Games Where Collecting Items Unlocks Director Commentary

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As a huge gamer, I’ve always been fascinated by how games are made. It’s so cool when developers share their thoughts! A lot of times, they hide behind-the-scenes info – like why they made certain design choices or the problems they ran into – and you have to earn the right to hear it. Usually, that means finding hidden collectibles or completing specific challenges in the game. I found a list of fifty games that do this, where unlocking developer commentary is part of the fun. It’s a great way to appreciate all the work that goes into making a game!

‘BioShock Remastered’ (2016)

In the game, players search the underwater city of Rapture for special Golden Reels hidden throughout the different areas. Each Reel unlocks a video where the game’s creative director, Ken Levine, and lead animator, Shawn Robertson, talk about the game’s art style and the challenges they overcame while making it. Collecting all the Reels gives players a complete behind-the-scenes look at how this immersive shooter was created.

‘Firewatch’ (2016)

This game features developer commentary delivered through an ‘Audio Tour’ mode. Players find cassette tapes hidden throughout the Wyoming landscape to unlock discussions about the story and how the game was made. These tapes are collectibles that encourage you to explore the world and offer interesting behind-the-scenes insights. They’re separate from the main items you’ll find while playing, appearing as unique collectibles to discover.

‘The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay’ (2004)

So, I found out there’s this cool commentary mode in the game, but it’s hidden! You have to hunt down cigarette packs all over the prison to unlock it. It’s a bit like a side quest that really makes you explore every nook and cranny, which is awesome because the place is seriously creepy. Once you get it going, the developers from Starbreeze Studios talk about how they designed the stealth parts and all the cool graphical stuff they did. Honestly, it was pretty unusual to see that kind of behind-the-scenes info in a shooter back then.

‘Mark of the Ninja’ (2012)

Discover hidden scrolls in each level to unlock a special developer commentary. When activated, this mode displays thought bubbles explaining how the stealth mechanics and levels were created. The developers share insights into the difficulties of building a smoothly animated 2D stealth game. These collectibles offer a lot of extra enjoyment for players who are interested in game design.

‘Tomb Raider: Anniversary’ (2007)

The game challenges players to find secret Relics and Artifacts, which unlock extras like director commentary. These collectibles are cleverly hidden in challenging spots, demanding skillful jumping and movement. The commentary includes insights from Jason Botta and Toby Gard about recreating the original game, and finding all of this content is a reward for the most thorough players.

‘Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’ (2007)

Throughout the game, players take on the role of treasure hunters, discovering hidden artifacts to earn points. These points can be used to buy extras like developer commentary and character skins. If you want to unlock everything, you’ll need to find every single treasure!

‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’ (2009)

In this game, discovering secret collectibles earns you in-game currency to unlock extra content. The audio commentary explains how the developers created the large environments and made the fighting better. Naughty Dog also improved how they recorded character movements, and they share details about this process. Players who want to unlock everything will need to thoroughly explore each level.

‘Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception’ (2011)

So, like in the previous games, this one has hidden collectibles! You explore to find relics, which basically earn you in-game cash. And what do you spend it on? Developer commentary! It’s super interesting – they talk all about how they made the sand and water look so realistic in the desert and ocean parts of the game. If you’re a completionist like me, finding all the relics is a big deal – it’s a real challenge!

‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ (2016)

As a huge Nathan Drake fan, I loved discovering all the hidden pirate treasures in his last game! They weren’t just cool collectibles, though – you actually earned points with them. I spent those points to unlock developer commentary, which was awesome! The directors talked about how it felt to wrap up the series and all the cool new things they were able to do with the PlayStation 4. Honestly, you really had to explore everything to find all the treasures and unlock those behind-the-scenes insights – it was totally worth it!

‘Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’ (2017)

In the game, players journey through the Western Ghats, discovering tokens and treasures which act as points to unlock extra content. Unlocking developer commentary reveals how they decided to make Chloe Frazer the main character. The developers also discuss the difficulties of building a large, open area within the game’s usual structure. If players find all the hidden collectibles, they’ll earn enough points to unlock everything in the bonus menu.

‘The Last of Us Remastered’ (2014)

Players can earn extra rewards by finding Firefly pendants and other collectibles throughout the game. These rewards unlock behind-the-scenes commentary from the game’s director, Neil Druckmann, and the actors, who share insights into the performances and what drives the characters. Discovering these items gives players a richer understanding of the story.

