When one considers that most games don’t have a great or a particularly original story, it is surprising that more developers don’t look to novels for more influence. Even the best RPGs often follow the same tropes that gamers have seen a thousand times before usually starting with an unassuming hero wakes up one day to find themselves on an adventure to save the world.
RELATED:10 Best Games Based On Disney Movies, According To Metacritic
It’s strange because games seem like the perfect platform to make an adaptation of a book as there is no better way to represent a writer’s vision taking players directly into the writer’s story to experience it for themselves. Games are also not restricted by the same time constraints of a movie or a weekly TV show with a 45-60 minute timeslot. Thankfully, more developers are beginning to realize that books are the perfect inspiration for gaming, so let’s take a look at ten of the best according to Metacritic.
10Romance Of The Three Kingdoms VIII (Metascore 77)
Romance of the Three kingdoms VIIIwas developed byKOEIand released on the PlayStation 2 in 2003. It is a tactical strategy game based on the 14thcentury historical novel of the same name from Luo Guanzhong, a 113-year story detailing the reunification of second-century China.
It was arguably the best tactical strategy game on the PS2 and proved that the very complex genre could work almost as well on consoles as it does on the PC. Its nearest rivals on the Ps2 wereDynasty TacticsandKessenwhich were very simplistic by comparison as they favored large scale 3D battles instead of diplomacy.
9Age Of Conan: Unchained (Metascore 80)
Age of Conan: Unchainedis a massively multiplay online role-playing game developed by Funcom and was released on the PC in 2008. It’s based on theConanpulp-fantasy novels by Robert E. Howard which are some of the most influential of all time.
RELATED:10 Games To Play If You Love Devil May Cry
The game is specifically based after the events ofHour of the Dragonwhich was otherwise known asConan the Conquerorwhich was originally published in 1935.Age of Conanwas the first game to really tap into the rich history and lore of theConanuniverse
8Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth (Metascore 82)
Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earthis a real-time strategy game that was released on the PC in 2004 and developed by EA Games. It was based on both theLord of the Ringsnovels by J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel of the same name and the movies directed by Peter Jackson.
It was developed by many of the team members that worked on EA’sCommand and Conquer: Generals.The gameplay translates well into theLord of the Rings universe.Battle For Middle Earthrecreates many battle scenes and locations that will be familiar to fans of the films and is still a great looking title all these years later.
7Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth II (Metascore 84)
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth IIis a real-time strategy game that was released in 2006 on the PC and the Xbox 360. Like its predecessor, it is based onThe Lord of the Ringsnovels and the Peter Jackson movies.
The game’s story is split into two campaigns that represent good and evil allowing players to command armies of Elves, Dwarfs, Humans, Goblins, Orcs, Ringwraiths, and the Shelob.Battle for Middle Earth IIis mechanically similar to its predecessor but offers far more units and options with a longer campaign.
6American McGee’s Alice (Metascore 85)
American McGee’s Aliceis a psychological horror game with elements of action and platforming. It is based on the Lewis Carroll novelsAlice’s Adventures in WonderlandandThrough the Looking Glass.It was originally released on PC platforms but a PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 port was released in 2011.
This dark version of theAlice in Wonderlandstory that incorporates a unique and horrifying art style with puzzles and games featured in the book. It also features a sanity meter mechanic instead of a depleting health bar.
5Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas (Metascore 88)
Rainbow Six: Vegas was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and released in 2006 on the Xbox 360 with PlayStation 3 and PSP version released the following year. It’s a tactical first-person shooter that favors strategy and planning instead of the running and gunning seen in games likeCall of Duty.
RELATED:Rainbow Six Siege: 10 Ways You’re (Unintentionally) Making The Game Harder On Yourself
TheRainbow Sixnovel was written by Tom Clancy and published in 1998.Rainbow Six: Vegasand its direct sequelRainbow Six: Vegas 2was based on the elite special ops team from the same novel who also happen to appear several times in Tom Clancy’sJack Ryanbooks too.
4The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings (Metascore 88)
The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kingswas developed by CD Projekt Red and first released in 2011 for the PC with an Xbox 360 port that followed in 2012. It’s based onThe Witcherfantasynovels written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.
Once again, the player takes control of theGeralt of Riviaan enhanced human that hunts monsters. The game’s story is filled with multiple choices and branching paths giving players a unique experience every time and a second playthrough is definitely warranted to see most of what the game has to offer.
3The Witcher (Metascore 86)
The Witcherwas released on PC formats in 2007. It was the first game in the series based onThe Witchernovels by Andrzej Sapkowski and was built using a modified version BioWare’s Aurora Engine seen in theNeverwinter Nightsseries.
RELATED:The 10 Best Video Games Of The Decade (According To Metacritic)
The implemented the importance of making big decisions that affect the world around Geralt.The Witcher’sworld very rarely has a black and white moral choice, as even the actions taken with good intent can have larger consequences later on.
2Metro 2033 Redux (Metascore 90)
Metro 2033is the first game in the series and it was released on the Xbox 360 and the PC 2010 and its sequelMetro: Last Lightin 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. A remastered version calledMetro 2033: Reduxfeaturing both games were released in 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
The games are survival horror first-person shooters based on the post-apocalyptic novel by Dmitry Giukhovsky. The setting is based in the war-torn ruins of Moscow where the Earth’s surface is uninhabitable due to nuclear fallout, meaning survivors are have no choice but live in the underground Metro tunnels.
1The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Metascore 92)
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntwas released on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2015 with a Nintendo Switch version hitting the shelves in 2019. It is the direct sequel toThe Witcher 2: Assassins of Kingsand features narrative choices that even new players to the series can make at the start of the game.
The Witcher 3is a bigger and more open experience than its predecessors and the focus on character choice and interactions have a much larger impact over how the world developsaround Geralt. The game went on to be considered one of the greatest and most games of all time.
