From Games to Books: A Review of Video Game Narratives
Gaming has become a true multimedia industry, with some franchises not only spawning spin off games but also movies, comics and full novels based in the universe the original game established. Some say that these ‘Expanded Universe’ items are shameless marketing cash in and have no place in the world, but is that really the case?
If a franchise is to survive, especially in the current economic climate, surely it needs to diversify into other mediums, establishing itself not only as a great game, but also a great comic, book or movie series. Some titles have even become as well known for their soundtracks as the game play they contain, and all helps to feed the industry as a whole, establishing it as part of popular culture.
The games as art debate still rages and is an item for a whole series of articles itself, but there is nothing to stop games becoming artistic through those previously mentioned methods of diversification. Of course, this has yet to happen, but there is no reason why it can’t and indeed should, despite the apparent backlash against such items.
With this in mind, here are a few short reviews of novels based on gaming franchises, and one that has had a game based upon it. Apart from the last one, each is an expanded universe novel which tries to add something to the already established story of the game franchise, so please enjoy, and hopefully you will remember these titles as well as their gaming counterparts.
Halo: Contact Harvest
This book follows the exploits of Sergeant Avery Johnson, the gruff and rough, hard as nails soldier from the Halo video games. Contact Harvest is set well before the story of the games, and follows Johnson as he battles human insurgents in the civil war that racked humanity for several years. After a devastating incident, Johnson is transferred to Harvest, the farming planet, and begins to train a unit of anti terrorist troops culled from local volunteers. However, a new threat emerges, one that will alter the course of human history forever.
Contact Harvest is an expanded universe novel in the truest sense of the word. It enhances everything you know about the Halo series, adding to the already rich history established by the games and gives you an insight into the early days of the human-covenant war. Johnson is a compelling protagonist as well, really giving that air of a hard as nails drill sergeant but is also someone who cares deeply about the men under his command. Early on, Johnson is brought to a stand still by something that went on to affect everything in his life from that point on, and shows you he is just a regular man, and everyone has their limits.
A fantastic title in every way, Halo fans and book lovers alike should give this one a look.
Score: 9.0
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, based on the game of the same name, follows Third Echelon agent Sam Fisher on another covert operation behind enemy lines as he looks for WMD’s. When Sam’s mission is compromised and his daughter kidnapped the stakes are raised and the race is on to find the traitor and rescue his only family.
This novel plays out like another chapter in the game, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but adds nothing to the universe and begs the question why exactly this was written. It isn’t particularly well written either, though to be fair the world Sam Fisher inhabits isn’t the most conductive to being turned into a novel. It is certainly functional, but the games have provided much better narrative that what is presented here.
An entertaining read if your fan of the games, this doesn’t really stand up on its own and you are probably better off playing the games.
Score: 6.5
Hellgate: London Exodus
When a dimensional portal opens next to St Paul’s cathedral in London and monstrous demons begin to pour into the city, a force of unknown troops appear and hold off the hordes to allow as many people as possible to escape. They are the Templar, and among them is the father of Simon Cross, a Templar knight who abandoned the order to live his own life and must now return home to engage in a war he didn’t believe was coming.
It is a shame when the expanded universe media is actually better than the game that spawned it, and unfortunately this is the case with Hellgate: London. Exodus is the first book in a planned trilogy and follows the exploits of Simon Cross, a young Templar Knight who left the order to follow his own path and see the world, believing that his life of combat training and study of demons in preparation for a war he believed would never come. But it did, and he must now travel back to his home land, followed by a mysterious young woman, and down his advanced suit of amour to battle the forces of hell. Meanwhile a young coward is caught by another faction, one that wants to control the demons and use their power, but as he soon discovers, that cannot happen.
This book shows at once the very best and worse of mankind when faced with irrepressible odds, and that everyone has an agenda, even demons. It expands the universe into territory that really, the game should have covered and is arguably better than the game. However, it does have serious issues as it can be terrible to read in places, with words missing and spelling mistakes abundant, and these mar another wise great book.
A few silly mistakes in the proof reading mar a great sci-fi fantasy read, but if you can get past them this is a thrilling title.
Score: 7.5
Gears of War: Aspho Fields
This official prequel tells the story of Carlos Santiago, his brother Dominic and a quiet boy named Marcus Fenix from when they met at school right through to events after the detonation of the Light mass Bomb at the end of the first game. Each has personal problems and suffers great loss, not just against the locust hordes, but also during the human vs. human pendulum wars.
This is a brilliant book, plain and simple. It enhances the universe through the characters, not just the wider storyline, giving you an insight as to what made Marcus Fenix in cold, quiet and detached man you see in the games. His relationship with Dom Santiago is explored in depth, along with what lies behind those subtle looks to Anya Stroud.
The story in the games wasn’t a very personal one, so this book really adds weight to the characters, fleshing them out into courageous men and women, but also all of them are damaged in some way, mostly through loss of loved ones or regret. It is a brilliant way to enhance the universe, and really helps to impress the harsh realities of war, be against human or otherwise, on the reader.
But it also shows the greatest of the characters, how their surrogate family of the other gears helps them get through anything, despite their own personal tragedies, and how they will stop at nothing to defeat the locust and rebuild their home.
One of the best books of this type, a worthy read to anyone, be they fan of the series or a book enthusiast. Brilliant.
Score: 9.5
Rainbow Six
The only book on this list to have a game based upon it, not the other way around, Rainbow six follows Ding Chavez and his father in law as they move to Herefordshire, England to setup Rainbow, an elite counter terrorist unit made up of specialists from around the world. However, someone finds out and targets the unit directly, and Ding in particular, leading to a showdown at a hospital.
This maybe a bit of a cheat to be included here, but it shows how the expanded universe can work the other way. The book is fantastic, full of high octane action, but also how the rainbow troops train themselves, and adjust their tactics to meet their needs, thinking on their feet to get the result.
The games are generally self contained affairs, and it is the same here as the games only take the character names from the book and not the situations, which is a shame cause the assault on the theme park is thrilling. It is a military nuts dream, and a fantastic read from start to finish. It doesn’t flesh out existing characters that much rather than introduce them, but also it shows what the games show: a single minded devotion to completing the mission and saving as many civilians as possible. Rainbow is elite, and it shows.
There are better books on this list, but it is still a great read and thrilling ride while it lasts.
Score: 8.5
There are many more game based novels out there, but the above represents a small cross section of the literature gaming has turned its hand to. Fans of some games will find their favorites expanded into new realms, adding to the universe and giving deeper insight into their favorite characters. Some will find duds that add nothing to the game experience, but these are few and far between.
If you like to read, and love games, give these novels a shot, they may well surprise you.
i like Gears of War