Sony/Marvel
- In the excellent PlayStation 4 game "Marvel's Spider-Man," a major Easter egg is hiding in plain sight.
- You won't find any Orthodox Jewish people on the game's virtual streets of Manhattan if you play on a Saturday because they're observing the very real Shabbat, a day of rest.
- No one had pointed out the secret until last weekend - it was seemingly undiscovered.
- The game is lauded for its meticulous attention to detail in re-creating New York City, and this secret is another testament to that dedication.
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2018's excellent "Spider-Man" game for PlayStation 4 is notable for a few reasons.
It's remarkably fun to play, and gorgeous to look at, and - perhaps most of all - it offers a shockingly detailed re-creation of modern Manhattan to explore from top to bottom.
It's that last bit that was highlighted once again in a revelation over the weekend from one of the game's programmers.
"This feels like the right time to mention an Easter egg that everyone's passed over so far," Insomniac Games senior programmer Elan Ruskin said on Twitter, "These guys don't work on Saturdays!"
Insomniac Games/Sony
As Ruskin highlights, the Orthodox Jewish citizens of New York City in "Marvel's Spider-Man" obey the same religious laws as real-life Orthodox Jewish citizens of New York City (and beyond): On Saturdays, they observe Shabbat, a day of rest.
As a result, they're nowhere to be found in-game if you're playing the game on a Saturday - the game depends on your console's clock to determine what day it is, and adjusts accordingly.
Ruskin chose last Friday to reveal the secret as it coincided with both the Easter and Passover holidays celebrated over the weekend.
It's no surprise that players didn't notice the secret given that there's no indication given in-game, and the Orthodox Jewish citizens in-game don't represent a huge percentage of New Yorkers at large. Regardless, it's a cool little detail - and yet another testament to the absurd level of detail Insomniac lavished on "Marvel's Spider-Man" for PlayStation 4.