Since the dawn of entertainment, particularly video games, seeing our favorite characters sharing the screen side by side has always been a source of happiness and expectation.
So, as game developers and their work have grown, their tendency to experiment has also increased. This has led toshared universesbecoming not only a reality but a central element of modern popular culture.
As a result, more and more titles are intertwining their dimensions, which creates entire cosmoses of stories and lore. Therefore, we celebrate these combined realms through our list often games that have shared universes.
10The Witcher and Cyberpunk
Ciri’s Futuristic Voyage
Developer(s)
CD Projekt RED
References
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Despite the obvious differences between CD Projekt’s two flagship franchises, the medieval setting ofThe Witcherand the dystopian futurism of Cyberpunk share thesame universe, asThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntconfirms.
In the game, we heard how his daughter Ciri ended up in a world where people had “metal in their heads”, battled from a distance with “things similar to megascopes” and had their “own flying ships”, clearly describing Night City, the location ofCyberpunk 2077.
8 Gaming Flops That Made Incredible Comebacks
Sometimes it’s just a flop and nothing can be done to save it. For a select few, though, there is redemption. A rise from the ashes takes place.
The connection between the two games lies exclusively in that dialogue, while nothing else in their respective worlds points to a shared universe. Yet, the idea is so appealing that, like any other fan,I prefer to believe it’s real.
9Hitman and Kane & Lynch
The Protagonists Meet
IO Interactive
TPS and Stealth
Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Absolution
As IO Interactive focused on theHitmanseries over the last decade, they leftKane & Lynch, their other well-known franchise, without new entries since 2010.
However, that didn’t stop them from connecting the two worlds through various references inHitman: Absolution, such as Kane’s appearance in the “Welcome to Hope” mission and Lynch’s in the “Birdie’s Gift” mission.
In addition, albeit to a lesser extent, some newspapers inHitman: Blood Moneynarrate part of the events ofKane & Lynch: Dead Men, furtherreinforcing their shared,although undeveloped,universe.
8Apex Legends and Titanfall
It Was Titanfall 3, After All
Respawn Entertainment
Battle Royale and FPS
Apex Legends
The connection betweenApex LegendsandTitanfallis more than established. Since the launch of Battle Royale,Respawn Entertainment has always alluded to their works as part of a shared universe, even for future projects.
To be more precise, not only do the franchises feature the sameunique mechanics, but Apex Legends has numerous connections to FPS—from taking place 18 years afterTitanfall 2to sharing several characters, weapons, and factions.
In the end, Apex Legends was going to beTitanfall 3, so it’s natural it was conceived as part of the Titanfall Universe. That may mean we will never get a third entry, but at least its legacy lives on.
7Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon
War Connections
Stealth and Tactical shooter
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Ghost Recon 2, Ghost Recon AW 2, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
You can connect all ofTom Clancy’s games, as the franchises are constantly sharing characters, events, and organizations, but some of the strongest links are found betweenSplinter CellandGhost Recon.
Among the most prominent, the Navy warship USS Clarence E. Walsh from Ghost Recon 2 appears in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and the initiative Third Echelon from Splinter Cell is mentioned in Ghost Recon: AW 2.
Even Sam Fisher himself appears in “Operation Watchman” fromGhost Recon: Wildlandsand “Operation Checkmate” fromGhost Recon: Breakpoint, which further establishes the coexistence of both franchises in the same world.
6Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs
The Timeless Conflict
Action-adventure
Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, and Assassin’s Creed: Origins
Ubisoft merged the worlds ofAssassin’s CreedandWatch Dogsin a natural and progressive way, presentingplenty of indicators of their connectionthrough many of its entries.
From documents inAssassin’s Creed: Originsalluding to Watch Dogs locations to Aiden Pearce executing a character fromAssassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, the conflict between Assassins and Templars cuts across both franchises.
Given the state of both series, we might even think about a more formal approach to their shared universe, increasing the connection of their characters and stories toa pointwhere they become one.
5Deathloop and Dishonored
A Continuation By Other Means
Arkane Studios
FPS and Stealth
While the world ofDishonoredwas originally used to bolsterDeathloop’s design, Arkane Studios confirmed the latter takes place afterDishonored: Death of the Outsider.
10 Games That Deserved GOTY, But Lost
Yes, Red Dead Redemption II is on the list.
As the developers wanted to explore the aftermath of the entity’s demise, Dishonored’s remnants are seen in Deathloop through key elements such as the pistols of the guards fromDishonored 2and the magic and powers from the Void.
Arkane placed clues to hint at this shared universe all along, and now there is even aunique timelinethat connects both franchises, introducing Dishonored’s geopolitical influence on Blackreef’s origins.
4Doom and Wolfenstein
A Shared Bloodline
id Software
Wolfenstein RPG, Doom RPG, and Doom II RPG
DoomandWolfensteinnot only share their presence among thebest shooters of all time,but also a common bloodline that ties their protagonists together.
Regarding their connection, the main reference is Wolfenstein RPG, which implies the original protagonist of Doom is a descendant of B.J. Blazkowicz.
Simultaneously, the game’s final boss, the Harbinger of Doom, loses to Blazkowicz and swears to have a rematch with his descendants—a prophecy he fulfills as the Cyberdemon boss both in Doom RPG and Doom II RPG.
If that’s not enough, John Romero and Tom Hall have often established that both franchises are related, so it’s undeniably canon.
3Drakengard and Nier
A Distant But Lasting Link
Cavia, Access Games, PlatinumGames
ARPG and Hack-and-slash
Nier Replicant and NieR: Automata
The creator ofDrakengardandNier, Yoko Taro, loves to make intricate worlds, soconnecting both franchiseswas just an expected outcome.
As the biggest connection,Nier Replicantis set in an alternative reality transformed by the events of Drakengard’s fifth ending, leaving us with shared weapons, related journal entries, and more subtle elements.
NieR: Automatahas notable references too, such as the Cult of the Watchers tattoo on Eve’s body, a weapon trader that mentions Accord from Drakengard 3, and even archives about the events of Drakengard’s Ending E that led to Nier.
2Portal and Half-Life
Aperture Science Vs. Black Mesa
Puzzle Platformer and FPS
Portal, Portal 2, and Half-Life 2
Half-LifeandPortalare one of the first recorded instances of a shared universe, withValve’s masterpiecesrepresenting everything charming about this novel concept.
Despite not being a very explicit connection, as it’s not shown beyond dialogue, pictures, and drawings, it’s a pioneer of the concept and a great example of players gathering to craft theories and share their interpretations.
Thanks to this,the rivalry between Half-Life’s Black Mesa and Portal’s Aperture Science is legendary in video games. Perhaps it is more so for what is theorized than for what is known, but it’s still an iconic shared universe.
1Control and Alan Wake
The Remedy Connected Universe
Remedy Entertainment
Action-adventure TPS and Psychological thriller
Control and Alan Wake 2
ControlandAlan Wakeare part of the initiative that their creators have called theRemedy Connected Universe, thus being the most direct example of a shared world in video games.
10 Best Mystery Games, Ranked
If you’re looking for a game with a good mystery, this list has you covered!
While the first Alan Wake laid the foundations and was more self-contained, Control andAlan Wake 2have further explored their combined reality, creating a shared set of organizations, rules, and even metaphysics.
The context provided by the latter entries of the Remedy Connected Universe improved the quality and depth of its experiences, turning it intothe best and most profound shared universe of the entire industry.
