Techland's zombie survival title Dying Light is one bloody good time. But what makes running for your life from the undead hordes even more exciting?
Easter eggs, that's what!
And Dying Light has plenty of them. The game is littered with video game references, secret areas and special blueprints.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the game's secrets, these are some of the best easter eggs to find.
Plants vs. Zombies
You have to be on the mission "Broadcast" in order to access this area. Once you reach the top of the tower, slide down the zipline. When you land, take the other zipline. Proceed to the right to find a small flower. Use it, and you will be transported to a secret area inspired by Popcap's addictive Plants vs. Zombies lawn defense title.
The Last of Us
Players can find a special zombie inspired by the infected from Naughty Dog's The Last of Us during "The Bunker" side mission. Get half way through the mission, then proceed to the building where the bunker is located. Go to the top of the stairs and walk near the elevator. A Clicker zombie will walk out and attack you.
Left 4 Dead
Some of Dying Light's best easter eggs are various signs throughout the game. This "Left4Bread" sign is an obvious wink at Valve's popular Left 4 Dead game series.
Destiny
Destiny's infamous loot cave has managed to find its way into Dying Light. Upon entering the cave in the video above, you'll discover some gear and a note that reads "Your destiny is to build your legend (and get loot)," in reference to Destiny's marketing tagline of "Become legend." Kill enough zombies in the cave and will say "Enough! Patch 1.0.2 activated. Better do some quests."
Super Mario
One of the more elaborate secrets in the game, this easter egg warps players to a first-person level of Mario, complete with goombas and a flag pole at the end. You can even find a blueprint for an item that lets you glide around the map, just like Mario in his Tanooki suit.
Half-Life 2
This zombie, sliced in half by a saw blade, is definitely reminiscent of the Ravenholm area in Half-Life 2, where players could use the gravity gun to blast saw blades (or anything else for that matter) at enemies with deadly results.
Silence of the Lambs
This secret is extra creepy. It takes place during the side quest "Where's my mother." Head to the location in the video above and loot the corpse outside of the house. Then use the trap door that leads to a basement. Use the key you found to unlock another room, where a woman is being held prisoner.
The Dark Knight
Anybody who has watched Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is sure to remember Joker's famous "pencil scene." It seems like the developers of Dying Light are big fans of the film, and have left a clever reference to the shocking moment in game.
Dead Island
Dying Light players will recognize more than few similarities between this game and Dead Island. That's because Techland worked on both games. Perhaps it isn't surprising then that the developers included a fun easter egg for their Dead Island players. By finding two stones in the "Old Town" area of the game and placing them in a skull, players can obtain the blueprint for an item called the "Right Hand of Glova," which launches electric balls at enemies. Players could obtain the "Left Hand of Glova" in Dead Island.
Excalibur
In the market for a powerful melee weapon? Dying Light's EXPcalibur is the perfect weapon, and it isn't too difficult to get. Simply swim out to the location in the video below to find a corpse with a sword stuck inside laying out on a rock. Hold down the "pick up" item button for several minutes to prove your strength, and then wait a few moments more for the corpse to catch on fire and disappear. Underneath you will find a blueprint to craft the weapon.
Star Trek
This easter egg isn't much: just a decal on a wall referencing the iconic Enterprise star ship from Star Trek. Still cool, though.
Dancing Zombies
Turns out there is a secret zombie dance club within one of Dying Light's warehouses. Follow along in the video to discover the location, where a group of zombies show off their surprisingly good moves.
Exploding Teddy
You can find this easter egg while on the quest "Rupert the Gunsmith." Simply go into the building located on your map for the quest to find a daycare area, with a pink teddy bear sitting on a pile of bean bags. Interacting with the pair will cause it to say "I love you." Keep poking the bear and it will tell you to "stop it" and not to touch it. Continue doing so and the bear will say "You asked for it" before exploding. You'll then learn how to craft the stasis field projector.
Legend of Zelda
In the quest "Crayons for the Kids," players are tasked with finding and bringing some crayons to a women named Kate, who is looking after a large number of children. Complete the quest by bringing the crayons to Kate and she will thank you before paying you for your trouble, saying "Here, take this. You'll make better use of it than I will." The line could be a reference to the opening of the original Legend of Zelda, when an old man gives Link a sword and tells him "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." That in itself wouldn't seem much like an easter egg, but in the next room a child can clearly be seen playing with a toy version of the Legend of Zelda's iconic Master Sword. Listen closely and you can also hear a child humming what sounds like a piece of ocarina music (maybe Epona's Song) from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Are you playing through Dying Light? Be sure to let us know about more easter eggs in the comments below, and check out our review of the game here.
Related: New Nintendo 3DS XL Review
