20 Must-Read Novels Based On Or Inspired By Video Games

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Final Fantasy: Lost Stranger, Vol. 1 by Hazuki Minase,
Art by Itsuki Kameya

As a Final Fantasy person (and we tin each hold Final Fantasy IX is the best), I wanted to unfastened with this saccharine sibling phantasy communicative by Itsuki Kameya. Shogo Sasak and his sister Yuko enactment for Squaresoft. After a car crash, the brace aftermath up lone to find themselves successful the satellite of Final Fantasy!

Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile by Kazushige Nojima, translated by Melissa Tanaka

My Final Fantasy bias whitethorn beryllium showing due to the fact that I wanted to see different FF caller here. What I similar astir this one, arsenic to compared to Lost Stranger, is that it involves the characters we cognize and emotion from Final Fantasy VII. This publication successful translation by Kazushige Nojima traces the events aft FFVII, on with a prequel of the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Mega Man Megamix, Volume 1 by Hitoshi Ariga

Who remembers Mega Man?! Another large classical game. This manga by Hitoshi Ariga follows the events of the Mega Man game. A small robot named Mega Man finds himself called upon to prevention the satellite from Dr. Wily and his evil robot masters!

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Vol. 1 by Akira Himekawa

After years arsenic a Playstation family, my member saved up for a GameCube. I deliberation it was with the circumstantial intent of besides buying this Zelda crippled astatine the aforesaid time. Link was perfectly a quality of prime for maine during rounds of Super Smash Bros, truthful I’m close determination with him. In this root communicative novel, Akira Himekawa draws america into a onshore wherever the Spirits of Light person banished acheronian wizards to the Twilight Realm and locked distant their magic successful the Shadow Crystal. This tentative bid gets threatened erstwhile an evil unit begins searching for the princess of the Twilight Realm and the pieces of the Shadow Crystal.

Assassin’s Creed: Blade of Shao Jun, Vol. 1 by Minoji Kurata

Assassin’s Creed was different video crippled favourite of my brothers. This manga by Minoji Kurata is based disconnected Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China. In 1526, the Great Ming Empire rules China, and the Emperor has ordered the deaths of galore governmental opponents. Shao Jun has go China’s past assassin, and she’s acceptable to instrumentality revenge.

Halo: The Rubicon Protocol by Kelly Gay

One of my brothers loved playing Halo, and erstwhile I was younger helium often humored maine by playing what we called “Hide and See Halo.” Opening up a two-player Capture the Flag crippled mode, we’d instrumentality turns hiding our characters determination successful the map, and the different subordinate would person to find us. The video crippled Halo has galore publication adaptations: here’s a useful usher to each the Halo iterations. In this caller standalone merchandise by Kelly Gay, the twelvemonth is 2559. The United Nations Space Command flagship Infinity has conscionable been changeable down by the Banished, and the remaining UNSC corps finds themselves abandoning vessel and trying to past retired connected the Halo ring.

Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 1 by Shiro Amano

With it’s blending of Final Fantasy and Disney, Kingdom Hearts was different video crippled I fell successful emotion with increasing up. Written by Shiro Amano, this manga takes america connected a travel done the events of the Kingdom Hearts game. In the aftermath of a tempest connected Destiny Island, Sora finds himself separated from his friends Riku and Kairi and transported to a unusual caller world.

Tomb Raider Volume 1: Season of the Witch by Gail Simone and Nicolas Daniel Selma

Tomb Raider is different classical Playstation crippled from our family’s collection. In this graphic caller by Gail Simone, the communicative continues from wherever it near disconnected successful the game. After their flight from the Lost Kingdom of Yamatai, Lara and the different survivors get stricken with horrifying visions from the trauma they went through. Simone’s graphic caller promises plentifulness of beauteous art, mystery, and adventures ahead.

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Sunhawk by Anne Toole and Ann Maulina

Co-created by Anne Toole, 1 of the writers of the Guerilla crippled Horizon Zero Dawn, this comic bid stars Aloy and Talanah returning to a caller communicative acceptable aft the events of the game. With Nature taking implicit the satellite and machines ruling the land, humanity indispensable combat to past successful this caller mentation of their world.

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski, translated by Danusia Stok

Alright, this 1 is cheating somewhat connected this database since it’s technically not based connected a video game, but alternatively the different mode around. The deed video crippled bid The Witcher is based disconnected this phantasy caller bid by Andrzej Sapkowski. It’s truthful video crippled adjacent though that I wanted it to person a location connected this database too. With the bid that erstwhile reigned betwixt the humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes present shattered, an assassin named Geralt of Rivia seeks retired a kid prophesied to alteration the world. Once you decorativeness the publication series, cheque retired the show adaptation arsenic well.

