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[Sojgat]

Nope, I draw the line at comics.

 

[Rabbit Lord]

When I pre ordered WarCraft 3 at Best Buy they gave me a WC3 prequel book, it was really bad. Stayed away from that kinda of stuff since.

 

[encephalon]

Just got this.

 

[rosaceadude2112]

Holy crap how did I not think of these? I bought these books right when they came out. Decent reads from what I remember, but that was over 15 years ago.

This is better

 

[Jaded Alyx]

I own 2 Splinter Cell novels.

 

[Mupod]

Holy crap how did I not think of these? I bought these books right when they came out. Decent reads from what I remember, but that was over 15 years ago.

I'm picturing 'no john you are the demons' expanded into a full length novel, I want to read these now. I do remember seeing them on shelves when I was a kid though.

On topic, I've read Gears of War Aspho Fields, several Halo books, Warcraft The Last Guardian, and Dead Space Martyr. Out of those I'd say I liked Fall of Reach and Martyr the most. There is one scene in Aspho Fields with Cole

Spoiler

writing a letter to his dead mother

that was particularly memorable though.

 

[zroid]

Didn't know Sanderson did this, I would be interested in other potential video game tie-ins by him. I read a couple of the Mass Effect novels, they were pretty decent.

 

[spindoctor]

I've read a few game related books and they're almost always mediocre. Last one I read was the DXHR tie in novel. Forgot all about it the moment it was over.

 

[woxel1]

Yep. Some decent backstory on the ghosts. Works better as a reference than a stand-alone work.

 

[mclem]

Holy shit! Didn't know this was a thing!

Fun fact: I didn't actually know much about the game when I read the book; I assumed that the intro storyline where a kid chases after his lost frog was a framing story made up to make the reader relate more to the story of the game. I was quite surprised when I found out that that's the game's real story.

 

[DrWong]

Try the second one just because... then read the first one again and you'll appreciate it much more. I don't remember anyone in HaloGAF liked the second Forerunner book.
I reckon you didn't find the first one good because you don't play Halo. It does feel like it requires understanding and interest in Halo.

I'll probably read it in the future as I also bought it and because Bear. Tbh as an avid sf reader I'm not really excited by the Halo universe (I'm not talking about the game mechanics but the SF setting) which I find a bit generic. Regarding the book I was hoping the talent of Bear would do the trick... But yeah, I'll give it a second chance but it's not a priority right now, too much others exciting SF books to read.

 

[Nairume]

I checked this out of a library when I was really young. It was awful and nothing like the game or the cartoon, but I think I enjoyed it anyway.

I also had the novelization of Donkey Kong Country.

Yes. That was a thing that existed.

 

[owasog]

The three Myst novels. Quite good, from what I remember.

 

[Labadal]

I can't think of any.

I've read the books about Geralt from The Witcher games, but the games are based on the books.

 

[VXLbeast]

Karpyshyn's problems are lack of "show, don't tell" and mary sue (or in case of Bane novels, villain sue) protagonists.
The books do provide interesting backround for Mass Effect world but i wouldn't call the books otherwise good.
Bane novels... the Sith ideology is interesting (if reprehensible). Otherwise the books are more or less meh.

EDIT actually, not sure if the issue was "show, don't tell" but rather generally weak prose.

I guess I have different expectations when I read an "off the shelf" book as opposed to something like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Because of that, I rarely, rarely read a book I don't like. There's usually something I can enjoy, such as you mentioned with the world (universe?) building in Mass Effect and the ideology stuff in the Bane novels.


Also, has anyone here read the Metro book? Any good? I'm interested. (Have played the game).

i loved this one .

Oh yah, forgot about that! Yah, I enjoyed this as well. Have you read the next one? I bought it, but haven't read it yet.

 

[Peter Bazooka]

I read the novelization of Baldur's Gate.

It was one of the worst books I've ever read.

At one point in this book a spider falls down Jaheira's top causing her to rip off her clothes so that the main character can check out her breasts.

