According the the mainstream press, we Gamers are a bunch of illiterate, gun-wielding maniacs, who wouldn’t think twice about punching a baby. So it’s quite a surprise to find that there are a fair few video game novels available, you know because we do nothing but play game, when would we read them? Well it couldn’t be further from the truth, any avid fan of a certain TV series or movie, loves to immerse themselves even deeper in the the world they have become a part. So why should video games be any different? We here at PlayStationer have decided to broaden our readers minds, and share we you a selection of video game novels currently available or due for publication later this year.
Dead Space: Martyr
This novel is a prequel to Dead Space, tells the story of Geophysicist Michael Altman who joins a team excavating an underwater crater. when a mysterious artifact is uncovered, named ‘The Black Marker’ This story charts of the origins of ‘The Black Marker’, the foundation of the Church of Unitology, and a discovery that will change the world.
God of War
This is an epic adventure set in the world of the Gods, Kratos is the new God of War, but the other gods refuse to welcome him as one of their own. Zeus kills him, but he is saved by the goddess of the earth, Gaia. She sends him back to Mount Olympus – where, once again, he will challenge the might of the gods…
Resistance: The Gathering Storm
Following the story on as soon as Resistance Fall of Man ends, The Chimera have crossed the Atlantic. Their lightning strikes on American borders are devastating. Cities are lost. Small towns overrun. Citizens transformed into monstrosities. Enter Lieutenant Nathan Hale, U.S. Ranger. A veteran of the Chimeran conflict, he is uniquely immune to the alien virus. And when regular troops can’t stem the Chimeran onslaught, Hale and his special-operations team meet the menace head-on.
Assassins Creed – Renaissance and Brotherhood
Both books follow the story of the games to the letter, slightly expanding key details along the way. Renaissance follows Ezio Auditore da Firenze as he seeks vengeance for the death of his father, in Brotherhood, now a fully fledged Assassin, Ezio but lead the Assassin Order in the struggle to rid Rome of the Borgia.
Mass Effect – Revelation, Ascension and Retribution
Revelation is the prequel to the original Mass Effect and follows the story of ship commander and Alliance war hero David Anderson, as he investigates the remains of a top secret military research stations smoking ruins, that’s littered with bodies and unanswered questions. Who attacked this post and for what purpose? And where is Kahlee Sanders, the young scientist who mysteriously vanished from the base–hours before her colleagues were slaughtered?
Ascension take place after the events of Mass Effect, Scientist Kahlee Sanders has left the Systems Alliance for the Ascension Project, a program that helps gifted “biotic” children harness their extraordinary powers. The program’s most promising student is twelve-year-old Gillian Grayson, who is borderline autistic. What Kahlee doesn’t know is that Gillian is an unwitting pawn of the outlawed black ops group Cerberus, which is sabotaging the program by conducting illegal experiments on the students.
Retribution takes place after Mass Effect 2, where The Illusive Man, leader of the pro-human paramilitary organization Cerberus, is attempting to learn more about the Reapers, an advanced race of sentient machines that periodically purges the galaxy of all organic civilizations. Having obtained Reaper technology, the Illusive Man decides to implant a human with it to learn more about the Reapers.
Killzone: Ascendancy
Ascendancy details the events between Killzone 2 and 3, ‘There is no poetry or romance in war, it is brutal and ugly and terrifying and it turns men into animals – shrieking, screaming and running while destroying all in their path. It is survival’ Visari, the vicious Helghast dictator, is vanquished, lying dead at the feet of ISA forces soldiers Sev and Rico. Yet the battle is far from over. Visari’s death has wreaked havoc in the Helghast Empire, leaving a legacy of destruction. His last act of violence – a nuclear bomb – has decimated the Special Forces. Sev and Rico must complete their mission alone. They will fight to the death to keep the ruthless Helghast troops at bay.
Deus Ex: Icarus Project
This thrilling new novel is an original prequel to the new Deus Ex game! Readers will be thrown into the exciting world of Deus Ex, a cyberpunk-style technological utopia. The story features locations and characters from the Deus Ex game world, setting up events and situations that will play out in the game’s storyline, while also having its own self-contained story arc. Available around the same time Deus Ex Human Revolution is released.
Crysis: Legion
NYC 2023. Terrifying alien invaders stalk the streets and a nightmare plague strikes down the city’s myriad inhabitants with brutal epidemic speed. The city’s systems are in chaos, its streets and skyline are smashed and in flaming ruin. The battle is on against the lethal, armoured, bipedal war machines that stalk ravaged New York.
Resistance: Hole in the Sky
Hole in the Sky sets up the story for the upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive Resistance 3, little is known about the story but it will follow new lead character Joseph Evan Capelli, it’s due for release in July.
Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth
Nathan Drake embarks on an all-new, original, action packed adventure, that see him go in-search of a secret that will put him on the trail of the legendary Labyrinth of Daedalus, and take him from the ruins of Crete to a secret crypt deep within the heart of China. due for release in late 2011.
Ico: Castle of the Mist
The novelization of the PlayStation 2 masterpiece, The Castle of the Mist calls for a sacrifice: a horned child, born once a generation. When, on a single night in his thirteenth year, Ico’s horns grew long and curved, he knew his time had come. But why does the Castle of the Mist demand this offering, and can the castle keep Ico’s destiny from intertwining with that of the girl imprisoned within his walls? Due for release August 2011.
So next time you put down your DualShock 3, why not pick up one of the video game-based novel? You’d be surprised how good a read they actually are, we highly recommend Dead Space Martyr. Plus you’ll impress the video game critics too. Next time you’re on a train, after you’ve finished of stabbing a tramp whilst playing your PSP, you can crack out a book and look all intellectual like.