Tag: Book review

Resident Evil: Caliban Cove by S.D. Perry [Book Tip]

I have finally finished Caliban Cove, S.D. Perry’s first venture into non-canon original Resident Evil fiction. What is cool about this novel is that it picks up immediately after Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy, and it remains consistent with that story, and how she has written the characters so far. I didn’t expect anything else, but it’s nonetheless something that has to be pointed out. On the general plot of Caliban Cove. I wouldn’t say it’s the most exciting zombie horror drama I have read, but it works as a light, entertaining read, that is saved solely based on being set in an awesome franchise.

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[Book Tip] Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy by S.D. Perry

As many of you know, the Resident Evil canon, and its lore is a tangled mess of epic proportions. Especially since every baseline game is getting a remake nowadays, which obfuscates the established canon even further. The book by S.D. Perry, which is essentially a retelling of the first game, is way out of date for the current timeline, since it was written all the way back in 1998. However, as I see it, it’s one of its strengths too. It builds upon the first Resident Evil title, way before the mess that exists now. That to me, makes it more pure in a way.

What is also interesting is that S.D. Perry didn’t just write this book. She wrote a novelization for all six of the initial games, with two titles that expand on the lore as original stories. So, while most of the books follow the games, there is also a lot of additional content here. Stories that I can best describe as an alternative timeline in the Resident Evil universe, which I definitely get a kick out of. It should be noted that these novels also provide a self-contained narrative that doesn’t require players to juggle multiple versions of the same events.

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[Book Tip] Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Command & Conquer: Tiberium is a weird one. It was released at the same time as the third Command & Conquer game that goes under the same name. It’s a retelling of the GDI campaign, but in book format. However, the approach it takes is perhaps not what you’d expect. It goes into great detail explaining the life and politics of the average GDI citizen, with a small excursion into the minds of a few NOD members. Don’t worry, there are segments of battles too, but in general, the war is taking a backseat to world-building and the development of the main characters. 

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[Book Tip] Deus Ex: Black Light by James Swallow

In my review of the novel Deus Ex: Icarus Effect by the same author. I wrote that Icarus Effect was almost required reading to understand Deus: Ex: Human Revolution – at least when it comes to the finer details, and the antagonists. Well, in contrast, Black Light is mandatory reading. It’s amazing how many important plot points this book sets up for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. When I played Deus Ex: Mankind Divided back in the day, it left me utterly confused why I was in Prague, what actually happened after the Panchaea incident, and the general state of the world. Black Light explains everything, while also being a good book to boot. Minor beginning spoilers incoming.

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[Book Tip] Deus Ex: Icarus Effect by James Swallow

Deus Ex: Icarus Effect is a book that has been haunting my reading dreams for years. But finally, I found it for a reasonable price in a second-hand store. It’s a prequel to the excellent game Deus Ex: Human Revolution, that takes place before, and during the events of the game. So, was it worth the wait? Yes, absolutely, seeing as the story from a stand-alone viewpoint is already good with interesting characters and plot. However, the main pull is the world-building and additional lore to the Deus Ex franchise. On that note, it’s excellent, and I would almost consider it a mandatory read, if you, like me, love the mythos of the series and want to know more about the mysterious men and women in it. 

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