It's the worst.

 

[MyAbsolution]

Karpyshyn's problems are lack of "show, don't tell" and mary sue (or in case of Bane novels, villain sue) protagonists.
The books do provide interesting backround for Mass Effect world but i wouldn't call the books otherwise good.
Bane novels... the Sith ideology is interesting (if reprehensible). Otherwise the books are more or less meh.

EDIT actually, not sure if the issue was "show, don't tell" but rather generally weak prose.

You dont like Nylund books AND you don't like Bane series??

...

Good sir, there is something wrong with you.

 

[10k]

I enjoyed all Halo novels. It was good bungie was involved with the authors to make sure the novel was canon.

 

[tauroxd]

No but I am curious about the Mass Effect and Gears of War ones, are they good enough for me to invest time on them?

 

[Tunavi]

Fall of Reach was exponentially better than the game.

 

[Tummi Gummi]

I read the novelization of Baldur's Gate.

It was one of the worst books I've ever read.

Mmm, I read ALL of those. The Planescape one was the best though.

Spoiler

Thane

Other than that, all I can remember reading are a couple of WoW novels (ugh) and short stories like Mind in Revolt + the thing Levine wrote for SS2.

 

[VXLbeast]

No but I am curious about the Mass Effect and Gears of War ones, are they good enough for me to invest time on them?

Mass Effect, personally I would say yes. And while I haven't actually read the Gears of War books, at least some of them are written by Karen Traviss, who's work I do enjoy. That's about all I can offer.

Fall of Reach was exponentially better than the game.

Right there with you brutha.

 

[t26]

 

[MyAbsolution]

Fall of Reach was exponentially better than the game.

That isn't much of a challenge.

Considering Reach game was a giant shit on the halo canon. Shit all over Fall of Reach, a bit of First Strike, and Ghosts of Onyx.

 

[Sulik2]

Yep, Fall of Reach is actually a pretty good sci-fi book in its own right. That Mass Effect books were pretty good too.

Infinity Blake: Awakening is far better than it has any right to be, but Brandon Sanderson is a brilliant author.

 

[Woorloog]

You dont like Nylund books AND you don't like Bane series??

...

Good sir, there is something wrong with you.

I don't like Fall of Reach, nor First Strike. Ghosts of Onyx is better.
Halo Reach limited edition extra, Halsey's Journal (by Nylund) is excellent. Nylund's Halo short story in Halo: Evolutions is also very good.
He writes well in first person (Halsey's Journal) and the short story is good (collection of reports about Preston Cole), his writing style works well there.

Fall of Reach suffers from lack of plot, and i don't like how the Chief's personality doesn't match Halo CE/2/3... ok it was written first but considering it is based on a game, the personality should have been based on the game.
First Strike suffers from idiotic macguffin. I hate time travel in scifi, fantasy, anywhere.

Karpyshyn.. well, i said i don't like his prose. And i absolutely detest mary sue characters, like Bane is as Karpyshyn writes him.
That said, it was rather entertaining read, somewhat better than average Star Wars novel (like Legacy of the Force series).

I never blindly hate or dislike anything. There are other smaller reasons as well but that would require a bit longer analysis, which i really don't want to start writing.

EDIT also, while i don't like Fall of Reach much (i love how Nylund creates Haloverse in it though, even though i don't like the book otherwise), i hate what Bungie did with Reach, i really would have preferred they expand upon Fall of Reach, instead of retconning stuff.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

Oh yes, I read a bunch of the Mario ones.

And now that I think of it, a couple Sonic ones too.

 

[denshuu]

Sort of. I read the novelization of Mortal Kombat whenever that came out, like '95. But that was based on the movie. So a book based on a movie based on a game.

 

[VXLbeast]

Really? Ghosts of Onyx was one of my least favorite of the Halo books. Still enjoyable enough, though.

Speaking of which, has anyone read the Forerunner books? I have only read the first one so far but really, really enjoyed it.

