Overview
This guide is about all the secrets, easter eggs, and other miscellaneous facts about Dusk
Intro
First off, YES, I know There is a guide of his own on this but I thought for a more consistent stream of updates on the facts and trivia. So expect that (hopefully, no promises). This guide hopes to highlight the various facts and trivia from Dusk.
also research from from the following was also used:
Mr.Kosta
eS
Kippykip
Twix the Fox
Sdoots
The Dopefish
On E1M4, in the one the secrets, there’s a ladder that leads to a pixelated picture of the dopefish. Interacting with it shows text and says DOPEFISH LIVES .
The Dopefish also appears in E2M3
screenshot provided by https://steamcommunity.com/id/racx_00[re-fund
This iconic dopey fish character created by former Id Software founder, Tom Hall.
The Dopefish is from Commander Keen Goodbye, Galaxy! Tom Halls creation was also very popular in the 90s among game developers, appearing in multiple games.
Such examples include:
- Wolfenstein 3D
- Quake
- Duke Nukem 3D
- Daikatana (I’m not kidding)
- Anachonox
- Doom 4 (2016)
Due to the Dopefish’s popularity, a fan made website has been created on it [www.dopefish.com]
Inspirations for Weapon Designs
In an interview from GGGmanlives, David Szymanski said that the design of the crossbow was inspired by the crossbow from Heretic.
Source: Doom Wiki[doom.wikia.com]
(Thanks Mr. Kosta for this fact)
The hunting rifle takes inspiration from from a hunting rifle from one of expansion packs for Redneck Rampage.
Settings Secrets
Colors
There are a good amount of color presets in DUSK, some of them are actually based off other games.
Strelok – S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
^Thanks Sdoots
Fury Dragon – Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Triad ’13 – Rise of The Triad (2013 remake)
Quask – Quake 1
Jensen – Deus Ex: Human Revolution (original release, not the Director’s Cut)
^Thanks again Sdoots
Dusktrayer – Betrayer
^ Thanks yet again Sdoots lol
Virtual Blecht – Nintendo Virtual Boy
FOV
In the FOV settings, max FOV is called “Cynical”. This is a nod to games critic John Bain aka TotalBiscuit who was known for being very vocal about various settings in PC games, especially FOV
SUPERHOT: The Powerup
Early on in E2M5, you will come across the powerup in the form of a needle. Upon picking up the powerup, text pops up that says “Time moves when you move”. The abilities and text of the powerup is a reference to 2016’s SUPERHOT.
Inspirations for Enemy Designs
Image Source: Dusk Wiki[dusk.gamepedia.com]
The Wendigos are based of an Algonquian folklore of the same name[en.wikipedia.org]
artists depiction of the Wendigo:
Their animations might be slightly based off the Kleer from Serious Sam
Image Source: Serious Sam Wiki[serioussam.wikia.com]
The Black Phillips are based the demonic goat of the same name that also spits blood from the 2015 Robert Eggers indie film: The Witch.
This information was confirmed by Dave Oshry .
The Possessed Soldiers quotes sound similar to the
Image Source: Dusk Wiki[dusk.gamepedia.com]
The Cowgirls seems to be a mixture of the Iron Maidens from Quake 2
and the Cyborg Midwife from System Shock 2 (Thanks eS, Kosta, and Sdoots)
Fan favorite boss, Big John, actually comes from rise of the triad 2013
As for the character model itself, Big John’s face is Dave Oshry’s face. It’s literally the same picture reused from his Twitter during dusks promotion:
The voice lines for Big John from Rise of The Triad 2013 are reused in DUSK.
Here’s proof:
Rise of The Triad 2013:
DUSK:
Environmental Gags
In E1M7, there is a picture of a “Cult Leader”. That “Cult Leader” is a picture of a Young Dave Oshry. According to Dave on the New Blood discord server, that picture was taken from his high school senior yearbook.
On E2M8 and the multiplayer map Fusillade
There’s a hidden message that says
You aren’t supposed to be here. Go away
This could be the mapper having fun, however it should be mentioned that GTA3 had a well known easter egg that was very similiar. Carmageddeon TDR 2000 also had something similar, but the less said about that game, the better.
