Summary
- Starfield is filled with hidden details, secrets, and Easter eggs that reference pop culture, astronomy, history, and other Bethesda IPs.
- These Easter eggs represent the developer's attention to detail and a playful homage to the inspirations behind the game.
- Searching for these references adds an entertaining challenge, even if they don't offer tangible rewards, amplifying the satisfaction of discovery.
Like many previous Bethesda games, Starfield features a vast number of hidden details, secrets, and Easter eggs — it is not surprising that in a game with over 1000 planets and 100 star systems, although some are reasonably easy to locate or experience, others are exponentially harder to discover. These Easter eggs are, for the most part, wonderful references to pop culture, astronomy, history, and other Bethesda IPs; though being aware of one of the game's many references is rewarding, having to hunt for them and spend a great deal of time and effort in locating them only amplifies the reward.
Secrets, references, and Easter eggs are a fantastic method of discreet communication between the developer and their audience. Including these easily overlooked and seldom-acknowledged features represents demonstrable attention to detail and a brilliantly playful attempt to pay homage to the fictitious works and real-world events that inspired a game's creation. Be they self-referential or alluding to other media, the painstaking search for references is one of the most entertaining ways to explore and engage with the vast expanses of space in Starfield — even if the search does not typically offer any tangible rewards.
10 Vulture's Roost
Located in the Jaffa system on Jaffa IV, Vulture's Roost is an enormous secret base that is inhabited by Ecliptic mercenaries. Built into the side of a cliff, approaching this secret base will result in the plethora of mercenaries located in the base becoming immediately hostile towards the Spacefarer. Although it is situated in a hidden location that can easily go unvisited, making the effort to visit and besiege Vulture's Roost can be an incredibly entertaining challenge.
9 Opportunity Rover
Launched in 2003 by NASA, the Opportunity Rover was tasked with exploring the surface of Mars. This extraordinary machine played a large role in NASA's Mars Exploration Rover program and continued to carry out key scientific work for over a decade until 2018 when, due to the Mars planetary dust storm, NASA lost contact with it. With Mars playing a sizable role in Starfield, it is perhaps not surprising that this rover makes a well-deserved Easter egg appearance. The Opportunity Rover can be found on Mars in the exact location where it was disconnected. Locating and interacting with this abandoned rover will also unlock the Opportunity Snow Globe.
8 Nirnroot Easter Egg
Though the quest "Seeking Your Roots" is Oblivion's side quest most analogous with Starfield's "Media Sponge," or Skyrim's notoriously bad "No Stone Unturned," the Nirnroot plant makes a subtle return in Starfield. Located in what appears to be a hydroponics lab on the ECS Constant Ship orbiting Porrima II, the Easter egg inclusion of this iconic shrub is an excellent call back to one of the most well-known florae from any of Bethesda's previous games.
7 Hours Without Incident Counter
In Starfield, while exploring the major settlement of Cydonia on the planet Mars, one may come across a large sign that counts the hours without incident. Although this is not necessarily a reference to any piece of media, it is a wonderful hidden detail — primarily as it is updated in real-time and affected by the player's decisions. For example, the time elapsed will reset if the player causes an incident whilst in Cydonia.
6 John Williams Reference
Starfield features a number of references to famous real-world figures from the world of television and film; however, perhaps the best hidden Easter egg in this vain is the game's reference to the legendary composer and conductor of movie soundtracks, John Williams. Famed for his scores of classic movie franchises such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park, Bethesda includes a subtle homage to the great composer in posters advertising the Sol Symphony Orchestra — an ensemble conducted by William Johns. As posters in video games are usually insignificant, it is all too easy to miss this great hidden detail.
5 Experimental Nishina Spacesuit
Starfield features a vast amount of spacesuits to choose from; however, one of the best options is very well hidden and seldom obtained. One of the potential rewards for completing the late-game quest "Estranged," the experimental Nishina Spacesuit, is a Legendary spacesuit that comes with the perks Beast Hunter, Auto-Medic, and Incendiary. Beyond its perks, it also has impressive damage and environmental resistance stats. Ultimately, although difficult to obtain, it is one of the best spacesuits in Starfield.
4 Alex Hay’s Note
Some of the most meaningful hidden details in video games are the touching tributes made to honor people important to the developer who are no longer around. Starfield features one such memorial in a note on Alpha Centauri. The note is a message from a Bethesda fan named Alex, who passed away months prior to the game's release. It reads, “To all my friends and fellow explorers. I’m always with you, out there in the Starfield. Love always, Alex Hay.” This lovely tribute to a treasured fan is certainly one of the most emotive hidden details in Starfield's Settled Systems.
3 Lord of the Rings Potato Reference
Though other Bethesda games are more heavily inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's literary magnum opus, The Lord of the Rings, Starfield features a rather hilarious nod to one of Samwise Gamgee's favorite delicacies — the humble potato. In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Samwise lists the myriad cooking methods for the potato, a list that is paraphrased in the potato's item description. This subtle reference brilliantly pays homage to the literary and cinematic legacy of Tolkien's corpus and one of the funniest interactions in The Two Towers.
2 XL-069 Interloper
Perhaps the most unsettling Easter egg in Starfield can be found inside the ruined laboratory on board the oddly abandoned ship, the Colander. Littered with the corpses of its crew members, the Colander is also home to a terrifying reference to the classic sci-fi horror movie franchise Alien, the XL-069 Interloper. This level 85 alien is one of the most dangerous creatures in Starfield; however, it is also one of the game's greatest secret features.
1 Broken Constellation Space Helmet
Though the Broken Constellation Space Helmet has pretty good damage and environmental resistance stats, its appearance is undoubtedly its most intriguing feature. The bizarre cosmetics are primarily a result of the hastily constructed and applied duct tape and permanent marker label stuck to the front of the helmet, which reads "DON'T USE." If the player chooses not to heed this warning and wears Broken Constellation Space Helmein first-person mode, the label hilariously remains visible and blocks a significant portion of the screen. This attention to detail is fantastic, and although only small, it is perhaps the best-hidden detail in Starfield.