 

[KorrZ]

I really enjoyed this book back in my WoW playing days.

 

[Khronico]

The back of the book implies that its about Sam Fischer stealthing it up, taking out bad guys, etc. He appears about 10 pages away from the end. The writing is horrible, the plot is stupid, the characters (A squad from third echelon) are childish and 2 dimensional, the entire book is garbage.

 

[Kwixotik]

I can't bring myself to that level of neckbeard. Ironically, my girlfriend reads the Gears of War novels.

 

[Woorloog]

Has anyone here read Tiberium Wars, CnC3 novellization?

 

[Jac_Solar]

I've read most of the World of Warcraft books. Not sure if they count as based on the game, though.

 

[Woorloog]

I read most of the World of Warcraft books. Not sure if they count as based on the game, though.

Nearly all books here are tie-ins, based of the world but original stories, not actual novellizations of games.
So, yes, they count.

 

[BY2K]

Darksiders: The Abomination Vault.

I think Death has a Batman complex.

 

[Smushroomed]

I read the bioshock novel

wasn't too bad

 

[Blue Ninja]

I have all of the Halo and Elder Scrolls novels.

The former's Forerunner trilogy is really great: Bear wrote something that could easily stand on its own as a sci-fi trilogy, yet ties in pretty neatly with the games.

 

[ascii42]

Rainbow Six.

Oh Wait.

 

[MarcoZombieCannon]

I read the Metal Gear Solid novel, it was pretty good, I thought. I liked all of Snake's quips to himself and whatnot. Admittedly, the last time I read it was in my Senior year of high school, so it might not hold up. I have wanted to read the MGS2 book too, but never got around to it.

 

[Diprosalic]

there is so much good stuff out there why would i read some third grade novel?

 

[Kwixotik]

I read Metro 2033 and that was pretty good.

I wanted to read the witcher stuff too but never got round to it

I'm pretty sure Metro 2033 and The Witcher games were based on books, not the other way

 

[CSX]

Well the game is based off the novel so it doesn't entirely count.

 

[soulassssns]

Yes, I have read every Halo novel.

 

[Izick]

I'm not going to call it a masterpiece or anything, but I think it's too much to say it has no plot. Yeah it addresses the history of the Spartan II program, through the eyes of John (AKA Master Chief). I look at it basically as 'Ender's Game Lite,' and in that context it's quite entertaining if you find the Halo Universe at all interesting to begin with. It's also the first pass at giving a closer look at the politics of the UNSC and humanity in general in that universe.

To get a bit more to the point: if you enjoyed Ghosts of Onyx, I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't also like Fall of Reach. In many respects Ghosts of Onyx is a direct sequel to Fall of Reach, as it follows many of the characters established therein (Halsey, Mendez, the Spartan IIs minus Master Chief). If nothing else, it's not exactly a long read.

Read them.

The books are a million times better than the games. (nylund trilogy that is)

PLUS - SPACE BATTLES ARE THE SHIT.

Alright, maybe I'll give it a shot then. Thanks guys.

 

[TehOh]

The two Perfect Dark novels are fantastic. They're written by Greg Rucka, who wrote the Queen & Country series and some great comics like Gotham Central.

It's really good spy fiction with well written female characters.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

LOL


TOM CLANCY'S Splinter Cell CREATED BY TOM CLANCY

(written by some guy)

 

[JimmyRustler]

Couple of the Halo books. Loved especially Fall of Reach and Frist Strike. Like them so much I became an instant Halo fan. Needless to say that this love for the series took a deep dent after the Reach game as it shat all over the book. And Traviss book and Halo 4 gave my interest to the series the final blow.

 

[TJP]

I'm pretty sure Metro 2033 and The Witcher games were based on books, not the other way

The game version of Metro 2033 was certainly based on the book and the novel can be seen throughout the game.

I played Metro 2033 and then bought the book 8)

 

[Yka]

I have this nice looking Ico book but haven't read it yet.

Amazon link