Summary
- Shared universes are common in films but less so in video games, with Nintendo being an exception due to owning all their characters.
- Doom, Wolfenstein, and Quake have been connected into a shared universe after id Software was purchased by ZeniMax Media.
- There are connections between Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 10 suggesting a shared world.
Shared universes are more common now than they've ever been. Whether it's Marvel, DC, or Star Trek, the world is not longing for good shared universes. But while this is relatively standard in films today, video games have a slightly less expansive track record with the concept.
While Nintendo is able to easily have their characters appear together due to the nature of their IP ownership, other properties have been brought together via acquisitions or mergers. Characters who were originally owned by one company became the property of another, leading to some developers having a bit of fun.
10 Doom Is Connected To The World Of Wolfenstein And Quake
What started as the ancestor of B.J. Blazkowicz fighting a Cyberdemon from Doom in Wolfenstein RPG has become a kooky lineage of demon-killing space marines, one that has lurked in the background of id Software's library after they were purchased by ZeniMax Media in 2009. This has led to the studio connecting Doom, Wolfenstein, and Quake into a fascinating shared universe of sorts.
Through the Blazkowicz family line, it's implied that multiple iterations of this surname go on to become space marines during the events of the Doom series. This multiverse of demons and monsters is being expanded even as we speak with Quake Champions, which has attempted to clean up some of the more messy lore by stating that heroes from across this universe can be called into arena battles together.
9 Final Fantasy 7 And Final Fantasy 10 Might Share A World
As a whole, the Final Fantasy series has cultivated a series of distinct worlds via a multiverse of sorts. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin has cemented this even further. Though there are not many direct connections between the Final Fantasy games, one of the more obvious ones is between 7 and 10.
A character in Final Fantasy 10 known as Shinra discusses the Farplane as a potential energy source, one that he could harvest into some sort of energy. The implication that he goes on to create the Shinra Electric Power Company in Final Fantasy 7 seems to imply that the world of 10, known as Spira, eventually becomes the cyberpunk dystopia world of Gaia from 7.
8 The Remedy Shared Universe Connects The Worlds Of Alan Wake, Control, And Max Payne
Remedy has slowly but surely built up a fascinating world to tell stories in. In Alan Wake, the lead character writes a series of detective novels starring Alex Casey, who bears a striking similarity to Max Payne. Casey is set to appear in the upcoming Alan Wake 2, where he will be voiced by Max Payne actor James McCaffrey and features the face of studio head Sam Lake.
Meanwhile, Control took steps to have characters from previous entries show up and even established the events of Alan Wake as being part of an Altered World Event that looks to lead directly into the sequel. A few scattered references to Control and Alan Wake appear in Quantum Break, but its status as a Microsoft-owned IP makes its inclusion in the universe dubious at best.
7 The Worlds Of Ninja Gaiden And Dead Or Alive
When Ninja Gaiden first came into prominence in the arcades and home consoles during the 1980s as a series of action-platformers, it grew up alongside another genre that was starting to take over - the fighting game. So as Tecmo was carving out its own section in the fighting game world with Dead Or Alive, they kicked things off by having Ninja Gaiden star Ryu Hayabusa as a playable character.
In the intervening years, Ninja Gaiden and Dead Or Alive have seen characters like Ayane, Rachel, Kasumi, and more weave in and out of different games in the respective series. Though any sort of official timeline isn't really available, implications about the Ninja Gaiden trilogy from the 2000s taking place before the Dead Or Alive games create some fun lore for this universe.
6 Grand Theft Auto Is Set In The Same Universe As Manhunt And Bully
As Rockstar's games tend to be set within grounded, somewhat realistic worlds, the prospect of them being tied together becomes a bit more credible than most. This is exactly what has been transpiring, as Rockstar has done plenty to quietly link their multiple properties together. While L.A. Noire appears to potentially take place decades after Red Dead Redemption, a few more obvious ones exist.
In Grand Theft Auto 3, a few radio stations refer to Carcer City, where the events of Manhunt take place. Additionally, in Grand Theft Auto 4, a television shows Bullworth Academy from Bully. These light references seem to tie all of Rockstar's exquisite and cinematic examinations of crime and sin together in a perfectly subtle way.
5 Half-Life And Portal Share The Same Universe
Valve's seminal first-person shooter has spawned numerous sequels, but the most intriguing aspect of Half-Life and its success has been its connections with Portal. Developed as a student project known as Narbacular Drop, it was seen by Valve, who turned it into what became Portal. It didn't take long for things to get funky, as Portal's nefarious Aperture Science appears to be a rival to Half-Life's Black Mesa.
Further, the two series are connected by a missing cargo ship known as the Borealis, one that was supposedly containing some sort of dangerous technology that the Combine was looking for. It was located by Judith Mossman in an arctic base, one that is briefly seen in Half-Life 2: Episode One. Meanwhile, players can find the harbor of the vanished ship in Portal 2.
4 Hideo Kojima's Grand Shared Universe
Even though Hideo Kojima is hard at work on Death Stranding 2, this isn't the first time that the auteur game director experimented with shared worlds. In Policenauts, a character named Meryl Silverburgh is shockingly similar to the one from Metal Gear Solid, while a little robot named Metal Gear Mk. II seems to appear in both Snatcher and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots.
Snatcher also features a nightclub called Outer Heaven and the re-release of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake from 2006 implies that Big Boss was a part of the Snatcher Project. In many ways, Kojima's connections here feel like a multiverse of sorts, that these characters and situations potentially exist in an infinite sea of possible worlds and futures.
3 Bomberman Becomes Lode Runner
Lode Runner was born out of a collaboration between Doug Smith and a couple of fellow students, who had their proposal for the project funded by Broderbund. After becoming successful in the arcades, Hudson Soft developed an NES version in 1984. A year later, in 1985, they would release an NES version of Bomberman and re-purpose an enemy sprite from Lode Runner as the main character.
In that game, Bomberman's quest is to reach the surface as he bombs his way out of a slave factory to become human. Once he does, it becomes clear that Bomberman and Lode Runner share a bit of DNA. In fact, Bomberman serves as a prequel to Lode Runner and shows how one character became another.
2 The Origin Systems Shared Universe
Origin Systems made a truly fascinating legacy as one of the most trusted and respected developers of the 80s and 90s. As a result of their enormous portfolio, it should be no surprise that Origin was up to some shenanigans during their time, with numerous connections.
SHODAN, the malevolent AI from System Shock, is mentioned in Crusader: No Remorse and a Kilrathi ship from Wing Commander can be found in Ultima VII. A more direct connection can be found in Ultima Underworld II, where a Kilrathi descendent makes a crystal clear connection to the Wing Commander series.
1 Ivalice Bridges The Final Fantasy Series Together
Consisting of multiple titles and spin-offs, the Ivalice series exists within a unique pocket of the Final Fantasy series, having been created by Yasumi Matsuno. First appearing in Vagrant Story for the PlayStation 1, Ivalice has gone on to create its own little world that exists inside a much larger one.
Characters from the mainline series appear at various times during Final Fantasy Tactics, while the city of Lea Monde from Vagrant Story is mentioned several times during Final Fantasy 12. Balthier from FF12 also appears in Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of The Lions, further linking all of these cult-favorite RPGs.