2015's lineup of games has hands-down been the best the industry has produced in quite some time. Just look at the expansive likes of Metal Gear Solid V, Fallout 4, Just Cause 3 or The Witcher 3 - all have continued to push the boat out when it comes to world design, creating some of the most expansive and impressive titles we've seen so far, all rammed full of easter eggs and references to boot. Of course it's not just about these Game of the Year contenders dominating the opposition. Across the board we've had everything from Rocket League to Halo 5 proving developers of all shapes and sizes love to pay tribute to their own influences and favourite properties. Eagle-eyed gamers may have already stumbled across a handful of the following, but as is always the case with these sorts of articles, the best-kept secrets, easter eggs and callbacks are the ones you have to hunt a little to uncover.
16. Jon Snow's Longclaw Sword - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
One of the absolute best things about The Witcher series in both novel and digital forms is its Game of Thrones-meets-eastern horror identity. The lore is brilliantly designed, twinning cross-dimensional beasts with other aberrations that spawn through the sheer ill will of humanity, all peppered with the beauty that comes through the world itself. However, a more specific nod to the aforementioned HBO show is the inclusion of Jon Snow's signature wolf-headed sword, Longclaw, a blade you can find out in the world on the bodies of stronger foes. Whether this is a direct reference to George R. R. Martin's creation or the developers just happened upon the same name is up for debate, but going off the likely influences of the creative team and the thematic comparisons between the two source materials, it's surely intentional.