The similar egg as seen in GTA3.
Interactables
Interacting with most computers shows text that says “Don’t have time to play with myself” in reference to Duke Nukem 3D.
Movies
Picking up the standard shotgun in E1M1 triggers “Groovy” to appear on screen, in reference to Ash Williams. This line is first said in Evil Dead 2, and became something of a catchphrase for the character. Thanks FingerRocks for pointing this out!
In E1M1, there’s a chainsaw in a counter. Interacting with it shows text saying “WHAT A MASSACRE” This episode has a good amount of references to Texas Chainsaw Massacre that it makes my head spin.
As mentioned Before, The “Black Phillips” are based off an undead goat of the same name from “The Witch”.
The Leathernecks take some influence from Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
This is a quote from the 1991 film The Silence of The Lambs, “It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.”
The picture from E1M1 and E1M5 with the man with two big pieces of meat between him is an actual painting.
It’s a 1954 painting called “Figure with Meat” by Irish Painter Francis Bacon.
People might recognize the painting from the 1989 Tim Burton Batman Film from the scene where the joker destroys the art gallery.
The Cool S
There is a crosshair of the cool S, this is is the default cross hair on the cigar (press 0 to equip it). In the settings, the cool S crosshair is at number 14.
The Cool S is best known for being doodled on elementary school students notebooks. I wonder if kids still do that nowadays.
Scenario Inspirations
Episode 1’s themes are inspired by Blood, with the weird creepy cult and early parts of the episodes setting and certain enemy types (mages), and Redneck Rampage with the certain enemy types (leathernecks) and the setting.
Episode 2’s themes are inspired by S.T.A.L.K.E.R. with the industrial and factory like environments and Half-Life with it’s clean laboratory like environments and the vox sounding speaker.
The Escher Labs are also inspired by the works of painter MC escher
(This was written before Ep 3 was released.)
Episode 3 will be lovecraftian like setting like quake 1 episode 4 and other works of Sandy Peterson.
PA Announcements (VOX calls)
In “The Escher Labs”, a PA system delivers several announcements over the course of your time in the labs. Among the announcements are:
first vox: “attention: unidentified personel in the escher labs”
2nd vox: “Dr. Memes: report to executive Oshry’s office immediately”
3rd vox: “Attention: Lab Technichan Hulshult, please return the sonic prober.”
4th vox: “Paging Dr. Freeman to the third floor.”
5th vox: “Paging custodian Szymanski to the Romero gib labs for clean up.”
A “Vox” is the term used to refer to the file storing these announcements, they are most well known from the original Half-Life.
Stuff From DUSK, Pre-Newblood
The following information was taken from this old video from David Szymanski in late 2015
Pre-Newblood dusk had a different HUD
The Weapons from Pre-Newblood DUSK had a few differences
The Sickles were originally a Hammer, which might be a reference to the pre-release version of quake which was suppose to be a reference to Thor’s hammer while Pre-Newblood DUSK’s hammer is a standard DIY hammer.
The pistol was originally called a Makarov and the twin pistols were going to be called Gun Katas. The Gun Katas being a reference to the 2002 film Equilibrium.
The hunting rifle is relatively the same as the final version
The Super Shotgun was also different. Before it’s final design to resemble the version from DOOM 2, the super shotgun was going to be a pump action double barrel shotgun inspired from Chasm: The Rift.
The assault rifle looked more like an M16
There was going to be a chainsaw that was cut from the game
Another Cut weapon is the Buzzsaw, also inspired by Chasm: The Rift. It was going to be a weapon best used for close range that ricocheted all over the place. The model would be reused for the little buzzsaw props you’d see in the same to throw at enemies.
The Riveter had a different look to it. A good amount of it’s old look was used into the version we’re all familiar with.
Another cut weapon was called the totem, the considered plasma rifle of the game. Its projectiles would also ricochet around the place, deal low damage and slowly ammo over time. (let’s hope something similar appears in episode 3)
The Cigar is the same as it it is in the final game but it gives 1 morale instead of 1 health.
Anything Else???
Not that I know of for the time being, only other pictures for the guide. if there’s any more info, post it in the comments and I’ll add to it as soon as possible.