Finally, a Sonic joke in Deus Ex. Truly, this is the best time in history to be playing games. And it doesn’t stop there; Mankind Divided is hiding a ton of Easter eggs in Prague, calling up everything from old memes to old politicians. Players are still digging them up, but here are some of the coolest ones found so far.
Once you've had your fill of hardboiled Easter eggs, check out the rest of our Deus Ex: Mankind Divided coverage. Read our review if you're on the edge, check out our beginners guide if you're overwhelmed, our performance guide if you want a few more frames, and our class guide to optimize your Jensen.
Knuckles & Knuckles & Knuckles
Source: /r/DeusEx
In the Deus Ex universe, Sonic presumably exists. That, or Knuckles exists, and they're working through an evident creative block trying to think him up. I'm a bit lost when it comes to the context of the Knuckles and Knuckles joke, but it's a callback to a popular YouTube video, in which Knuckles gets his due in song form. You'll find this one in Prague's posh consumer electronics shop, but you can't play it unfortunately.
PC Geek magazine looks a bit familiar...
We're not totally on board with some of PC Geek's design (that font), but we like where their heart is at. You can find the PC Gamer approximation in the shops strewn about Prague. Cabled, meanwhile, is an obvious reference to Wired.
A confusing Human Revolution cameo
I think Primer made more sense than this. Found in buried in a crate in the basement of an antique shop next to the police station in Prague, this bizarre Easter egg is essentially a confirmation that the next Deus Ex will be a wacky time-traveling adventure. Jensen and a scrappy teen, sneaking through the Wild West and feudal Japan—a guaranteed hit.
Portal's Weighted Companion Cube
The antique shop basement is spilling over with references to other games, and most prominent is the Weighted Companion Cube from Portal. I like to imagine it escaped Aperture Science safely and chose to live out it days in a more comfortable underground base.
Some extremely rad roaches
I know, cockroaches aren't enough to make me think they're an Easter egg on their lonesome, but located in the same basement as a ton of other videogame props, my mind goes straight to Fallout. The first time I saw them, I instinctually hit my V.A.T.S. button before realizing my mistake.
A bleak future (with good games)
Click through the gallery to see them all.
A few more references are littered throughout the antique shop basement in the form of game boxes (remember those?). The original Hitman has been left to rot on the floor, Tomb Raider is hiding behind a table leg, and Soul Reaver gets the royal treatment up top. It's a nice indication that despite everything technology related going to hell, at least there are some decent games in Deus Ex's sad future.
Ritt Momney makes an appearance
Source: /r/DeusEx
If you see a familiar face in a newspaper early on in Mankind Divided, trust your gut and look at little closer. Yeah, it's what appears to be a photoshopped Mitt Romney smiling wide and sporting a slightly grayer cynic-cyberpunk look. Reddit user Depressed Cartoonist figured it out after finding the original pictureand comparing the two. I guess, in Deus Ex's version of the future, history really does repeat itself. It just gets a new haircut and specs before coming back around.
A Bladerunner cameo speaks up in the OST
Source: /r/DeusEx
Reddit user wayoffthegrid was jamming out to the Mankind Divided OST sampler, and noticed a short, subtle sample from Bladerunner. At 23 seconds into "Adam's Safehouse," they noticed the line "Do you like our owl?" popped up under the guise of reverb in the background. Watch the video above to see the original line from the movie and try to find it for yourself.
And surely, more secrets have yet to be uncovered. If you find any, be sure to point them out in the comments.
