Games that Came from Books

Don’t you love it when a book gets turned into a video game? I prefer it much more than when it becomes a movie for several reasons. You can walk away if you don’t like it, the experience is much more immersive, and you get to meet some of your characters face-to-screen! I’ve compiled a list of a few games that came from novels.

The Witcher Series

Especially The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The combat system is intricate, the world is massive and open, there is a fine selection of weapons and signs, a dialogue wheel lets you choose your own adventure, and even the time of day influences the gameplay. The series was the talk of 2015.

What I love about this game is that it doesn’t focus on hack-and-slash at its core, even though we are talking about an action RPG. The point of the game is the narrative, and CD Project has definitely shown what’s what to the companies that claim there is no longer any interest in single player games on the gaming market. Rarely has a game that comes from another medium received such praise from several different sources.

American McGee’s Alice

Imagine that Alice’s trip to Wonderland wasn’t just a fancy by an imaginative child, but a way to deal with trauma. That is exactly the premise for this game and its sequel – Alice: Madness Returns. Alice escaped to Wonderland to deal with the fact that she survived a fire that killed her family. As a result, all of the creatures and the entire atmosphere of the place have gone dark, macabre, and unsettling. It is a horror action-adventure platform game. I particularly like the feature in Madness Returns called Hysteria, which can be activated when Alice’s health is not at an enviable level. This upgrade turns you into a killing machine bloodier than Carrie.

The Harry Potter Series

Focusing on the games that follow the books, the series is very fun, though I would recommend sticking to the first couple of games. As the series progresses, the public has grown more and more dissatisfied with the games. So, stick with the Sorcerer’s Stone as an interesting E adventure, or try one of the sequels.

The puzzles, the plot, and the skills needed to progress in the games have made the series more than just a cash-in on the franchise. In terms of games that are not following the books, you can check out the Quidditch World Cup. It is not the best, but it does alright.

Game of Thrones

This is hardly the only game that was based on A Song of Ice and Fire series. However, now-closed Telltale Games created an impressive episodic adventure that follows the misfortunes of the House Forrester. Dialogue choices, quick-time events, and the usual don’t-get-too-attached vibe are all present.

You will need to keep asking yourself where your loyalties lie, as well as deal with the consequences of your choices. Furthermore, some quick-time events can get a bit tricky, but the upside is that you can reload the game from the last save point every time you die. Well, at least when you are not supposed to die. Sadly, due to Telltale’s downfall, the game is a little hard to come by.

Author: Davey