Epic by Conor Kostick

When we deliberation astir books inspired by video games, Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One often comes to mind. However, I person it connected bully authorization that this publication by Conor Kostick arsenic an adjacent amended video crippled read. After unit was banned connected Earth years ago, struggle present gets resolved successful Epic, a phantasy machine game’s arena. Seeking revenge connected behalf of his parents, Erik and his friends determine to situation the crippled masters called the Committee.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This caller publication by Gabrielle Zevin focuses connected a brace of champion friends who signifier an epic collaboration to make a video game. As a inferior astatine Harvard, Sam Masur spots his longtime person Sadie Green connected a subway platform, and from past on, the 2 spell connected to make a wildly palmy video crippled called Ichigo. Over the people of 30 years, Zevin brings america connected a travel with Sam and Sadie arsenic they acquisition the ups and downs of their success. Pop civilization and themes of identity, disability, and the request for transportation and emotion get explored successful this almighty read.

Solo Leveling, Vol. 1 by Chugong and DUBU (REDICE STUDIO)

This manhwa draws the satellite of video games into existent life. E-rank huntsman Jinwoo Sung has go known arsenic 1 of the weakest hunters. Despite this, helium continues to hazard his beingness connected raids to assistance wage for his mother’s infirmary bills and his sister’s tuition, and helium can’t defy a caller accidental for a large payout. For much mangas and manhwas similar Solo Leveling, cheque retired this Rioter’s list.

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

This publication by Vivian Vande Velde has been a favourite of excavation for years. When Giannine gets stuck successful the virtual world crippled Heir Apparent, she finds herself locked into the crippled until she wins. Every clip Giannine dies successful the game, she wakes up again arsenic a shepherd miss conscionable learning she’s a concealed heir to the throne. On apical of that, she’s got 3 half-siblings with competing claims for the crown.

Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd

This delightful YA publication by Alexis Nedd combines romance with the gaming satellite and digs into themes of feminism. While Emilia is known arsenic a fashionable tract hockey subordinate astatine school, astatine nighttime she moonlights arsenic the lone pistillate gamer of a ace competitory eSports team. As she tries to support her 2 worlds separate, Emilia decides to vie successful a contention successful her city. The lone problem: Jake, a rival of hers from different team, has conscionable recognized her.

Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters

This YA friends to lovers romance by Julian Winters stars a formed of characters who emotion gaming. Now that summertime has begun, Isaac Martin is acceptable to bask arsenic overmuch clip arsenic helium tin get with his champion person Diego earlier helium heads to assemblage and has to effort making caller friends contempt his societal anxiety. As a last celebration, Isaac decides to bargain tickets for Diego and him to be the epic Legends Convention and Teen Pride. Things don’t spell according to program though erstwhile Isaac runs into his aged crush Davi.

Walking successful Two Worlds by Wab Kinew

This YA escapade communicative follows Indigenous teen Bugz arsenic she navigates betwixt her beingness arsenic a quiescent and reserved teen connected the Rez with her assured change ego successful the virtual satellite of a fashionable multiplayer video game. When Feng is sent from China to unrecorded with his aunt, a doc connected the Rez, helium and Bugz volition link implicit their communal feelings arsenic outsiders.

Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

This YA dystopian escapade by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller digs into the darker sides of VR gaming technology. When Simon gets chosen to enactment successful a beta trial of a caller VR crippled called Otherworld, he’s thrilled to cheque retired each the crippled has to offer. Yet, thing doesn’t consciousness close successful Otherworld. What Simon initially thought was conscionable a crippled whitethorn crook retired to beryllium thing rather different.

Slay by Brittney Morris

Kiera Johnson spends her days arsenic a assemblage pupil astatine Jefferson Academy, wherever she’s 1 of the fewer Black students attending. At nighttime though, Kiera logs into a concealed online roleplaying crippled called Slay with thousands of different Black gamers. Little does anyone cognize though, Kiera is the crippled developer. When a teen gets murdered implicit a struggle related to Slay, Kiera finds threats surfacing from some wrong and extracurricular the game.

Rabbits by Terry Miles

This sci-fi thriller by Terry Mills is reminiscent of The Matrix and applies a acheronian lens implicit the conception of alternate world video games. Launched successful 1959, the alternate world crippled Rabbits utilizes planetary reality, and 9 winners person surfaced implicit the people of its 10 iterations. K hopes to triumph the approaching eleventh iteration, but things alteration aft K meets with a mysterious billionaire.