The Worst and Weirdest: Games Based on Literature

Posted by Anton Gordon at 11:07 AM Dec 16, 2008

While there were teasers shown for God of War III, Fight Night Round 4, GTA: Lost and Damned, and more, the news that really stuck out to me from this weekend's Spike TV VGA show was EA's announcement of Dante's Inferno. It's an odd choice for a video game adaptation to say the least, and I wonder if some gamers will be confused as to why that dude from Devil May Cry isn't in it. The news also got me thinking about video games and literature. There are far more video games based on books than I realized - many of which aren't adapted until there is a movie version, of course. The most high profile series based on books is probably the Tom Clancy series, but after the jump I've compiled a list of six book-based games that didn't turn out quite so well. Read on for more desecration of classic works! 
6. Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

I love the part in the book where Mr. Hyde shoots his "Psycho Wave," don't you?


5. Ivanhoe.

I'll admit I've never played the game or read the book. Then again, neither have you.


4. The Cat in the Hat

Okay, so it's not exactly adult reading, but you don't fuck with Dr. Seuss. Unless you're Mike Meyers. Or NewKidCo.


3. Beowulf

Thank god the game filled in some of the blanks from the epic poem, like Beowulf's ability to charge up his rage meter.


2. Journey to the Center of the Earth

These guys seem to have a thing for turning books into point-and-click adventure games.
 

1. Tom Sawyer

And you thought Resident Evil 5 was racist!