We know books have been adapted into video games; one most popular that comes to mind is The Witcher. We have seen movie adaptations. We have seen inspiration. However, would video game storylines make great books? Would an author be able to grasp the graphic detail of characters and setting, or would they be considered too complex?
Setting and Characters
I feel like if we were to rewrite the video game script, it would be easy to start with setting and characters and concept. Could we describe in great detail the setting? Maybe. We can always build the complexity of the characters and their issues.
This would be a process that would need to be done properly. There is a difference between creating a scene and telling us a scene. This is why visual adaptation is so much easier than vice versa. This will likely take some strategy, utilizing larger and more pinpoint vocabulary and imagery.
Utilizing literary devices like metaphors, imagery, and personification of characters and details will be important. Hyperbole, or exaggeration, would be so useful here in adding detail to characters. This can add expression to characters and settle us into the scene. Quotes like “my sword is heavier than a sack of bricks” would be a good example here for a simple motion or action in a book adaptation.
Which Games Would Work Well?
The list can go on depending on your tastes and genre preferences. I want to focus on three that I believe would be fun to see adapted into a book. Likely these would stretch into series.
#1: It Takes Two
A co-op, split screen game where two, almost divorced parents are cursed to become their daughter’s toys. They are then guided by a talking, psycho guide book to restoring love in a relationship to break their curse.
There is so much potential here. We could be sci-fi/fantasy based, likeable characters, dramatic scenery, lengthy journeys, and questionable decisions.
I chose this one for one scene only, and that would be when they ripped apart their daughter’s favorite toy to make their daughter cry. Spoilers, it didn’t do anything except hurt their daughter, but the internal character conflict would be a PAGE TURNER.
#2: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A ground breaking game, following Link to restore the wild one region at a time and rescue Zelda.
What I think would make this so interesting is the lack of commentary from Link. We could have an internal monologue and create Link as a character. Or we could stick to it and have conflicting thoughts and decision making of the player.
This one would be incredibly challenging, but the beautiful imagery, combat, and scenery would be so fun to follow.
This has the potential to be cozy, exciting, combat driven, and is so mouldable by an author.
#3: Stray
You are playing through the eyes of a cat who fell deep below the surface of the Earth onto a forgotten society where the sun does not shine. This kitty will need to get back to the surface to get home, but not by himself. Everyone is robotic, with limited human emotions.
We lack commentary from our main character, the cat, but the internal monologue would be so cool to see. We will have little android friends and meet many un-human friends along the way in a beautiful sci-fi book.
The underground city would give a slum-like image with bright, but artificial light. This is something that would be hard to execute, but I can see an author having so much fun putting this together.
We would also lack a lot of human emotions given we are a cat and we will face the world of AI. This opens doors to controversy and creativity.
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