How two games I played recently handle pop culture references.

DOOM (PS4):
It only features a few subtle references.

Example: If you fall into the molten fire in the foundry, you'll quickly die and sink. The last we see of our hero is one of this hands jutting from the immolated soup, giving us one last thumbs up. Yep, it's a well-played head nod to Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Why this references works:
It's subtle and unexpected, plus it fits with DOOM's violent theme.

Zombeer (PC):
Spams the living crap out of random pop culture references, as if the developers were desperately seeking approval.

Example: While crawling around in the ventilation ducts on the roof, you come across a Skyrim-ish dragon. The creature speaks in a peculiar language and flies away, never to be seen again.

Why this reference doesn't work:
Skyrim and Zombeer have little in common. Also, Zombeer loves to dish out throwbacks to IPs without context or care, from The Simpsons to Saw. One moment, you're gunning down zombies. The next, you're picking up question mark boxes while an 8-bit BGM plays. Why? For hilarity? For nostalgia? More than anything, it comes off as a cheap bid to winning over players, rather than relying on the game's actual merits (which are few) to accomplish that end.