Newer games with unsolved/undiscovered secrets
Feb 18, 2017 19:43:25 GMT -5
Post by wyrdwad on Feb 18, 2017 19:43:25 GMT -5
I've been aware of the existence of ARGs (alternate reality games) for quite some time now, but I always assumed this was a minor phenomenon, and that you'd be hard-pressed to find a game in the modern age that's been able to keep ANYTHING secret for more than maybe 48 hours -- between data-mining and obsessive speedrunners and walkthrough writers, the days of having something remain secret within a game for any length of time feel like they've been over for 20+ years at this point. Sure, people still discover new secrets about old games from time to time, but once the year 2000 hit (and even a bit before), there was just so much INFORMATION available about games -- and so much technical savvy on the parts of fans -- that nothing ever stayed hidden for very long in newly released titles.
But last weekend, I grabbed a copy of Alwa's Awakening on Steam, having found the trailer really intriguing... and in addition to the game being absolutely fantastic (seriously, if you like NES classics and Metroidvanias, I can't recommend this one highly enough!), it's also full of secrets that even now, over two weeks after the game's launch, nobody's been able to solve.
I learned about this when I 100%ed the game, but still had one area I couldn't access: a tiny room with a plaque on the wall, sealed by a stone door with no switch. I decided to check the Steam forums for answers, and discovered that that's just the tip of the iceberg: while a solution to unsealing the stone door HAS been reached (though only as of yesterday), there's also a seemingly useless stone tablet that you need to assemble from four pieces, a series of clues given by NPCs and hidden signs (including the aforementioned plaque) that seem to be referencing one of the Very Special Thanks names in the credits (but to what end, no one has any idea), and most intriguingly, a dozen or so occurrences of random numbers and letters hidden in the background art in various rooms throughout the game world, visible only after you acquire a certain item, and generally covered up by breakable blocks or stationary enemies.
The devs have popped into the Steam discussion thread about this a few times, at first just to taunt people, but later to confirm that yes, there is still something left to discover within the game.
The Steam thread in question can be found here:
steamcommunity.com/app/549260/discussions/0/135508031954077801/
The reason I'm posting this topic, though, is because this is apparently not an isolated incident! While discussing it with friends and coworkers, a couple other games were brought up that have similar mysteries attached to them -- perhaps most bizarrely, "Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015," which is the LAST game I'd ever expect to have hidden/ARG elements in it! Evidently, however, it does, and they sound VERY disturbing:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedetectives/comments/4qvwdq/i_think_i_found_something_new_in_shower_with_your/
A coworker also brought up some Xbox Excitebike game that apparently has an extensive ARG attached to it, with items hidden in real-life locations around the world, apparently all leading to a series of keys that people were instructed to bring to the Eiffel Tower in 50 years or something -- he was a bit fuzzy on the details. After a quick Google search, though, it seems the game he was referring to is Trials Evolution, and the ARG in question sounds absolutely ridiculous but also totally amazing:
www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-12-trials-evolutions-insane-century-spanning-arg-scavenger-hunt-solved
So I'm wondering: are there any other modern games that have unsolved/undocumented secrets or mysteries, ARG or otherwise? I find it absolutely shocking that any game developer could actually keep something hidden for any length of time, so this entire concept really fascinates me -- I've been having a great time trying to decode the clues in Alwa's Awakening, and would love to play more games that are able to pull this off... because in this age where the answers to virtually any question can be found with a quick Google search, it's kind of refreshing to be totally in the dark on something from time to time!
-Tom
But last weekend, I grabbed a copy of Alwa's Awakening on Steam, having found the trailer really intriguing... and in addition to the game being absolutely fantastic (seriously, if you like NES classics and Metroidvanias, I can't recommend this one highly enough!), it's also full of secrets that even now, over two weeks after the game's launch, nobody's been able to solve.
I learned about this when I 100%ed the game, but still had one area I couldn't access: a tiny room with a plaque on the wall, sealed by a stone door with no switch. I decided to check the Steam forums for answers, and discovered that that's just the tip of the iceberg: while a solution to unsealing the stone door HAS been reached (though only as of yesterday), there's also a seemingly useless stone tablet that you need to assemble from four pieces, a series of clues given by NPCs and hidden signs (including the aforementioned plaque) that seem to be referencing one of the Very Special Thanks names in the credits (but to what end, no one has any idea), and most intriguingly, a dozen or so occurrences of random numbers and letters hidden in the background art in various rooms throughout the game world, visible only after you acquire a certain item, and generally covered up by breakable blocks or stationary enemies.
The devs have popped into the Steam discussion thread about this a few times, at first just to taunt people, but later to confirm that yes, there is still something left to discover within the game.
The Steam thread in question can be found here:
steamcommunity.com/app/549260/discussions/0/135508031954077801/
The reason I'm posting this topic, though, is because this is apparently not an isolated incident! While discussing it with friends and coworkers, a couple other games were brought up that have similar mysteries attached to them -- perhaps most bizarrely, "Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015," which is the LAST game I'd ever expect to have hidden/ARG elements in it! Evidently, however, it does, and they sound VERY disturbing:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedetectives/comments/4qvwdq/i_think_i_found_something_new_in_shower_with_your/
A coworker also brought up some Xbox Excitebike game that apparently has an extensive ARG attached to it, with items hidden in real-life locations around the world, apparently all leading to a series of keys that people were instructed to bring to the Eiffel Tower in 50 years or something -- he was a bit fuzzy on the details. After a quick Google search, though, it seems the game he was referring to is Trials Evolution, and the ARG in question sounds absolutely ridiculous but also totally amazing:
www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-12-trials-evolutions-insane-century-spanning-arg-scavenger-hunt-solved
So I'm wondering: are there any other modern games that have unsolved/undocumented secrets or mysteries, ARG or otherwise? I find it absolutely shocking that any game developer could actually keep something hidden for any length of time, so this entire concept really fascinates me -- I've been having a great time trying to decode the clues in Alwa's Awakening, and would love to play more games that are able to pull this off... because in this age where the answers to virtually any question can be found with a quick Google search, it's kind of refreshing to be totally in the dark on something from time to time!
-Tom