‘The Last of Us Part II’ (2020)

As you play, you’ll collect cards and coins which act as points to spend in an extras shop. With these points, you can unlock the director’s commentary for the game’s cutscenes. This commentary dives deep into the story and the impressive technology used to create realistic facial expressions. Finding everything you can is key to being able to afford this extra content.

‘Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando’ (2003)

Insomniac Games added a special developer commentary feature, but you need to earn it by completing challenging tasks hidden throughout the game levels. These tasks reward you with Skill Points, which unlock the commentary. The commentary reveals the fast-paced development process of creating the game’s sequel just one year after the first one. To hear these behind-the-scenes stories, you’ll need to become skilled at playing the game.

‘Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal’ (2004)

Unlock developer commentary by achieving various combat and exploration milestones to earn Skill Points. The team talks about adding multiplayer and improving how weapons can be upgraded. This feature offers a funny and insightful behind-the-scenes look at how the game was made. Players will need to try out different gadgets to find all the secret goals.

‘Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction’ (2007)

Finding Gold Bolts and Skill Points unlocks cheats and lets you hear the game developers talk about how it was made. The team talks about moving to better graphics for the PlayStation 3 and explains why they chose a bright, cartoon-like animation style. It takes a really talented player to get absolutely everything the game has to offer.

‘Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time’ (2009)

Players can unlock special commentary by collecting Zoni and finishing Skill Point challenges. The commentary dives into how the game handles time manipulation and explores the emotional journey of the character Clank. Insomniac Games also shares behind-the-scenes stories about creating the levels and some content that didn’t make it into the final game. Completing these extra challenges adds a lot more playtime.

‘Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus’ (2002)

In Master Thief Sprints, players compete against the clock to unlock behind-the-scenes commentary from the game developers. This commentary provides insights into the game’s art style and the creative choices behind the unique, comic book-inspired world, with Sucker Punch Productions detailing influences from both comic books and heist films. Successfully completing levels quickly and accurately is key to earning these audio rewards.

‘Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader’ (2001)

To unlock audio commentary in the game, players need to complete missions and earn medals. The game’s developers, Factor 5, share insights into how they maximized the GameCube’s capabilities. They explain how they faithfully recreated famous scenes like the trench run and epic space battles from the movies. Earning medals requires achieving high scores and completing missions quickly.

‘Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike’ (2003)

Winning gold medals in all the campaign missions unlocks a special commentary track for this game. The developers talk about adding missions where you explore on foot and the challenges of building the new game engine. Factor 5 shares details about how they created the game’s lighting and sound. To get all the bonus content, players need to become skilled with every vehicle.

‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

Players score points by discovering golden spider icons and succeeding in battles, which unlocks extra art and developer commentary. The game creators talk about how difficult it was to make Spider-Man’s swinging feel realistic. Plus, Stan Lee lends his voice to some of the bonus features. Finding all the collectibles requires thorough exploration of the city.

‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)

Earn points for in-game rewards by finding tokens and completing challenges. The game features a unique swinging mechanic, and the developers at Treyarch explain how they’ve built an open-world mission system. You can also gain points by rescuing people and preventing crimes around the city.

‘Indigo Prophecy’ (2005)

Throughout the game, players can discover hidden bonus points within the environments. Collecting these points unlocks extras in the main menu, like the director’s commentary and behind-the-scenes videos. In these videos, David Cage talks about the game’s unique interactive storytelling and the motion capture technology used to create it. To find all the bonus points, you’ll need to carefully explore every scene.

‘Heavy Rain’ (2010)

Discovering all the game’s endings and bonus items will unlock videos featuring insights from the developers. In these videos, Quantic Dream shares details about the game’s intricate story and how the actors were chosen. The directors also talk about the challenges of writing a story with four main characters that players can control. To find everything the game has to offer, you’ll need to play through sections multiple times.

‘Beyond: Two Souls’ (2013)

Throughout the game, you can unlock extra content by finding hidden blue spirits in each chapter. The commentary includes conversations with Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe about their work bringing the characters to life through performance capture. You’ll also hear from David Cage, who shares his thoughts on the game’s supernatural elements and unique, branching storyline. To find these spirits, you’ll need to use the character Aiden to access areas you normally couldn’t reach.

‘Detroit: Become Human’ (2018)

As you play through each chapter and make choices, you’ll earn points. You can use these points to unlock bonus content like character models and behind-the-scenes videos. The game features a complex story with many different paths, and exploring all the possibilities is the best way to earn enough points to unlock everything.

