Video game novelisations have been around for quite a while; it makes sense for some games. After all, there is such a long story and a lot of depth that it only makes sense that, like film, some of it can be better translated into the written word.
However, there are also some novelisations that are odd enough to raise an eyebrow when you realise that they're actually pretty underrated. Whether it's one you've never heard of or one that you wouldn't believe, these are some unexpected video game novels.
8 Batman: Arkham Knight - The Official Novelization
You'd think Batman: Arkham Knight made enough of a splash in the video game world that it wouldn't even feel the need to stretch out and impact the literary one too. But sometimes there's just no holding back greatness and that much is clear when it comes to the official novelisation of the Batman: Arkham Knight game.
Penned by comic book writer Marv Wolfman, the novel is well-reviewed, with a focus on having the fast pacing of the game's combat with the atmosphere of its well-crafted rendition of Gotham City. This is certainly a book that is a bit of a surprise but one you'll be glad to have out there.
7 Minecraft: The Island
You may wonder how a game as open-ended as Minecraft would have a story. You may also be wondering how out of all the writers in the world, the writer of World War Z would be the one penning it. These questions are answered by the surprisingly acclaimed novel Minecraft: The Island.
Not only does the novel have good reviews, but it tells a decent story of a person washing up on the shore of Minecraft's world and having to survive while sticking to the rules that are in the game. It's a fun little addition to the Minecraft empire.
6 Donkey Kong Country
Apparently even Donkey Kong Country can't escape the grasp of the publishing industry. Now this novelisation makes a little bit more sense when you learn that the Donkey Kong Country novel isn't an epic about Donkey Kong and his homeland. Instead, it's more akin to a chapter book which gives some more insight into the game's events. Needless to say, the existence of this book is still a little surprising.
5 Mega Man 2
It somehow makes sense that Mega Man would be the type of series to have novels. After all, it does seem to have quite a bit of lore and story to explore. But while the first game doesn't have a novelisation, the second game does.
To make matters even more confusing, the plot is different from the game, where Mega Man is turned from a robot into a human being by Dr. Light. It definitely goes to unexpected places, which is a surprise to see in the world of video game novels.
4 Uncharted - The Fourth Labyrinth
What's surprising about Uncharted - The Fourth Labyrinth isn't its existence so much as the lack of there being other books in the Uncharted series. Uncharted - The Fourth Labyrinth chronicles Nathan Drake's adventure as he works with Victor Sullivan and newcomer Jada Hzujak to find a lost labyrinth that her father was tracking down.
The novel is said to be fast-paced and reminiscent of the game's action-packed plots and features stories and characters that are just as thrilling.
3 X-COM: UFO Defense
When X-COM: UFO Defense launched all the way back in 1994, it was lauded with commercial and critical success. The same can't really be said for the novel, which sounds like it has all the hallmarks of someone writing about XCOM without really understanding just what the game is about.
But it is a tough task to even write about as though XCOM has a plot. At the end of the day, it's a real-time strategy game. Unlike a platformer or action game which can have cutscenes or dialogue, the game has a spectre of a story that one has to follow without probably having the wiggle room that a normal sci-fi book might have. Either way, it's still a surprise that out of all games, publishers decided this was the one that warranted a novel.
2 Gex
It's not just a surprise that Gex has a book, but it's also a surprise apparently how it's written. Instead of a typical novel that is told in the third-person, the Gex book follows a first-person point of view narration from Gex's perspective.
It tells the story of the first and second games before the story truly begins, with Gex hopping into different worlds to confront antagonist Rez for trashing his home. It's a very short book and an odd one at that, but it fits as a nice companion piece for the third game.
1 Hitman: Damnation
Hitman is a series with a story that is surprisingly deep, going into the backstory of Agent 47 and what it means to be human when you're made to be an obedient and ruthless killing machine. The novel acts as a prequel to the events of Hitman: Absolution, even ending right where the game is about to pick up.
The book could very well be the plot of its own spin-off game, with Agent 47 travelling the world and running down a list of targets in the process with a heavy plot about political machinations.