Guild Wars 2

Arenanet has done a wonderful job of adding these fine references to the game without breaking theme! Grats to whoever thought about these and many thanks for adding them

I thought we should compile all the references to pop culture / other video games we have found so far. My favorite ones are the video game references and I always enjoy recognizing them. I’ve stumbled across quite a few, but I can only remember a few of them right now. I’ll edit the OP with any relevant references others will bring as well.

Videogame references
Half-Life: Asura Gate Harmonizing Crystal sold by a Golem Karma vendor (Metrica Province) is a reference to the very first episode of the game. (also in the item description, but I don’t have access to that atm)
Fallout 3: Priory Wilderness Survival Guide sold by Magister Roslin (Dredgehaunt Cliffs) – “It’s not easy out here. There’s probably something in here that could save your life” – the same as the Wilderness Survival Guide that you help Moira write in Fallout 3.
Monkey Island: During the Order of Whispers quest "The Sad Tale of the “Ravenous”, players engage in an insult pirate fight There is no rhyme, unfortunately.
Borderlands: There are at least two different dredge chests which open exactly like the iconic loot chests in Borderlands.

Real people references
Daniel Dociu – I believe the Dociu excavation in Dredgehaunt Cliffs to be a reference to Daniel Dociu, Art Director and Concept Artist for ArenaNet (also Father Grigori). Not only because of the name, but also because in the northern part of Dredgehaunt Cliffs I saw a “painting” in one of the lodges that contains concept art, which I think I’ve seen in mr. Dociu’s portfolio.
Machine Gun Kelly – Chaingun Kelly is an NPC in one of the Human Personal Story quests.

Pop culture references
Dragon Ball Z – There’s a Golem that players must fight called OVR-9000 in the “Short Fuse” Asuran storyline.
Captain Planet – Metrica Province – Golems are named WTR, FIR, AER, ERTH , HRT and a huge golem called WST (waste) All the smaller ones fuse together to fight him.
Where’s Waldo? – Waldo Flood is a NPC located in Kessex Hills. He is hidden behind a tree.
Dexter (TV show) – There’s a tombstone in Fields of Ruin reading: “Morgan Decker – The final victim of the Oxcart Killer”

I will add more as I remember them and I eagerly await your contributions! Please add the name of the reference and where it can be found, giving as much detail as you can

Thanks to all contributors!

Reserved for future references

Reserved for future references

Reserved for Pie!

C’mon… you know after a long day of referencing you just wanna sit down and have some pie with me.

Um there is a robot in the asura starting area called OVR 9000 which is a reference to DBZ

in metrica near the starting area there are 4 golem schools that compete with their golems all named after the elements (WTR, FIR, AER, ERTH are all the names of the golems and what not)

So they’re busy talking when suddenly up runs an asura with a golem called HRT (heart)
they make fun of him.

Then an asura comes up with a giant black golem WST (waste) and all the smaller ones fuse together to fight him.

Basically it’s one big hilarious captain planet reference

there is a dude called waldo, hidden behind a tree. gives a heart quest to kill/sabotage bandits. forgot where.

During the story quest where you are disguised as a bandit, you kill an NPC named “Chaingun Kelly”, which i assume is referencing the rapper Machine Gun Kelly

Wow, dat Captain Planet reference I missed the whole thing, even though I watched that show religiously as a kid. Thanks for posting!

Zenyatoo.4059:

in metrica near the starting area there are 4 golem schools that compete with their golems all named after the elements (WTR, FIR, AER, ERTH are all the names of the golems and what not)

So they’re busy talking when suddenly up runs an asura with a golem called HRT (heart)
they make fun of him.

Then an asura comes up with a giant black golem WST (waste) and all the smaller ones fuse together to fight him.

Basically it’s one big hilarious captain planet reference

that is the most awesome thing ever, time to have a look at that area again

I found a dredge loot chest in a cave which opens exactly like the iconic loot chests in Borderlands.
Screenshot: http://imageshack.us/a/img211/2465/gw0032.jpg

Hah, good find! May I know on what map this is? Dredgehaunt Cliffs? The exact location would be great

i made a post about it when the forums opened
here theres alot of references here:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Pop-culture-references-within-Tyria-what-have-you-found/first#post70922

Gigantic one eye’d giant named Gort is a good one. (Film reference to The Day the Earth Stood Still)

Tried every variation of Klaatu Veratta Nicto at him, didnt do anything, but I helped myself to the contents of his chest regardless.

OP updated with new references (remembered about the Monkey Island and Dexter ones I’ve come across).

@SunRain thanks for bringing that to my attention. I won’t however add to the OP the “memespouting” in this game because I’ve personally identified about 40-50 of references to memes so far and it would take way too much space in the thread for something that is quite obscure. Well known, but petty in nature I do however welcome posting them here!

Reference to Anime:
There’s a gravestone located east of the entrance to Divinity’s Reach labled “Kah Meena—His will be the sword that pierces the Mists”. This is a reference to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagen (Or however it’s spelled).

Real Life reference:
In the Priory, you find someone named Wikki, author of a Comprehensive Guide to Tyria (May not be the exact name). I hope I don’t need to explain this reference.

There’s also NUMEROUS russian references by the Dredge that are basically massive puns, so just put “The Dredge Are Communist Russians” as a massive reference. “Moletariat” indeed…

One of the skills for elementalist is called “Ride the Lightning.” It is a refference to the Metallica song of the same name

Dr Ritter.1327:

During the story quest where you are disguised as a bandit, you kill an NPC named “Chaingun Kelly”, which i assume is referencing the rapper Machine Gun Kelly

Or…the notorious gangster George Celino Barnes AKA Machine Gun Kelly