Did you know that books are some of the oldest carriers of stories? Millions of books offer readers a glimpse of the authors’ souls and approach tropes that reflect the state of a medium at a particular moment in time.
Unsurprisingly, many films are based on books. In fact, some of the most popular films in history used books as a source of inspiration. However, films aren’t the only ones that rely on literary source material. Several games are reimaginings or adaptations of books.
Games can do the job of bringing the books to life because they don’t have to follow linearity. The creative freedom is boundless in the games sector, making it the ideal medium to depict a story. However, one shouldn’t live with the impression that all games inspired by books are well-constructed. While some captured the stories’ essence perfectly, others failed to deliver the emotions behind the words.
Here are the games that captured everyone’s attention.
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Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments
As you can guess, this game is based on the novel The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, the game’s developers didn’t stop at a single story but incorporated other literary influences in the game. For example, the Nemesis version of the game depicted Arsene Lupin, written by Maurice Leblanc, while the Awakened one depicted the Lovecraftian mythos.
The Crime and Punishments game took inspiration from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s story of the same name, which depicts a journey to redemption. It offers players the opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of the renowned detective and solve six self-contained cases. However, the game requires the players to be involved emotionally and use their empathy because the perpetrators have sympathetic motives. They need to decide if they look the other way or seek justice and turn the criminals over to the authorities.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
While Sherlock Holmes’ books are popular and most people have heard about them but had no idea there was also a game portraying the famous detective, the fantasy novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski were barely known in the author’s home country. The series registered some success in the 90s, and three volumes were translated into English, but readers didn’t show great interest in them before the game was launched.
When Geralt was brought to life as a game character, it won the public with his swagger, and everyone became invested in the story. The game has become so beloved Netflix developed a series casting no one else but Henry Cavil in the leading role. Each game has brought an even more captivating story, and as the series has become more popular, more people have started to turn their attention toward the books.
A Total War Saga: Troy
The Iliad by Homer is one of the oldest stories, and people worldwide know it. Unsurprisingly, the story inspired a game that addresses gamers passionate about history. The Total War Saga: Troy beautifully depicts the undying love between Achilles and Patroclus, the greed that possessed Agamemnon, the controversial story of Helen and Paris, and the genius of Odysseus.
The game is a wonderful depiction of the story and presents the world the characters in a way that makes it easier for the young generation to create a connection with them. After seeing how Achilles’ rage motivates most of his actions, many might be interested in reading the book to find out how much of his story was brought into the game.
Lilo & Stitch
Suppose you’re looking for a video game for your children, Lilo & Stitch inspired numerous ones. Most present the heartwarming relationship between the two characters. The eccentric and mischievous Lilo has numerous adventures with her experiment dog Stitch, and children can learn numerous lessons from playing the games featuring them. Suppose they’re enthusiastic about the characters, you can also offer them a great Stitch backpack as a gift for Christmas or their birthday.
Rainbow Six Siege
If you’re passionate about subjects such as counter-terrorism, then you probably heard about Tom Clancy’s novel called Rainbow Six. It’s the kind of book that provides game developers with plenty of inspiration because many players are enthusiastic about picturing themselves as tactical shooters. There are over 20 games inspired by Rainbow Six, but many players list Rainbow Six Siege, created in 2015, as the best of all. Besides being a highly complex game that allows players to have a thrilling experience, it also got several updates over the years, and it has become one of the most engaging multiplayer games. It requires players to make tactical decisions and keep up with the fast-paced action.
Rainbow Six Siege is similar to other Counter-Strike games where there is an attacking and defensive team. They take hostages, plant bombs, and do their best to survive. Players, however, think that Siege is superior in terms of characters because they have numerous abilities that allow them to gain the upper hand in battle.
World War Z
As expected, zombie fiction inspired numerous games, and considering that Max Brook’s World War Z is one of the most captivating zombie novels in the history, it was adapted multiple times. While the 2013 movie didn’t follow the plot of the book and readers found the story unrecognizably different, the 2019 video game provided them with everything they could have wished for.
One of the aspects that impress players in the game are the hordes of zombies who move at incredible speeds. World War Z has levels similar to Left 4 Dead and kept the same locations of the hordes of zombies from the books. Gamers will face zombies in several scenarios: the infected population of New York defeats the US Military, Japan is evacuated, God’s mission to wipe out all infection from Earth, and other similar ones.
Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Fiction lovers will have no issue guessing the series that inspired the game; it’s no other one than The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor offers gamers the unique opportunity to explore the fantastic world Tolkien created through a beautifully designed game. The atmosphere is rain-soaked and moody, like the one from Batman: Arkham and Assassin’s Creed franchises.
The players have to fight with numerous orcs with unique personalities and weaknesses. The game aims to break Sauron’s forces and use them to the player’s advantage.
Have you tried any of the above games? This might be the ideal time to dive into the complex and entertaining worlds they depict.