Video game universes are among the most exciting and immersive in all of entertainment, and many of them contain a significant amount of extra lore that helps to flesh the universe out and inform fans of juicy details. Recognizing the love that players have for this content, many game developers have made an effort to release books that contain collections of lore for fans to dig into even when they aren't in-game. Here are our favorites.
Halo encyclopedia
Halo Mythos provides a broad, yet thorough, overview of the Halo story so far, offering fans a chance to get fully immersed in the lore of Xbox's flagship franchise.
Halo warship guide
If you love Halo and want to learn more about all the warships that feature in the franchise, this comprehensive guide will be right up your alley.
Halo story anthology
Halo: Evolutions offers fans a vast collection of high-quality, varied short stories that allow you to see the universe from unique, exciting perspectives.
Destiny's dark beginnings
The first volume of the Destiny Grimoire Anthology goes over the sinister beginnings of the Destiny universe that would set the stage for the franchise's overarching story.
Humanity's downfall
The second volume of the Destiny Grimoire Anthology follows humanity as they attempt to recover following the arrival of the ominous Darkness.
A soldier's journal
This volume contains notes from the journal of Damon Baird, a fan-favorite Gears of War character that offers a harrowing perspective on the franchise's dreary setting.
A look back on Gears of War
This book is filled to the brim with rich information about the designs, story, themes, and setting of the Gears of War universe, allowing fans to get a detailed look at what shaped the series.
The roots of Fallout
This text provides a thorough account of how the Fallout franchise came to be, as well as plenty of information about each aspect of the franchise's world and how it all contributes to the series' core themes.
All things Mass Effect
BioWare's Mass Effect trilogy is one of the most influential in gaming, and this massive volume contains plenty of detailed information about the lore behind the franchise's visual designs.
The beginning of World of Warcraft
The first volume of the WoW: Chronicle series reveals the lore behind the birth of the franchise's universe and the rise of various empires that would come to shape the land of Azeroth.
Continuing the story
The story of Azeroth continues in the second WoW: Chronicle tome, further fleshing out and contextualizing the world that millions of players have enjoyed together for years.
The latest edition
The latest WoW: Chronicle volume expands on the Third War, the Burning Crusade, and the other events that preceded the Cataclysm.
What the author thinks
Many of gaming's biggest names have forayed into book territory to deliver fans incredible tomes full of lore and contextual information about their universes, which is something that nerds such as myself very much appreciate. Whether you're a fan of any of these franchises or just a newcomer looking to know everything there is to know about them, these excellent books will provide you with plenty of entertaining stories and details.
Personally, my favorite out of all of these is Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo, as Halo is my favorite franchise, and this book does a fantastic job of giving readers a broad, yet detailed overview of the entire universe. I also highly recommend the first volume of the Destiny Grimoire Anthology since it's a beautiful way to learn about the fantastic universe Bungie has created over the past few years. Fans who prefer fantasy over science fiction, however, will love the introductory World of Warcraft: Chronicle book since it provides a thorough and rich account of how Azeroth, World of Warcraft's world, came to be.
