Summary
As a game that pays homage to many pieces of popular sci-fi media,Starfieldis full of Easter eggs that players can discover during their playthrough. In addition to numerous sci-fi references, Bethesda has also placed some Easter eggs that reference other games withinStarfield, such asSkyrim,Doom, andDeath Stranding. However, there is one Easter egg inStarfieldthat has players divided on what it could be referencing, with some players believing it pays tribute to the classic movieAlien, and others arguing it’s anAmong Usreference.
Some ofStarfield’s Easter eggsare much more subtle than others, with offhand comments from certain NPCs mirroring common memes or references hidden in item or skill descriptions. Other Easter eggs are much more overt allusions to other media, such as the posters found around Mars that depict the Doom Slayer, and even real-world events such as the remnants of the Apollo 11 moon landing on Luna and the Great Pyramid of Giza on Earth. One of the more interesting Easter eggs inStarfieldis much more involved than these references, but the piece of media it pays tribute to has some players confused.
Settling the ‘Alien vs Among Us’ Easter Egg Debate
To find the Easter egg in question,Starfieldplayers will need to head to the Schrodinger System, where they can encounter amysterious ship known as the Colander. Players can board and explore this ship to find that its inhabitants are nowhere to be found, and there are cryptic messages suggesting the crew had captured a powerful creature from the nearby planet that has now escaped. Exploring the ship further makes it clear that some sort of creature has wiped out the entire crew, and players can eventually discover the monster responsible on board, known as the Interloper.
The Argument that the Colander is an Among Us Reference
ManyStarfieldplayers who encountered the Colander and followed the mystery of its disappearing crew believed that it was intended to be a reference to thepopular social deduction gameAmong Us. This theory makes some sense given thatAmong Ushas a sci-fi setting aboard a spaceship where crew members must complete their assigned tasks before being killed by the alien imposter. Based on those aspects of the game, it would make sense that the Colander could be anAmong Usreference since its crew members seemed to have been systematically killed by an alien life form aboard their ship.
The Argument that the Colander is an Alien Reference
While it’s possible the Colander was inspired by some elements ofAmong Us, it’s most likely intended to be a reference to Ridley Scott’sAlienmovie. The evidence found onboard the Colander points toward similar story beats fromAlien, including picking up an alien life from a planet, having the creature escape, and having each of the crew fall victim to the monster. The Interloper that players find after making their way through the Colander also bears a striking resemblance to theXenomorph from theAlienmovies, further supporting the idea that the ship is intended to be an allusion to the film series.
It’s important to note thatAmong Ushas some clear sci-fi movie inspirations behind it, drawing themes fromfilms likeThe ThingandAlien. This means it’s entirely possible that the Colander is meant to reference multiple pieces of media that include bothAmong UsandAlien. However, given thatAmong Usitself pays homage to classic sci-fi, it’s much more likely thatStarfield’s developers intended the Colander to be anAlienreference more so than anAmong Usone, as the film is more iconic with the genre.
