Category: Book Space

Books, hopefully gaming related!

[Book Tip] Xcom 2: Resurrection by Greg Keyes

Xcom in-universe stories and lore? Yes, please! Xcom 2: Resurrection is a prequel to the fabulous Xcom 2, set between the two games, Xcom: Enemy Unknown and Xcom 2. While it’s an okay story, and expands on the world-building in the compelling existence of a post-alien invasion earth, it has a couple of issues. Now, I don’t expect a mesmerizing writing style in any of these kinds of books, and I would say it’s adequate in this one. However, the plot feels pretty hacked up, as locations shift way too often, with the main characters coming off as pretty one-note.

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[Book Tip] Crysis: Escalation by Gavin Smith

Crysis: Escalation is a novel to bridge the games Crysis 2 and Crysis 3, which is a bit more interesting than Crysis: Legion, since it was just a retelling of the events of Crysis 2. I didn’t dislike that book, since it contained additional lore about the world and characters. However, the general plot didn’t excite me much, as I already knew what would happen going in. Crysis: Escalation avoids this baggage completely by telling new captivating stories about the world of Crysis, and boy if it doesn’t supplement the franchise with a lot of cool additional information. It doesn’t follow one story – it’s a collection of events/tales of the land, eventually leading up to the start of Crysis 3.

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[Book Tip] Crysis: Legion by Peter Watts

Crysis: Legion is an adaptation of Crysis 2, which means it’s for the most part just a retelling of the plot line from the game. It’s not my favorite kind of gaming-related novel, since, well, you already know how it will play out and how it will finish. However, Crysis 2 is in a unique situation, as the lead in the game does not talk. Not exactly the best way to add characterization to the protagonist. Who even is Alcatraz? – might be asked a couple of times during the game. The story can also be hard to follow as little is explained, especially not how we went from the jungle fighting in first Crysis to now battling aliens and mercenaries in the heart of New York. Luckily, Crysis: Legion remedies this!

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[Book Tip] Homefront: The Voice of Freedom by John Milius & Raymond Benson

In my Homefront review, I complained that it didn’t seem very feasible that it was the North Koreans that attacked the USA instead of China. However, the prequel book Homefront: The Voice of Freedom goes into much more detail on the reasons why and how. It makes the idea of North Korea attacking a USA that is on its last legs way more plausible. I was admittedly impressed by how much the book focuses on this aspect, as in building up why things are as they are. Everything from geopolitics to the economics of the world, and the new scary tech within it. While it doesn’t reach the style of Tom Clancy fully, it gave me strong vibes of it.

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[Book Tip] The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham

If you ever wondered what it would be like to live under the alien threat from X-com: Terror From the Deep as a civilian, I have a book for you. Now, things do not line up perfectly, since they are set in different time periods; 1950 in the book, versus 2040 in the game. There are other things as well since The Kraken Wakes (Out of the Deeps in the US) is not an official book based on the X-com brand – but I got to say, it’s comes pretty damn close!

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