Some video game franchisesas Assassin’s Creed, sonic or Metal Gear Solid, spanned dozens of games and several decades. Some sagas, like the Final Fantasy, have been accompanying players for years, and also allow newcomers to join the bandwagon. Yet some don’t know that these games have ancestors, and sometimes on purpose. Whether it’s for marketing or other reasons, there are plenty of reasons why some studios choose to “hide” the connections between their games, and so there are plenty of classic games that fans may not be aware of. they belong to other franchises.
1) Control and Alan Wake
control is an action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment released in 2019, immersing players in a world in which paranormal phenomena and supernatural powers go hand in hand. What if fans of Remedy’s previous games have found similarities with Alan Wakereleased in 2010, this is certainly intentional, as both games take place in the same universe. This was all the more evident with the release of the expansion AWE, thus formalizing the “Remedy Connected Universe”. But before this release, there were already more subtle references, including references related to the location of Bright Falls.
2) Days Gone and Siphon Filter
At first glance, the two titles from Bend Studio might seem very distant from each other, Siphon Filter being a famous stealth game from the 90s-2000s, while Days Gone is a survival horror set in an apocalyptic setting in the United States. Other than the fact that the two games share the same developer, nothing seems to connect them. And yet, in Siphon Filter, the title of the game refers to a bacteriological weapon whose protagonists must prevent the release. And in Days Gonewe learn that a mysterious global pandemic has caused a zombie apocalypse. And while some think it might be a coincidence, the devs have said in previous interviews that it was indeed Siphon Filter which had caused the apocalypse in Days Gone. It is even possible to find the emblematic weapons of the main characters in the game.
3) Bomberman and Lode Runner
Many people consider the game bomber man on the 1987 NES as the first game in the series. In reality, there were two games released a few years earlier on the first personal computers, with one in 1985 and another in 1983. And it was that year that the first iteration of the character first appeared. Indeed, the end of the game connects him to the dark universe of the game Lode Runnerreleased the same year on Apple II. Lode Runner is a story in which the protagonist fights against a robotic empire. In the manual of bomber man on NES, we learn that Bomberman is a robot in the service of an empire and who seeks to escape and become human. In the ending of the game, he succeeds and transforms into the Lode Runner, which prevents him from being the Bomberman of the following games. That would then technically make it a prequel.
4) Metal Gear and Snatcher
Hideo Kojima has developed a large number of games and is known to place references to them all over the place. And if Metal Gear Solid became one of his best-known works, Kojima had a role in many others. His adventure game, Snatcherreleased in 1988, was retrospectively acclaimed as one of the best cyberpunk adventure games of all time, and identified as the basis for the themes that Kojima explored later in the series Metal Gear.
5) Nier and Drakengard
The game series Drakengard and Deny by Yoko Taro are among the most ambitious stories told in video games. In one of the purposes of Drakengard, the final boss is teleported to Earth where the protagonists must fight him. His corpse will then have devastating consequences for the planet. The game Deny is then a spin-off of the first Drakengard (2003) which follows the game’s fifth ending, the events of which have left Earth in a state of disrepair.
Credits: Drakengard X Nier by IkaPika
6) Code Vein and God Eater
Code Vein is an action-RPG game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainmentwhich when released in 2010, was soon referred to as “souls-like in anime version”. Because if everyone has seen the similarities with the famous From Software titles through the gameplay, the animation is directly inspired by the game God Eater 3. God Eater tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where we find powerful creatures called Aragami. These creatures can also be seen in Code Vein, when the red mist is dissipated. In addition, several weapons of God Eater can also be obtained which isn’t so surprising, given that both games share the same dev team.
7) Captain Commando and Final Fight
video games of the type beat them all was on the rise in the 90s, the goal being to let off steam on an impressive number of enemies, most often with friends thanks to the co-op mode. Therefore, the scenario was not really the priority, or even essential.. We can then wonder what could share two games of the genre such as finalfightwhose first opus was released in 1989, and Captain Commandoreleased in 1991. It turns out that both games take place in the same city, namely Metro City. We can then find various references to finalfight in Captain Commandolike busts bearing the likeness of Haggar for example.
8) Shadow of the Colossus and Ico
Many gamers think that games like Icon (2001) and Shadow of the Colossus (2005) are some of the most ambitious and beautiful games on the PlayStation 2. In 2011, these two Team ICO titles were brought together in a re-release for the PS3. Indeed, if the stories of the games are subject to interpretation, the end of Shadow of the Colossus leads to the events of Icon. Many then believe that Wander became the horned young boy. Both games also feature remarkably similar themes, like the notion of sacrifice and the place of nature. There is also a theory that the third game from Team ICO, The Last Guardian (2016), would also be linked to the other games. Because during the PS4 remake of Shadow of the Colossus in 2018, fans discovered places of The Last Guardian in the game. Although the links have not been officially confirmedif true, that would make these games a trilogy in and of themselves.
And if you want to find out this terrible news about the most anticipated game of the yearsee our previous article on the subject, right here.