Book of Games – Volume 1
The Book of Games is billed as the ‘Ultimate guide to PC and Video Games’.
Authors: Bendik Stang, Hans Christian Bjorne, Erik Hoftun, Jorgen Kirksaether, Joey Lesh, Morten A. Osterholt, Eric V. Segalstad
ISBN: 82-997378-0-X
The Book of Games is a coffee-table book aimed at casual and non gamers. It is also, rather cheekily, subtitled ‘Volume 1’ so we can assume that this is going to become a series of books, perhaps with a new volume every year. The book does not have a single author, instead having been produced by an interesting company called GameXplore, who aim to provide independent analysis and comparison of games for shoppers, although also claiming to be an ‘efficient sales tool’ does put that independence into question!
The book itself is hard-back, printed to a very high quality and is very bright and colourful. The guide covers 150 modern games, with each game receiving a two-page spread; one page of general information and description and one page of screen-shots. The descriptions are fairly short and simplistic with no jargon, which will gladden the heart of many parents. Unfortunately English is not the first language of the writers, so occasionally the prose stumbles and a few errors in the information have crept in.
The book is well-structured, with the games split into various genres, such as action, sports, racing, etc. These sections have short introductory passages that explain the genre in simple language. The Book of Games also contains a number of articles which wouldn’t look out of place in a high-brow magazine, covering such topics as research into gaming, the future of videogames and the links between videogames and films. These articles lend the book some much-needed depth and are a genuinely interesting read, compared to the fairly bland game descriptions. Also, the book contains a useful glossary and index, as well as descriptions of all modern games consoles.
Overall, the book is very well presented and could be very useful for anyone without a fairly in-depth knowledge of video games. The structure and content work well, although more articles and more information on each of the games would be appreciated in future volumes. The choice of games that make up the book is fairly representative of the best games of the last year or so, although a few strange additions have crept in while there are a couple of glaring omissions and the reasons for these choices are not adequately explained. The introduction suggests that the games have been chosen due to their high quality, although that is at odds with a couple of truly terrible games that have slipped into the book. In the most part, the selection gives people a good idea of the sort of games that are out there. If you want a gentle introduction to the modern world of video games, this book is certainly a recommended starting point.
Reviewer: David Lloyd
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