Serious Sam 4 is the latest chaotic entry into the bombastic first-person shooter franchise. The game itself is actually a prequel to Serious Sam 3, but it manages to pit Sam against some of his toughest foes yet. When the world is being ravaged by sinister creatures, everyone knows that “Serious” Sam Stone is ready to take the fight wherever it needs to go in order to protect the planet.
Hardcore fans of the series likely scrubbed through the game to find every little thing it had to offer, while others may have simply made their way through the game to enjoy the story of Serious Sam. Whether a veteran of the series or a total newcomer there are likely still plenty of things that gamers missed.
10 Symphony Of The Night Reference - Chapter Three
When it comes to interesting references and easter eggs in video games, few are as fun to experience as Serious Sam 4’s reference to the Castlevania games. The easter egg can actually be incredibly easy to miss, whether you are a big fan of the series or not.
You can find a vampiric creature in a coffin that will immediately reference the iconic Dracula line from Symphony Of The Night’s opening sequence. The vampire will then gladly engage you in combat in a spooky vampiric fashion.
9 Score A Goal - Chapter Two
The developers of Serious Sam must be fans of soccer in some form because there is actually more than one fun soccer-based secret to find in the game. The first of the soccer secrets can be found in Chapter Two - Death From Below.
Players that search the level may find a soccer ball near a net. If you manage to shoot the ball into the net you will be met with a surprising little celebration for your troubles. It’s also a good source of health for anyone seeking some.
8 The Hall Of Beta Testers - Chapter Three
Many gamers love when game developers manage to throw in secret references to those that worked on the game in some form. Beta testers are often an underappreciated portion of the game-making process to many.
Players that search throughout the level may come across statues with seemingly random names. Those names are, of course, the names of the game’s beta testers, and destroying the statues results in some angry enemies coming your way. A player looking to cause chaos may accidentally spawn more enemies than they can handle.
7 The Lava Golem - Chapter Four
There’s a secret lava golem fight hidden in chapter four that most people probably missed completely. The reason is, the way to activate it is so small, most people probably never even saw it or thought to interact with it.
Destroying the near-microscopic lava golem will result in an enormous lava golem spawning. The golem will then lob balls of lava toward you in an effort to exact revenge for its tiny comrade. If you beat it, the golem splits into other smaller golems that can be easily dealt with.
6 Secret Bloodbath - Chapter Five
Serious Sam has a couple of secrets in the game that seem more like they were intended to troll players who love to explore. The secret bloodbath from chapter five is a perfect example of a secret that is both funny and trollish.
To activate the secret, you need to make a tricky jump into what may seem like an inescapable pit. The glowing items and lack of enemies is suspicious until you pick up the items and are met with four rocket-wielding enemies firing down at you.
5 Secret Soccer Game - Chapter Ten
One of the other soccer-based secrets in Serious Sam 4 comes in the form of a whole soccer game. Players that take the time to explore chapter ten can come across a strange, but hilarious game.
The soccer game features two teams actually attempting to score against one another with a giant ball. While it doesn’t exactly resemble traditional soccer, it’s hilarious to watch the AI characters stumble around in an attempt to score a goal. The whole thing is made even funnier by the constant yelling of the various players.
4 Burning Forest - Chapter Four
While Serious Sam tends to feature easter eggs and secrets that are on the funnier side, a few of them do delve into the realm of creepy. During chapter four it’s possible for you to activate a frightening secret if you manage to spot something that’s nearly impossible to see in the first place.
To activate this, you need to snipe a Gnaar that is standing atop the volcano in the level's background. Those that accomplish the difficult task will be transported to a terrifying forest before being dropped back into the level as if nothing ever happened.
3 Kamikaze Traps - Chapter Four & Chapter Seven
Serious Sam has plenty of trollish moments and some of the best come in the form of kamikaze traps. The traps are sprinkled throughout the game and can make for some seriously heart-racing encounters.
While both are excellent in their own right, it’s the visually striking trap from chapter seven that really stands out. Picking up a tiny vial of health results in a seemingly endless wave of enemies sprinting right toward you. It’s a hilarious and terrifying moment for anyone who’s experienced it.
2 The Secret Cow King - Chapter One
Most of the time, secret bosses are epic encounters you have to go well out of your way to experience. The secret cow king boss fight is easy to trigger, but not if you think about things in a conventional way.
You may come across a strange sign that tells you to not shoot cows, which may lead you to do exactly that, just to see what happens. Well, if you shoot the sign you will be treated to an angry creature, that is definitely not a cow, charging at you from across a bridge.
1 Big Rocket Man Pyrone - Chapter Three
One of the best secret encounters in the game is also one of the hardest to trigger so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if many players completely missed Big Rocket Man Pyrone. You must fight your way through a gauntlet of enemies in order to encounter him.
You shouldn’t do this unprepared as once the secret enemy spawns he will begin launching rockets at you as if it were shooting a machine gun. The whole event is strange, but quite easily missed for players that tend to ignore exploration.