Games with shared universes (, a thread where we talk about)

[noiseredux]

I know a lot of folks find this kind of stuff tiresome, but I've always been into the shared universe thing. So I thought it might be fun to talk about various games/series that share a universe with other games/series, and to what extent.

I'm talking about stuff like the this pic from Dragon Age: Inquisition, which would allude to the Dragon Age games taking place in the same universe as the Mass Effect games.



I mean I guess you can take it two ways. You could say that it's just a cute easter egg from Bioware. Or you could be like me and say "Yes!" and point at the screen and nod knowingly.

(The more interesting thing about that screenshot would be that the DA and ME games are taking place concurrently, right? Like, it's not that this medieval society will eventually develop into the technologically advanced world of the ME games. They've got a dead alien head right there, y'all).

At any rate - I ramble. Let's talk crossovers. Pics are plenty welcome.

[ElkinFencer10]

There are a couple of Elder Scrolls references in Fallout IIRC.

[isiolia]

I'd lean more towards Easter Egg for most - I mean, really intentional shared universes tend to get advertised as spinoffs. However...


Catherine shares a lot with Persona, with a fair number of easter eggs (listed here). Also, PS4 and Vita version announced today, so yay?

A similar reference to the DA/ME one is in Uncharted 4, which is about pirates, and only barely stops short of naming Guybrush Threepwood as one of them:


Naughty Dog has also referenced their other games back and forth, with Uncharted 3 foreshadowing The Last of Us

At the time, it suggested that they might be in the same world...but The Last of Us had a similar thing teasing an Uncharted movie, and U4 had a poster with a pregant Ellie teasing a Last of Us follow-up before it was officially announced. Plus you literally play Crash Bandicoot in U4 a couple times, so it's more just Naughty Dog referencing themselves.

[noiseredux]

I'd lean more towards Easter Egg for most - I mean, really intentional shared universes tend to get advertised as spinoffs. However...

I mean, I agree - or at least the logical part of my brain does. But it's more FUN for me to get kind of wrapped up in the fan-theory fantasy of just calling them part of a shared universe.

A similar reference to the DA/ME one is in Uncharted 4, which is about pirates, and only barely stops short of naming Guybrush Threepwood as one of them:

That's hilarious! And random.

Naughty Dog has also referenced their other games back and forth, with Uncharted 3 foreshadowing The Last of Us

Cool. I like stuff like that.

Alright another one I thought of that is clearly intentional and not easter eggy at all would be that the DOA and Ninja Gaiden games (retroactively) became a shared universe.

[Sload Soap]

There's the 0451 lineage. Not sure if it counts as a shared universe or just nods. Could see Deus Ex and System Shock being in the same universe.

Nier and Drakengard is the only one I can think of off the top of my head.

[Jagosaurus]

This was also done in earlier console RPGs. Off the top of my head the Land/Lady/Time Stalker series and the Shining games have some overlap.

I believe Square and/or Enix did it as well across different series as well. Perhaps FF characters showing up in other games or vice versa, other characters showing up in FF?

Did Game Arts do this as well with some of their characters, the Grandia crew showing up elsewhere? Might've dreamed that one...

[isiolia]

I believe Square and/or Enix did it as well across different series as well. Perhaps FF characters showing up in other games or vice versa, other characters showing up in FF?

Main thing I can think of there is Ivalice, which is the setting for XII, the Tactics games, and Vagrant Story.

There are definitely other things that brought characters together from different FF titles, but they're pretty contrived as I recall.

[Gunstar Green]

Just an easter egg but in the first Space Quest you can crash land into the moat of Castle Daventry in King's Quest. Ultima 7 does something similar, you can find a crashed Kilrathi ship from Wing Commander.

Some better examples of actual shared universes:

Commander Keen's real name is William "Billy Blaze" Blazkowicz, the grandson of Wolfenstein 3D's BJ Blazkowicz.

There's also an obvious one in Street Fighter and Final Fight and a few other connected Capcom titles like Saturday Night Slammasters.

[noiseredux]

Commander Keen's real name is William "Billy Blaze" Blazkowicz, the grandson of Wolfenstein 3D's BJ Blazkowicz.

There's also an obvious one in Street Fighter and Final Fight and a few other connected Capcom titles like Saturday Night Slammasters.

right right, I did think of this one. This is a good one. Final Fight was spun-off from Street Fighter and then later characters such as Poison and Hugo made appearances in Street Fighter games.

[Segata]

Nier/Drakengard
Donkey Kong/Mario
Manhunt/GTA (?)
Portal/Half Life
Ico/SotC
SF/Final Fight/SNSM