Video games inspired by books have always borrowed elements or drawn inspiration from stories. The roots of this stretch back to the time of tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons, which were highly narrative-focused. It’s precisely this narrative quality that makes books and video games much closer mediums than film either of these two. And while all three media tell a story, the film is entirely confined within its time frame, whereas books and video games don’t have that burden.
However, using books to develop video games was less prevalent in this rapidly growing industry, at least during its early years in the ’80s and ’90s. Although subsequent periods brought forth several interesting titles based on literary works, this trend took off until the new century.
There are games like Sherlock Holmes and The Lord of the Rings, including the recent Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Let’s not forget about Shadows of Mordor, a text adventure from 1987.). Numerous video games draw inspiration from popular books, including Neuromancer, based on William Gibson’s renowned novel, and 80 Days, a mobile game that takes inspiration from Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. There are games based on blockbuster films like The Godfather, classic literature like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and historical epics like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
When it comes to games, comics have been an excellent inspiration for countless superhero and horror titles. One of my personal favourites is The Darkness.
Below, in celebration of World Book Day, we’ve selected several titles that successfully leverage literary premises. Some you might have known, some we believe you haven’t (and we were surprised by some titles too).
1. Assassin’s Creed
Right off the bat, a surprise. Many games on this list are more or less direct adaptations of books, but many original games still owe some of their ideas to literary works.
Assassin’s Creed is a popular video game franchise inspired by Vladimir Bartol’s 1938 novel Alamut. The first game’s producer, Jade Raymond, drew inspiration from the novel’s plot, which is set in a natural Persian fortress called Alamut. The fortress was located about a hundred kilometres away from present-day Tehran.
2.BioShock
I bet most of you already knew this, but in case you didn’t. Ayn Rand’s writing heavily inspired BioShock. Rapture, a city founded on the principle of pure self-interest, embodies the very essence of Rand’s objectivist philosophy. Its residents strive to achieve their highest potential, unencumbered by the limitations of collective thinking. The city of Rapture was established on pure self-interest, aligning with Rand’s objectivist philosophy.
In Bioshock, the renowned video game, the developers have cleverly named some characters after famous author Ayn Rand and her works. For instance, Andrew Ryan is a nod to Ayn Rand herself, while Frank Fontaine and Atlas are named after Rand’s novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, respectively. The game also features posters that ask “Who is Atlas?”, a subtle reference to the repeated line “Who is John Galt?” from Atlas Shrugged. This is a fascinating example of how popular culture can draw inspiration from literary classics, adding an extra layer of depth to the game’s narrative.
We can go on and on with details. Still, BioShock explores Ayn Rand’s philosophy and critiques how absurdly bad things can get when objectivism is applied on large (though fantastical) scales.
3.Cyberpunk 2077
William Gibson’s novel “Neuromancer” is often regarded as one of the pioneering works in the cyberpunk genre. Published in 1984, it explores a future where humanity is enmeshed in a global network of computers, artificial intelligence, and cybernetic enhancements. The novel depicts the thrilling story of Case, a skilled yet burnt-out computer hacker whose mysterious employer gives a challenging task to carry out an almost impossible hack.
“Neuromancer” is known for its gritty portrayal of a dystopian society where megacorporations wield immense power, and individuals navigate a world where the boundaries between virtual reality and physical reality are blurred. It popularized concepts such as cyberspace, hackers, and cybernetic enhancements, which have since become staples of the cyberpunk genre.
Fast forward to 2020, CD Projekt Red released the highly anticipated video games inspired by books, “Cyberpunk 2077.” While the game is not a direct adaptation of “Neuromancer,” it draws heavily from Gibson’s novel and the broader cyberpunk genre. In “Cyberpunk 2077”, players enter the grimy world of Night City, a dystopian metropolis where they take on the fierce and fearless persona of V, a mercenary who must navigate through a world of cutthroat corporate politics, high-tech cybernetic upgrades and advanced technology.
The game features many themes and elements reminiscent of “Neuromancer,” including a sprawling urban landscape, a morally ambiguous protagonist, and a narrative exploring the consequences of technological advancement on society. Additionally, both the novel and the game delve into themes of identity, consciousness, and the nature of reality in a digital age.
