Reading a book is a great way to escape the everyday stresses and strains of life. With the words of an author whisking you away to a world where your imagination can run wild. There have been many times over the years that a good book has been ripe for a video game adaption. Occasionally, the good ones get chosen. So, in tribute to World Book Day, here's a selection of video games based on novels that turned out quite well.
Parasite Eve
This 1998 action-RPG from Squaresoft was seen as a straight sequel to Hideaki Sena's 1995 novel of the same name. The book takes up the relatively simple concept of mitochondria becoming an intelligent lifeform known here as Eve. Eve can manipulate human's thoughts and actions by signalling to the mitochondria in their body and does so to the body of a young woman; and so begins a race to prevent Eve creating a family,you know, that old story.
The game is also suitably odd. Following rookie cop Aya Brea as she gets caught up in Eve's latest body rental shenanigans in a neat hybrid of Resident Evil and Final Fantasy. Parasite Eve went on to get video game sequels, a film and a Manga over the years. The book that started it all only got translated into English a decade ago. Sadly wasn't translated all that well.
Metro 2033
In 2005, Russian journalist Dmitry Glukhovsky wrote a sci-fi novel about a post-apocalyptic Moscow, where the human race was forced to live in the underground railways to avoid both the radioactive surface world and the horrifying mutants created by it. It painted a terribly grim picture of people struggling to survive in the dark and dank tunnels of the metro while the ugly side of humanity continues to thrive.
The video game adaptation, released originally in 2010 by 4A Games and THQ, was a fairly faithful representation of the novel, flaws and all. The book got a sequel in the form of Metro 2034 and the game's sequel Last Light went with an entirely new direction to the books and was well received critically.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Tom Clancy's counterterrorist heavy book from 1998 helped spawn a gagillion imitators and 80% of Call of Duty plotlines since Modern Warfare. Rainbow Six told the story of a group of the best soldiers from militaries around the globe out to rid the world of terrorism. Like Captain Planet, but with more ‘'Alpha Charlie Tango Fanta'' and stern-looking men with mustaches. It was the airport novel of choice, selling a gruffly handsome amount of copies.
Mr Clancy helped deliver a video game version to go with the novel's release. Then its blend of tactical first-person shootery allowed it to start a wildly successful series that unfortunately turned out quite terrible upon its PlayStation debut. Redemption was to be had though and Tommy's series came good on PlayStation as the generations went by, culminating in the pretty decent Rainbow Six Vegas series. It makes its return later this year with Rainbow Six Siege.
Game of Thrones
Everyone knows Game of Thrones. It's that telly show with boobs, swords and a classier, bloodier level of schoolyard bitching. Of course, it was a near twenty-year old book series too, also full of boobs, swords and bitching. It's mainly about an ongoing battle for the Iron Throne of King's Landing. Also highlighting the onrushing doom that is the threat from beyond The Wall.
In 2012, Atlus and developer Cyanide had the first major crack at adapting George R.R. Martin's work into a video game. This RPG take on Westeros was close to the novels in spirit. Sadly as a game, it was a bit of a mess, both graphically and mechanically. It has managed to gain some cult appeal since. Game-making machine Telltale has also taken it on. The results were sadly just as mixed.
Dynasty Warriors
Tecmo Koei's long running Dynasty Warriors is a spinoff series of old turn-based strategy titles Romance of the Three Kingdoms. That in turn is based on the Chinese novel of the same name by Luo Guanzhong. There's a lot less 400-hit combos in the book for better or worse. The book is a mix of true historical events, legend and myth surrounding the troubled times at the end of the Han Dynasty.
Both the novel and Dynasty Warriors dramatise the lives of the feudal lords. In Dynasty Warriors it's a tad more soap opera than high drama. Romancing The Three Kingdoms is considered one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Dynasty Warriors has dozens of sequels and spinoffs including both Gundam and Zelda. Personally, I think the book misses out by not having mechs in it.