‘Primal’ (2003)

Finding all the Tarot cards hidden throughout the game’s demon worlds will reward you with concept art and interviews with the game developers. These extras offer insights into the relationship between the two main characters, the game’s combat system, and the technical challenges the team at Sony Studio Cambridge overcame while developing for the PlayStation 2. To complete the Tarot deck, players will need to explore secret areas.

‘Ghosthunter’ (2003)

Discovering all the ghosts and secret icons hidden throughout the game will unlock extra content in the archives. The game’s creators talk about how they combined funny and scary moments, and they also detail the tools you use to catch ghosts and the different looks of each level. To unlock everything, you’ll need to explore carefully and find all the collectibles.

‘God of War’ (2005)

Players can find hidden treasures and behind-the-scenes videos by destroying statues and collecting Phoenix Feathers. The director’s commentary explains how Kratos was developed, from the initial ideas to the final design. David Jaffe shares insights into the game’s combat system and how the developers created its massive scope. Discovering all the game’s secrets unlocks special rewards for players.

‘God of War II’ (2007)

Finding Cyclops Eyes and Gorgon Feathers will give you access to extra costumes and behind-the-scenes information from the developers. Cory Barlog provides commentary, detailing the game’s larger scale and new mythological world. The developers also explain the techniques they used to create the epic battles against the Titans. To unlock everything, you’ll need to fully upgrade your character’s health and magic.

‘God of War III’ (2010)

Unlock behind-the-scenes videos by finding all the Minotaur Horns and Godly Possessions. These videos feature the developers talking about how the trilogy ends and the capabilities of the PlayStation 3, including insights into the boss battles and the game’s powerful finishing moves. Be sure to explore every corner of the game world to discover these rare items!

‘God of War: Chains of Olympus’ (2008)

Finishing the game and discovering all the Gorgon Eyes will give you access to developer videos about this version for the PSP. Ready at Dawn talks about the difficulties of adapting the game’s large scope to the handheld system, including changes to the controls and how they created the lighting. To fully complete the game, you’ll need to collect every upgrade.

‘God of War: Ghost of Sparta’ (2010)

Players explore to find secret relics and improve chests, which unlocks special bonuses in the Temple of Zeus. The game’s story explains the history of Kratos’ brother and features detailed underwater levels. The creators talk about maximizing the power of the handheld console. Discovering these relics requires careful attention while you explore.

‘The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan’ (2019)

As you explore the abandoned ship and discover hidden photos and secrets, you’ll unlock behind-the-scenes interviews. These interviews feature the developers talking about the game’s story, which changes based on your choices, and how the two-player cooperative mode works. Supermassive Games also shares details about the real-life legends that inspired the game. To uncover everything, players need to carefully investigate every object they can interact with to complete the game’s collection of secrets.

‘The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope’ (2020)

To see exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, you’ll need to uncover hidden secrets within the mysterious, fog-shrouded town. The team talks about the story’s witchcraft elements and how the creatures were designed. You’ll also learn how the actors performed during motion capture. Really digging into the game’s world is key to understanding everything and unlocking all the extra content.

‘The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes’ (2021)

Gathering all the stone tablets and journals reveals bonus content, including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the game’s creators. In these, the developers detail the game’s setting – the Iraq War – and its terrifying underground elements. They also talk about how they designed the monsters and developed the connections between characters. Finding all of this hidden lore is a real test for hardcore horror enthusiasts.

‘The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me’ (2022)

Players can find hidden coins and cards throughout the game to unlock special dioramas and interviews with the developers. These extras delve into the game’s inspirations – particularly slasher movies – and explain how the deadly traps work. Supermassive Games also shares how they designed the layout of the creepy hotel where the story unfolds. Players use in-game currency they collect to purchase these bonus features.

‘Until Dawn’ (2015)

Discovering hidden totems and clues on the mountain will unlock behind-the-scenes videos about the making of Until Dawn. These videos feature the developers talking about how the game’s ‘butterfly effect’ system works and the classic horror elements they used. They also discuss the difficulties of creating a game where every character is vulnerable. Finding all the clues reveals the complete story background and extra bonus content.