While “Cyberpunk 2077” is not a direct adaptation of “Neuromancer,” it pays homage to Gibson’s influential work and contributes to the ongoing legacy of the cyberpunk genre in popular culture.
4.Discworld Noir
Many know about Sir Terry Pratchett’s legacy and his fantastic novels about the Discworld, primarily set in Ankh-Morpork. These novels use fantasy tropes to satirize real issues and events, and their sense of humour has made each book an instant classic.
The plot of these books is transferred to Discworld Noir, an adventure game developed by Perfect Games in 1999. The game is unusual because it doesn’t follow the plot of any book. Instead, it borrows characters and environment to create a new story.
As such, the game plays like a new part of the Discworld series, following Lewton, the only private detective in Ankh-Morpork. You use gameplay in the style of investigation to try to solve a murder case. As Lewton becomes a werewolf during the game, you get a unique smell mechanic to help you solve the case.
For Sherlockians among us, Discworld Noir is a must!
5.Metro 2033
The survival horror shooter Metro 2033 has its roots in the eponymous novel by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky from 2005. Like the game, the plot of the story takes place in the subway system in post-apocalyptic Moscow, devastated by nuclear holocaust. Artyom is unequivocally the novel’s protagonist and the game’s main character.
The book Metro 2033 was published in the U.S. in 2010, the same year the game was launched. Unlike most games on this list, Glukhovsky deserves credit for writing both his book and the video game adaptation.
6.The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” series is a collection of fantasy novels set in a world filled with magic, monsters, and political intrigue. The series of popular novels follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a witcher – a professional monster hunter imbued with supernatural abilities through rigorous training and mutation. Throughout the novels, Geralt navigates a morally grey world, encounters various mythical creatures, engages in complex political machinations, and struggles with his identity and purpose.
“The Witcher” series consists of several books, including short story collections and full-length novels. While the novels were originally written in Polish, they have been translated into numerous languages and have gained a significant international following.
CD Projekt Red’s video game adaptation, “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” draws heavily from Sapkowski’s source material while expanding upon the world and characters he created. The game is set in a vast open-world environment and follows Geralt as he searches for his adopted daughter, Ciri, whom the spectral Wild Hunt is pursuing.
While the game’s plot is not a direct adaptation of any novel in Sapkowski’s series, it weaves together elements from multiple books to create an original narrative that captures the essence of the source material. Players encounter characters, creatures, and locations from the novels, and the game’s storylines explore themes of morality, destiny, and the consequences of one’s actions – all of which are central to Sapkowski’s work.
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” received critical acclaim for its storytelling, world-building, and gameplay mechanics. It often receives praise for its mature and nuanced approach to fantasy storytelling, which stays true to the spirit of Sapkowski’s novels while offering players a unique and immersive gaming experience.
7.S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl
Roadside Picnic, a Russian science fiction novel from 1972 that inspired the STALKER games, was unusually resistant to direct adaptation. The film Tarkovsky’s Stalker is a thought-provoking piece that delves into human idealism and aspirations using broader ideas as a starting point. However, it doesn’t rely heavily on science fiction. In contrast, the three S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are open-world first-person shooters focusing more on expanding sci-fi themes after the disaster but still merging them intelligently into a real-world setting. Unfortunately, they don’t give much attention to character development.
Both the book and the film predate the Chornobyl disaster. Still, the Zone, the hauntingly beautiful ruin left behind, was at once an incredible harbinger of disaster and about the perfect setting for a game about surviving in the strangest and mysterious place we’ve ever had. The first game, Shadow of Chernobyl, is the closest to the Roadside Picnic trilogy plot and perhaps the all-pervasive loneliness and mistrust of the 1979 film.
8.World War Z: Aftermath
The World War Z universe is a bit of a rabbit hole. The book, the game, and the film are connected. But the source for all of this was Max Brooks’ essential novel, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.
Aftermath happens in 2024, following up on the original catastrophic events from the book. Taking the form of a cooperative shooter, the game offers several different types of zombies for you to target as you work on reclaiming the battered Vatican in Rome. Granted, the book and the film don’t visit these locations, but Aftermath shows us how big the zombie apocalypse was. Unfortunately, there’s no Brad Pitt here, despite the inspiration from the film.
Have we missed some of your favourites? Should we have included Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun on the list? Let us know!
Posted on 4th Mar 2024 by igorthegreat
