There is a famous motorcycle for sale in Cyberpunk 2077 called Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X. You can get it from fixer Wakako Okada after achieving a street credit level of 12 in the Westbrook district, and it costs you a hefty 22,000 eddies.
Although the striking red chassis, the 1988 Akira classic, Akira, at first glance is nothing more than getting acquainted with those familiar with it, the Kusanagi is not treated with the same zeal that video games usually make such references to rights world does not offer. It’s plastered over several of the pre-release screenshots, and the option to buy it is sent to your phone, just like with many of Cyberpunk’s original vehicles in the universe. Instead of making a subtle nod to an important piece of dystopian anime, CD Project Red puts it in front and in the middle. This is what most of the so-called ‘Easter eggs’ of Cyberpunk 2077 look like, and it’s weird.
The use of the term ‘Easter egg’ to describe secrets in games became popular in 1980 by Steve Wright of Atari, after programmer Warren Robinett hid his own credit in Adventure. Traditionally, it has been very difficult to find it, sneaked in by developers as references to things they like, or as jokes that their higher endowments do not know, meaning they often share a personal or intimate touch. Many deliberately break the fourth wall and talk directly to players.
From finding John Romero’s head in Doom 2 to the sign on a bridge in GTA San Andreas with the caption: ‘here’s no Easter egg, go away’, they give us special discovery moments to share with our friends. Some players enjoy hunting them down in such a way that entire communities have come together to uncover the last secrets of a game, even those of which they are made, such as the never-ending hunt for San Andreas’ Bigfoot, which the developer insisted does not exist.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Easter eggs do not have any of these features. Even the inclusions that make you feel double excited just feel off. Whether it’s Hideo Kojima in the middle of Konpeki Plaza or a Batmobile – like vehicle hidden in a cave next to a shard over a superhero, the knowledgeable, authentic, spontaneous developer does not yield. player wink what is the essence of an Easter egg. They feel plan, just as much a part of the world as the monolithic neon buildings that teem with the skyline, rather than tertiary features that we only discover when we are happy or zealous.
Cyberpunk reuses Easter egg for social media era
From motorcycles to detailed characters with multiple lines of dialogue, the work required to add these references means that it is meant to be seen, creating this strange feeling of stolen bravery – to name them Easter eggs, feels just like that obstructive as calling in Iron Man skin Fortnite a ‘subtle’ nod to Marvel’s Avengers. This is not to say that it is not worth adding, but that it is not Easter eggs in the traditional sense. They are laborious encounters that have a unique purpose: to keep the conversation going.
There is certainly no shortage of discussion about Cyberpunk 2077, and while some of it was certainly not intended – the last point of discussion is CD Project Red’s response to a second lawsuit – it all helps to keep us talking . Cyberpunk is not a service game, and although it will get DLC, it is not as conducive to such expansions as, for example, a strategy game where new factions can join in with ease. This is an epic single-player RPG, made at great cost, and CDPR should keep that in mind. To that end, Cyberpunk is at the forefront of reusing the Easter egg for the social media era.
There are known influencers on ads in the game and even as quests; Portal’s GLaDOS gives an AI character in a side visit, complete with a ‘the cake is gone’ rule; and you can throw a Praise the Sun emote in photo mode. Half-Life 3, Demolition Man, The Witcher 3, we can go on. These references can yield a smile, but they are just as subtle as an ad on a billboard, and they cost the authenticity.
If you realize that the street preacher outside V’s apartment block is being played by a famous streamer, let him dismiss the character immediately. This is not a person, he’s going on about his real thoughts and feelings about cyberware, this is CohhCarnage. Cyberpunk 2077 is a metaphysical Swiss cheese: structurally affected by its very striking portals to the real world.
Related: Here are the best cyberpunk games on a computer
Although the conversation is meant to continue, we inevitably saw the highest expression of this strategy during the launch. The release of Cyberpunk in 2077 was based on the fear that it would be missed, and within hours of live social media, it exploded with cutscenes of in-game references to everything from The Office to Blade Runner. From the outside, Cyberpunk looked like it would be full of pop culture secrets to discover, but in the game it was barely out of sight. Perhaps this is a glimpse into the future of the Easter egg: marketing, memes and the Fortnite erosion of the integrity of even single-player universes.
You can read Rich’s Cyberpunk 2077 review here, or check out our lists of the best open world games and the best RPG games if you’re looking for something different.