Leave aside film and TV adaptations of your favourite books; being able to live in the book and have (some) control over what happens is the real thrill! However, those of us who don’t like reading (>.>} don’t realise how often classic video games can have roots in literature. Be it only a character or the whole plot, here are the 5 you need to play, whether you like literature or not, for the sole reason that these video games are based on books the world loves, written by actual writers – so they are sure to have better plots than others!
Fahrenheit 451
Almost everyone who likes reading likes Fahrenheit 451. Written by one of America’s most celebrated writers of the 20th century, the dystopian novel is timeless. Why do we like the vintage game? Well, because it is a semi-sequel to the loved novel AND the author, Ray Bradbury, was involved in its creation! You play as Ray, the computer who helps protagonist Guy, who is a fireman, escape authorities. The novel was published in 1953 and the game was released in 1985. Playing this game might open your mind to some social and political problems we seem to be ignorant about in everyday life.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Who among us hasn’t read Twain’s adventure novels? Both a kid and adult favourite, this classic novel was adapted to be a classic video game by none other than Nintendo! You get a two-player mode here, so you can play as Tom or his best friend (and our favourite) Huck! Here you fight creatures and enemies – pirates and such – and are led to haunted houses and creepy woods till you finally save Becky, Tom’s crush. The book was published in 1876 and the game based on it released more than a century later, in 1989!
Nantucket
Moby Dick in a game?
Call me Ishmael.
With Pequod, the ship sunk by the whale, Captain Ahab already dead and the crew lost, Nantucket follows our narrator Ishmael as he tries to now make his way in the world of commercial whaling. Simple enough?
Well, what do I do in this game?
You build stats and manage the crew of your new ship, hoping to win against the white sperm whale this time.
Herman Melville’s timeless classic was published in 1851 but Nantucket was released only recently, in 2018.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
One of China’s most important contribution to epic literature, Romance of the Three Kingdoms dates back to as early as the 14th C. The classic video gams game, however, came out only in 1988. The story of the novel follows three kingdoms, the struggles, battles and wars as they try to achieve dominance for around 100 years!
The gaming adaptation of this book is a map-based war strategy game with the objective in the player’s mind to conquer the other kingdoms.
This game went on to inspire other war-strategy games, too!
Frankenstein: The Monster Returns
A video game based on the novel Frankenstein? A monstrous game, for sure!
Lovers of Mary Shelley(and of P.B. Shelley, for that matter), Frankenstein is now a zombie(?) or, atleast, Lazarus. He has also made a whole village his army. Now you, the player, have to fight this monster and his crowd in order to save the maiden this zombie is planning to marry.
Did we mention that you’re a swordsman? As the game progresses, you gain better weapons and can also power-up to defeat Frankenstein.
Oh, we are so ready to play these games! Which one will you try your hand at? Tell us below!
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