10 excellent novels based on beloved game franchises

In the world of gaming, we’re constantly introduced to new worlds, characters, and stories. But when the game is over, we usually have to say goodbye to🍬 that world and get back to reality. 

However, some beloved game franchises move past the screen and provide fans with written entries that a💮dd more detail to the canon universes. If you’re looking for a new book to curl up with, then here’s 10 video game novelizations that I strongly recommend. 

Assassin’s Creed novel series

There are many, many Assassin’s Creed novels and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend each of them, because of how accurately🐭 they follow the story of the games, 🍰giving you a whole new insight into the characters, surroundings, and hidden plot points. 

I will always favour the three novels that accompany the Ezio trilogy, because those were my first rea🎀l deep dive into the world of gaming and had me truly hooked, bordering on obsessed. However, whichever Assassin’s Creed book you pick up, you’re going to be in for a wild ride of 🍌well written, true-to-the-source-material fun. 

BioShock: Rapture

Written by John Shirley and released in 2011, BioShock: Rapture follows multiple iconic BioShock characters in their adventures through the early days of ꧒Rapture, describing how it all came to be, and how it came to end. 

There’s something that never fails to grab my attention in the BioShock universe, whether it’s the post-apocalyptic themes, the desperation of humanity to live in peace, or the terrifying events that happened deep beneath the surface of the ocean. This book features all of them, and John Shirley capturꦫes the spirit of Rapture perfectly. 

Alan Wake

Written by Rick Burroughs and first published in 2010, the Alan Wake novel follows the story of the first game with additional sub-plots and side stories. While faithful to the source material, it is not considered canon 🐼within the playerbase, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth reading. 

If you love the dark, horror-laden world of Alan Wake, you’ll really enjoy the novelization. You꧑’re likely to appreciate the added details about Robert Nౠightingale, or the slightly different ending, and there are even additional manuscript pages between the chapters. 

Halo: The Fall of Reach

There are a lot of Halo novels, but The Fall of Reach ✅is widely accepted as the best of the bunch. Written by Eric Nylund and first published in 2001, it acts as a prelude to Halo: Combat Evolved and explains the origins of SPARTAN-II supersoldiers. 

Master Chief takes center stage, of course, while Catherine Halsey, Jacob Keyes, and Franklin Mendez also appear heavily. Cortana features, although not in the role of Master Chiefs compani🎐on. Instead, she’s Dr. Halsey’s aide in the event🌄s leading up to the Spartans’ mission. 

Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation is a novelization of the game with the same name, written by Keith R. A. DeCandido, who previously wrote other novels set in the Alien universe. While it is true to the 💎source material, the novelization dives deeper into both Amanda and Ellen’s backgrounds, giving a whole new dimension to the chara♈cters. 

You’re definitely no🦂t going to feel as scared reading the book as you were while playing the mic-listening game, but it’s worth the sacrifice to learn more about the characters who have become so iconic. 

Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future

The Dawn of the Future is the novelization of a cancelled DLC collection for Final Fantasy XV, so if you wanted to know more about Noctis, Lunafreya, and other characters from XV, then I 💧would highly recomme🔯nd reading the novel by Jun Eishima. 

The novel focuses on the events of Episode Ardyn, and Ardyn Izunia’s choice to reject his role in Astral Bahamut’s plans, but it g꧋oes further than that. It also follows on from the choice, adding far more to the story than the game ever did. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character. 

The Infernal City

Written by Greg Keyes, this novel is based on and set within the universe of The Elder Scrolls games. It’s set four decades after the events of Oblivion, when the floating city of ꦿUmbriel deꦜscends upon the coast of the Black Marsh. 

This novel is filled with twists, turns, and hardship for the protagonists, and even some slavery for our main characters Annaig and Mere-Glim. It’s definitely worth reading for any fan of The Elder Scrolls games, a🥀nd a goo𝓡d introduction for anyone who prefers reading to gaming. 

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy

The Umbrella Consiracy is the first in a series of Resident Evil novels written by S.D. Perry. It’s a novelization of the very first Resident Evil game, and tells the story of the go♐ings on in💛 Raccoon City. 

As with anything associated with Resident Evil, there’s a lot of horror elements within the books and, at times, they can be hard to read. But if you love the game, then you’ll love the books, and all of the added detail that the written version brings to the Resident Evil universe.

Fable: The Balverine Order

The Balverine Order was written by Peter David and released in 2010. When first published, it included a one-use code that unlocked a unique weapon in Fable 3. The events ﷽depicted in the book are split between the 💙present and the past, with the Storyteller weaving tales about things that once happened in Albion. 

The story in the present is centered around the adventures of James and Thomas, friends of the last Hero of Albion who now sits on the throne. They’re on a mission to hunt down the dreadful Balverine, in a world where science and industry are taking over 𝔉from magic and myth. 

L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories

If you’d rather read a collection of shorter stories than dive into one long novel, then the L.A. Noire Collected Stories might be for you. It contains eight stories, written 🐬by different authors. Each story expands upon a story that was ꦐtouched upon in the game, adding more details and a new level of understanding. 

1940s Hollywood is an undoubtedly glamorous and intriguing setting, but it’s well known that terrible things happened at the time, and this collection of crime ♌thriller stories will have you hooked from the very beginning.