In what is the only recurring Festive Feature of the last 4 years, mainly because it’s always so popular and they’re ever so cool, ladies and gents, let us present to you the last Top 5 of 2011: the Top 5 Easter Eggs of the year. Yes, these little beauties might not have much relevance or meaning to a large group of gamers in general, but seeing as we cater to the most hardcore of hardcore gamers here – and every other type, of course – these are our bread and butter. These are the little things that those brave souls developing games create, not for the purpose of shifting games or for use in their promotional push, but for their biggest fans. It’s the proof that these devs are loving what they do. It’s superb fan service… and that’s why we like to shine a big ol’ light on the year’s best every Xmas. Without further ado, here’s our Top 5 Easter Eggs of 2011.

Although Saints Row: The Third’s use of its “Cabbit” from its previous franchise, Summoner, might not be as epic as it was in Saints Row 2, it’s still a nice little nod to fans of the franchise – and of course, Summoner. While it rose from the ocean in Saints Row 2 after you followed a set of crazy signs, in Saints Row: The Third, it’s far less subtle. In various places all over Steelport you’ll find our Cabbit friend dotted around, whether that’s the one on the shelves in one of the shops, under a desk in one of the plastic surgeon’s offices, or the huge one caught in the net by the docks – presumably the one from Saints Row 2 – or on a rock by the nuclear plant. There’s Cabbits everywhere!!

Dear Epic… what is your fascination with chickens in Gears of War 3? If it’s not toasters – an Easter Egg from Gears of War 2 – it’s chickens… lots and lots of chickens. I mean, seriously, rather than choose one chicken Easter Egg from Gears of War 3, we decided to choose them all and throw them all under one heading… well, the main ones anyway. So when we’re talking about Epic Games being cluckin’ crazy, it’s because of their “Cluckshot,” the Chicken mini-game and the Golden Fire-Breathing Chicken. Words don’t do this amount of insanity justice, so just watch the video you mother clucker.

Rocksteady’s Arkham Asylum was a title that was so rich and deep with Easter Eggs and fan service, that any Batman fan would have been checking every nook and cranny to see what the British developer had snuck in. Hell, some of them were that well-hidden that Rocksteady themselves had to point us gamers in the right direction. It’ll come as no surprise then to hear that Arkham City is as Easter Egg crazy as its predecessor. Whether you’re talking about Scarecrow’s mask lying around or the brief appearance of Killer Croc if you fiddled around in the sewers after the Ra’s al Ghul fight, they’re all incredibly impressive. However, it’s the secret barge hideout that’s the most impressive. There’s a scary man in there too that will almost make you jump. Check it out yourself and see the attention to detail that Rocksteady has put into a room that the vast majority of gamers will never stumble upon.

Ever wanted to know what soldiers get up to in and around New York when a race of aliens invade the city looking to blow it to smithereens and what not? Well, Crytek painted a very vivid picture in Crysis 2 this year. Apparently they dance, and they don’t just do a little jig, they dance their little hearts out with an incredible passion and exuberance that only impending doom can bring to a man. Dance like there’s no tomorrow, boys… what’s that? There might not be a tomorrow? Oh, the humanity!

You all know that id Software created the classic FPS franchises Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Quake, right? You all know that they also created Rage on the impressive new id Tech 5 engine too, right? Of course you do, but what you might not know is that they created little homages to those old skool classic franchises in Rage. All it takes is revisiting some areas, hitting a few really well-hidden buttons and then stepping into another dimension of each respective franchise and soaking in the 1990s nostalgia of the retro environments. Sure, there’s nothing really to gain from it, but each area has an artefact you can sell for a few extra credits, but that’s not the point. They’re cool as fuck! That’s the point!

Merry Xmas folks!