Wired.com has a brief article looking into the phenomenon of the videogame novelisation. The focus is on Splinter Cell by David Michaels which has perhaps the singular boast of being a novel based on a game based on an original concept by a novelist. In it, we apparently discover some of what the game's hero, Sam Fisher, gets up to when he isn't quietly strangling terrorists:
"He's 47 years old, and his hottie martial-arts instructor has a major crush on him. He lives alone in a condo and struggles to figure out how to deal with his college-age daughter. His favorite pastime is gourmet cooking. He thinks the Iraq war is a bad idea."
Anyone else think this is too much information? When I'm struggling to take down a terror base I don't want the added pressure of worrying about Sam's orphaned child. And does it somehow detract from the macho mystique of the character to know that he spends his evenings alone, crafting cullinery treats for himself while fantasising over his gym mistress?
The article goes on to consider other conversions - Halo, Resident Evil, Mech Warrior (Mech Warrior?!) - discussing how psychologically disorientating it feels when an author takes hold of a character we think of as an extension of ourselves and pulls them in a narrative direction beyond our control. Sam Fisher. Alone. In a condo. Stealth cooking...
Anyway, as Aleks was talking about books that would make great interactive adventures yesterday, here are five videogames I think would travel well in the opposite direction...
GTA: San Andreas The obvious choice. A sprawling saga of life in the ghetto, brimming with violence, sex, fast cars and colourful hoodlums. I see a combination of Mario Puzo's Godfather with the narrative scope and eighties references of Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. Could come with a free 'Hot Coffee' erotic mini-story...
Final Fantasy VII The most successful incarnation of Square's RPG behemoth would be a clash of literary worlds, merging the folkloric fantasies of Tolkien with the steam punk sci-fi of The Difference Engine and Automated Alice. Would probably run to about five chunky volumes. (Chrono Trigger, Legend of Zelda and Ico could all work in a similar way.)
Half-Life It's a mystery why this alien conspiracy shooter hasn't been novelised already - all the ingredients are there for a rollicking goverment cover-up blockbuster. And I for one would be interested to find out exactly what Gordon actually did at Black Mesa - you know, before he blew it up. The similarly-themed Deus Ex would work well, too.
Secret of Monkey Island Forget Guybrush for a second, who in their right minds wouldn't want to find out more about Stan the secondhand boat salesman, Herman Toothrot the hermit or that sword-swirling minx, Carla? Swashbuckling adventure, blisteringly sharp humour and daft characters caught in hopelessly surreal situations: it's Treasure Island meets Catch 22!
Nintendogs All the drama of dog rearing, from the endless hours of training to the tension of the competition events. And what intrigues lay await on the show floor? Frankly, this one has Jilly Cooper written all over it.
