Book lovers unite for World Book Day is finally here. On a day that is all about books and reading, we’re here to celebrate our favourite books based on video games.
We’ve all heard of incredible books being turned into video games. But there are plenty of fantastic novels out there that have taken inspiration from popular game series. We asked around the Overclockers UK office and put together this top five list of our favourite books based on video games.
World Book Day
Before we kick off this year’s World Book Day celebrations, check out our blog articles from previous years. We’ve showcased plenty of amazing book-related games, from visual novels to titles based on best sellers.
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Sunhawk – Anne Toole and Ann Maulina
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Sunhawk is a graphic novel which is set directly after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. Fans of the game can reunite with Aloy and Talanah as they embark on a whole new adventure. The novel is based on a far-future Earth where animal-like machines are the dominant species and humans are left to struggle to survive in tribes. During the aftermath of a titanic battle, Talanah struggles to find her place in the rebuilding effort, whilst Aloy, her most trusted friend, has disappeared. Now a threat has emerged and Talanah must decide how to serve her tribe, her friends, and herself.
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Sunhawk is the first graphic novel in a duology based on the popular video game series.
Did you know that Horizon Zero Dawn also has a board game based on the events of the video game? Take a look at our blog post for details along with some other great video games that are also board games.
Alan Wake – Rick Burroughs
Alan Wake by Rick Burroughs is a book adaptation of the popular video game series. The events of the book match that of the video game. It is set within the peaceful town of Bright Falls, where novelist Alan Wake and his wife Alice are holidaying. Their desires for a blissful vacation are cut short when Alice suddenly disappears. Wake’s desperate attempts to find her, soon find him trapped in a hell only he could imagine.
There are a few differences between the book and video game. This includes an alternative ending, and the Anderson brothers having a more prominent role in the storyline.
Are you looking to play the latest game in the Alan Wake series? Be sure to check out our blog post for all the gameplay details, official PC specs, and our top PC recs for Alan Wake 2.
Halo: The Rubicon Protocol – Kelly Gay
Written by Kelly Gay, Halo: The Rubicon Protocol follows the story of surviving members of the United Nations Space Command. This small alliance of humanity is desperate to stand up against the Banished forces by hunting down a mysterious object found within Zeta Halo. Stranded on this strange alien planet, these survivors must do all that they can to survive, especially as the Banished unleash a frightening new enemy that threatens to destroy them all.
Halo: The Rubicon Protocol is one of six standalone Halo-inspired books that are set within the universe of the popular video game.
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence – Rafel Kosik
Set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, No Coincidence follows a group of unlikely strangers that have just pulled off the ultimate heist – robbing a convoy that was transporting a mysterious container owned by Militech. With no idea of who blackmailed them into completing this heist, this rag tag group must work together, overcome their differences, and survive against the dangers of the Night City. All before they have to pull off their next deadly heist.
Want to experience the Night City in all its neon glory? You can do just that and more in the brand-new Cyberpunk 2077 DLC, Phantom Liberty. We covered everything you need to know from gameplay to hardware requirements in our blog post.
World of Warcraft Arthas: Rise of the Lich King – Christie Golden
Everyone’s favourite MMORPG, World of Warcraft has plenty of book adaptions. One of which is Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden. Throughout the world of Azeroth, the Lich King is known far and wide. His evil is legendary as Lord of the undead Scourge, wielder of Frostmourne, and enemy of the free people. His icy soul is hell bent on destroying all life in Azeroth. However, he wasn’t always this deadly. Long before his soul fused with the Ner’zhul, the Lich King was Arthas. A crown prince and faithful paladin.
After a plague of the undeath threatens those he loves, Arthas is driven to undergo an ill-fated quest for a runeblade powerful enough to save his home. This search will lead him to his descent into damnation, demanding a heavy price and a dark destiny.
Inspired to Play These Great Video Games?
Have these books got you in the mood to play the great video games that inspired them? You can find plenty of high-quality gaming PCs that come packed with all the hardware you need to play the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake.
We’ve included our top selection below, but if the Refract Gaming Jade doesn’t live up to your gaming demands, you can also take a look at our full range.
Refract Gaming Jade Pre Built PC
- Pre built PC
- Designed for mid-tier gaming and budding content creators
- AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
- 1TB M.2 SSD
- Integrated RGB lighting
Your Favourite Book Based on a Video Game?
What are some of your favourite books based on games? Share them with us in the comments.
- 5 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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