Ghost of Tsushimais a little over a year old now, first hitting the PS4 last summer as the console’s last big swan song before Sony moved its focus onto the PS5. The title received critical acclaim and was a big success for Sony and Sucker Punch, providing the PlayStation family with another bonafide hit in its first-party lineup. Now with aGhost of Tsushima Director’s Cutmade available for both PS4 and PS5 owners, a bevy of new content is available for gamers to enjoy.
The most appealing piece of this new DLC is the Iki Island DLC, a standalone story campaign that adds an entirely new location to the base game. The plot and combat are as enjoyable as it ever was, but another detail has caught the attention of many players jumping back intoGhost of Tsushima. There is a white tree on Iki Island with a handprint burned into it which bears a striking resemblance to the same tree seen in 2018’sGod of War. Some have dismissed this as a fun Easter egg, but it’s worth considering if there is more to this than meets the eye.
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The God of War Easter Egg Teases Something More
Easter eggs and fanfare are nothing new to popular culture, with plenty of details thrown in across various media for eagle-eyed fans to pick up on. TheMarvel Cinematic Universe, for example, is littered with winks to the audience about comic book lore or references to past films. The video game medium is no different, as major franchises often feature nods to past games or other IP’s altogether.
However, there are occasions when these Easter eggs have more of an intentional purpose for being placed into the game, aside from just being a fun extra detail. For example, back in 2011,Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deceptionhad a newspaper with a headline about a viral outbreak, teasing the eventualreveal forThe Last of Us. It is worth noting both of these games are PlayStation products, just likeGhost of TsushimaandGod of War. Sometimes these Easter eggs can be used as a clever marketing tactic, and withGod of War: Ragnarokcoming out in 2022, it’s a wonder if this is a tease for things to come.
The God of War Easter Egg Could Be Just a Fun Reference
On the other hand, the hand imprint fromGod of Warcould very well be all it was intended to be: a fun Easter egg. While it would be intriguing if this were teasing something more, it’s more than likely just a nod to a fellowPlayStation seriesby Sucker Punch. In fact, these sort of sly winks between PlayStation IPs have been happening for years, spanning several generations of the PlayStation brand. During the PS2 era, theRatchet and ClankandJak and Daxterseries featured a number of shoutouts to one other in each title, ranging from small Easter eggs to unlockable skins.
Sony Worldwide Studios is composed of numerous subsidiaries like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and Sucker Punch. All of these developers create games exclusively for PlayStation platforms and because of this, have formed a friend camaraderie over the years. These studios seem to relish in the similarity shared between them, and often use these Easter eggs as a sign of respect and celebration for other Sony first-party teams. The built-in PS5 gameAstro’s Playroomwas an entire tribute to the PlayStation brand and its incredible history, quite literally jam-packed with Easter eggs from beginning to end. This is all to say that while it would be a great surprise if theGod of WarEaster egg turned out to be something more, gamers playingGhost of Tsushimashouldn’t overthink this one too much.
Ghost of Tsushimais now available on PS4 and PS5.
