Happy Easter everyone! And of course, if you don’t celebrate, then Happy Three-Day Weekend! Regardless, here’s a list of hidden and not-so-hidden gems for your Easter weekend. Happy Hunting!
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Crysis 2 – Elevator Rave
Who said that the C.E.L.L. army doesn’t know how to throw down and have a good party? During the chapter “Dead Man Walking”, there will be a seemingly out-of-order elevator to the immediate left of the one Alcatraz exits. Press the switch a few times, then head down to the corner of the hallway; there should be a fuse box that will flash red, indicating that power to the elevator has been restored. Go check back on the elevator one more time, and hit the switch. After a few moments, the doors will open, inviting Alcatraz to a miniature rave, complete with dancing C.E.L.L. soldiers and strobe lights.
Diablo II/Diablo III – Extra Levels
Diablo II: Lords of Destruction has one of the most legendary hidden worlds in all of gaming- the “Cow Level”. While it’s recommended that players only attempt this at a higher level, enter the Rogue Encampment and simply use the Horadric Cube to combine a Tome of Town Portal with Wirt’s Leg. This land of fierce warrior cattle was actually created out of a rumor that began with the original Diablo. Fans speculated that a hidden level could be accessed by clicking a certain number of times on the cows outside of town.
Diablo III has its own hidden level, though it requires a more complex means of entry. In order to access the bizarrely happy and colorful realm of Whimsyshire, players need to gather a Black Mushroom, Leonic’s Shinbone, Wirt’s Bell, Kiquid Rainbow, Gibbering Gembstone and the Staff of Herding plans. Once the Staff of Herding has been created, dungeon crawlers can teleport themselves into the unsettling, cute world of Whimsyshire. Extra difficult versions of the realm can be accessed through upgrading the Staff.
Grand Theft Auto IV – The Heart of Liberty City
Statues are just that, right? Surely they aren’t alive, and there can’t be any organs inside that concrete shell……right? If you fly up to the Statue of Happiness, you will find a door between two signs that read “No Hidden Content This Way”. If players decide to ignore the signs and head into the statue, they’re in for an unexpected and slightly grotesque surprise- a giant, still-beating heart is suspended by chains within the center of the Statue of Happiness.
Just Cause 2 – LOST
One lone island occupies the very top-left corner within the huge world of Just Cause 2. When players fly towards it, their plane or helicopter will crash; doesn’t matter what aircraft, as anything that gets close will plummet into the coastline. Once there, players are welcomed to an eerie jungle, complete with a smoke-engulfed soldier who follows you around everywhere, and a plane crash and an underground hatch that look strangely familiar….like they were featured in a show on ABC or something.
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts – Rare’s Personal Dumpster
No one was very happy with Microsoft’s acquisition of Rare- apparently even Rare themselves. If you look closely within the dumpsters outside of Banjo and Kazooie’s home, you’ll find nods to Rare’s past games, including several Xbox cases of Grabbed by the Ghoulies, the Ice Key from the original Nintendo 64 Banjo Kazooie, Kameo’s book from Kameo: Elements of Power, and a Fudgehog from Viva Pinata.
Psychonauts – Milla’s Repressed Memories
On the much darker and unsettling end of the spectrum, a wildly contrasting area is sealed away within Milla’s level in Psychonauts. When players enter her mind, they find a colorful rave, full of joy and excitement. Off to the side lies a small room; upon entering, Milla suggests that you really shouldn’t be in there. A note can be found that explains how the children at the orphanage she used to be a part of, were all killed in a horrible fire. In the opposite corner of the room, a treasure chest can be opened. Doing so leads to a portal, where Raz finds himself within a flaming prison with the disfigured memories of the children who died.