‘The Quarry’ (2022)

Throughout the game, players gather Tarot cards, which unlock helpful insights and new production options. The game’s director talks about drawing inspiration from 80s horror films and managing a large cast of characters. Supermassive Games also details how they created the atmosphere in nighttime scenes using special lighting. Discovering these cards usually means making particular choices as the story unfolds.

‘Resident Evil 5’ (2009)

As a big fan, I love finding all the hidden BSAA emblems throughout the game! They’re destructible, so you have to shoot them to get points. You can then use those points to unlock cool stuff like figurines and different visual filters. What’s really neat is that some of the unlocks include notes from the developers about how they designed the characters – it’s like getting a peek behind the scenes! It takes some serious searching to find every single blue emblem, but it’s totally worth it.

‘Resident Evil 6’ (2012)

To unlock extra content like concept art and story details, you need to find hidden Serpent Emblems throughout each of the game’s four campaigns. These emblems reveal insights from the developers about the game’s story and creatures, including how the different storylines connect. To find them all, you’ll need to play through the game from every character’s point of view.

‘Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening’ (2005)

Once you finish the game and achieve top style rankings, you’ll unlock a gallery of content and videos from the developers. These videos feature the team talking about how they created the style system and a younger version of the character Dante. Hideaki Itsuno, a key developer, also explains that the game is designed to be challenging and fast-paced, requiring players to become skilled with the combo system to experience everything it has to offer.

‘Devil May Cry 4’ (2008)

Players can unlock concept art and behind-the-scenes details by finding Proud Souls and Red Orbs. The game’s creators talk about adding Nero and his Devil Bringer weapon, and the difficulties of making both him and Dante fun to play. Getting enough in-game money means playing with style and thoroughly exploring the levels.

‘Bayonetta’ (2009)

Players collect Halos by defeating enemies and discovering secret portals. These Halos can then be used to unlock bonus content like developer commentary and concept art. PlatinumGames shares insights into the game’s over-the-top action and character creation. Unlocking all the hidden secrets requires collecting millions of Halos.

‘Bayonetta 2’ (2014)

Finding all the Halos and Bewitchments will give you access to an art gallery and director’s commentary. In the commentary, the director talks about the game’s vibrant art style and impressive summon attacks. The developers also share details about how they worked with Nintendo to create this special game. Skilled players will earn extra in-game currency to spend in the shop.

‘The Wonderful 101’ (2013)

To unlock all the gallery content and Bottle Cap achievements, you’ll need to find O-Parts and hidden files. These files contain interesting details, including notes from the game’s director about the superhero influences and explanations from Hideki Kamiya’s team on how the Unite Morph system works. Finding everything requires becoming skilled with the game’s drawing mechanics.

‘Viewtiful Joe’ (2003)

As you find film reels and earn V-Points, you’ll unlock concept art and character details. The game features a unique visual style inspired by comic books and cel-shading, and players can control time. It’s also a loving tribute to classic tokusatsu shows. To get extra characters and content, you’ll need to achieve high scores.

‘Tomb Raider: Legend’ (2006)

Discovering hidden bronze, silver, and gold collectibles throughout the game unlocks behind-the-scenes interviews with the developers and detailed 3D models of objects. The team at Crystal Dynamics talks about reimagining the Tomb Raider series and updating Lara Croft for a new generation. They also share insights into the game’s realistic puzzles and stunning environments. The gold collectibles are the hardest to find.

‘Tomb Raider: Underworld’ (2008)

To unlock concept art and behind-the-scenes details, players need to find hidden treasures and relics throughout the game. The developers also share insights into how the trilogy’s story ends and detail the new, realistic animations created for Lara Croft using motion capture technology. Finding these relics often requires skillful swimming and climbing.

‘Hitman 3’ (2021)

The Deluxe Edition features audio commentary from the director, which plays as you start each mission. To get the most out of the extra content, players need to complete certain escalation contracts or challenges. IO Interactive developers share insights into how levels like Dubai and Dartmoor were designed. Improving your assassination skills will also let you unlock higher mastery levels.

‘Turok: Dinosaur Hunter’ (2015)

This updated version of the classic game encourages players to hunt for hidden purple icons. Finding these icons unlocks special developer notes and insights into the game’s creation. Nightdive Studios cleverly placed them throughout the intricate levels to reward curious players. The developer commentary specifically details how the iconic fog effects were created for the original N64 game, so players will need to thoroughly explore every part of the jungle environment to uncover them all.

Share your favorite developer commentary track in the comments.

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2025-12-11 14:55