hits With Armor & Origami
Sucker Punch Productions’ open-world samurai adventure Ghost of Tsushima launched back in 2020, and it’s filled to the brim with clever PlayStation references. These Ghost of Tsushima Easter eggs naturally include a particularly large number of homages to Sucker Punch’s previous franchises, Sly Cooper and inFamous, in the form of cosmetics like the Sly Tanuki sword kit and the Band of the Second Sun headpiece. Many more PlayStation references are revealed once players actually beat the game, however, with origami figures taking the form of characters and items from other franchises. Found within Jin Sakai’s house after the main story, the paper sculptures serve as a touching tribute to titles like Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, Days Gone and Shadow of the Colossus.
As if these origami PlayStation Easter eggs weren’t enough, Ghost of Tsushima added even more references in the Director’s Cut and its Iki Island expansion. Three new Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut shrines serve as in-depth references to God of War, Bloodborne and Shadow of the Colossus in their designs and through associated poems that reflect each game’s story. These poems also serve as riddles, and solving each rewards a unique armor set that lets Jin Sakai cosplay as a Yharnam Hunter, a Colossus or the unstoppable Ghost of Sparta.
Horizon Zero Dawn & Death Stranding Reference Each Other
While many PlayStation exclusives contain references to multiple other Sony titles, Horizon Zero Dawn and Death Stranding specifically reference each other. This is due to the fact that Kojima Productions created Death Stranding using the Decima Engine, which was originally developed by Guerrilla Games to create Horizon Zero Dawn. Three distinct Stranded collectibles that reference Death Stranding are hidden across Guerrilla Games’ open-world adventure, and trading them with a merchant earns a Mysterious Box that contains Warm Socks perfect for a difficult delivery.
Meanwhile, a series of Death Stranding Easter egg collectibles returns the favor by letting players customize their structures with Horizon Zero Dawn characters and machines. Holograms of the iconic Watcher and Tallneck machines, as well as the title’s adventurous heroine Aloy, can all be unlocked by doing deliveries for the Craftsman. This customer even takes the appearance of PlayStation Studios Worldwide head and Guerrilla Games co-founder Hermen Hulst, adding to the reference. Using the rare holograms lets Horizon Zero Dawn icons greet Death Stranding players at their structures, further connecting the two post-apocalyptic titles.
Astro’s Playroom Is One Big PlayStation Reference
Essentially a technical demo for the PlayStation 5 and its DualSense controller, Astro’s Playroom is one huge love letter to PlayStation history. The platformer is filled to the brim with adorable Easter eggs which reference both older Sony hardware and PlayStation-exclusive titles. Characters like God of War’s Kratos, inFamous’ Cole MacGrath and Helghast soldiers from Killzone can be found as Astro’s Playroom Easter eggs, giving fans a constant stream of familiar faces to discover. These references to PlayStation history get even more obscure, too, with one area resembling the PlayStation 2 menu screen and another containing the long-forgotten PocketStation peripheral.
Horizon Forbidden West Includes Collectible God of War Statues
While God of War Ragnarok pays tribute to the Horizon franchise with one of Kvasir’s Poems, the second entry in the open-world sci-fi series returns the favor with an extensive tribute to the mythological action saga. In Horizon Forbidden West players can find four wooden statues scattered across the world, with each representing a different God of War character. Kratos’ figurine can be found near a familiar axe buried in a tree, while Atreus’ statue is appropriately hidden in an archery range. The dwarven blacksmiths Brok and Sindri are included as Horizon Forbidden West Easter eggs, too, with the duo being found near a defunct machine. Collecting all four statues unlocks the Mark of War facepaint for Aloy, which lets the master machine hunter prepare for combat while paying homage to the Ghost of Sparta.
The Last of Us Part 1 Adds Various PlayStation T-Shirts
The original version of The Last of Us contains various references to previous Naughty Dog franchises, including an Uncharted board game and cosmetic items for Ellie inspired by Jak and Daxter. However, the recent PlayStation 5 remake The Last of Us Part 1 ups the ante considerably by adding a slew of new cosmetic t-shirts inspired by fellow PlayStation Studios titles. Ellie’s new fashion includes references to God of War Ragnarok, Returnal, Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn and more. These new Last of Us Part 1 cosmetics perfectly complement Ellie’s love for pop culture while also paying tribute to Naughty Dog’s closest peers.
The PlayStation Studios family has become incredibly successful and wonderfully tight-knit, with most new games referencing those that came before in some way. Games like Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part 1 have Easter eggs related to a wide range of Sony exclusives, while titles like Horizon Forbidden West and Death Stranding pay tribute to one game in particular. The Kvasir’s Poems collectibles found in God of War Ragnarok continue this trend by artistically referencing a range of other PlayStation hits.
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PlayStation 5
- Original Release Date
- 2020-11-12
- Franchise:
- PlayStation
- Platform:
- PlayStation 4
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