When you load up a game for the first time, you’re probably not expecting to spend a lot of your time reading - unless it’s a visual novel. After all, you’ve got books for reading; video games are more about playing. However, in-game compendiums can convince you to spend plenty of time in menus, reading and learning about the game you’re playing.
Perhaps it will contain details about characters, monsters, plants, the game world, weapons, equipment, or anything else that features in the game. If all this information is presented in an eye-catching way and is actually interesting, the compendium can be entertaining and informative. This is shown inThe Witcher 3and the rest of the following games.
Arkham Asylum’s compendium includes character bios for all the Batman characters referenced or featured in the game. So, it’s smaller than the compendiums you see in traditional open-world games, as there are no wild animals or flora to learn about.
Yet, these bios that you unlock gradually during the game are very interesting and contain plenty of information. Not only do they give you a back story on characters, but they also include their personal information and attributes. This includes their first appearance in the Batman Universe. So, you may discover things like the fact Killer Croc debuted in Batman Issue 357 back in January 1984. All of this information allows people who haven’t read the comics to learn more about the characters in the game’s story. Plus, the presentation of the whole thing is exceptional, particularly the comic character images.
Bestiaries are one of the most common types of compendiums you will see in games. The inclusion of one in The Witcher 3 - or any of The Witcher games, for that matter - is incredibly fitting. After all, you play the game as a professional monster hunter. Therefore, it makes sense that he would carry a bestiary around with him.
Plus, it makes sense from a gameplay standpoint, too, as there are manydeadly creatures in The Witcher 3, so you may’t possibly be expected to remember them all. This bestiary doesn’t just tell you what the beasts are, though. It also informs you of what weapons oils and spells they’re weak against. As you spend much of the game fighting different monsters, having this information on hand is very useful.
This entry is about the codex in all the Mass Effect games, as it’s essentially the same in each one, even in regards to presentation.
In the Mass Effect series, what the games call a codex is essentially a compendium. It contains information on pretty much everything to do with the Mass Effect universe. For starters, it includes detailed information regarding each of the alien races in the galaxy, from their culture to their biology to their military. Also, the codex has information regarding ships, locations, technology, weapons, characters, organizations, and more.
It’s stacked with data, and it’s a useful resource since the Mass Effect universe is very deep and detailed, meaning it’s easy to forget things at times. You can keep up to speed with this codex. Some of the entries are even narrated if you prefer to hear the information instead of reading it.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is known for being an incredibly detailed gameset in a world that almost feels real. It wouldn’t feel as authentic if there was nothing in it. Thankfully, there are a bunch of different plants and animals. The game provides an in-depth compendium for you to keep track of everything. So, whenever you come across something, it gets added to the compendium. This includes wild animals, equipment, fish, gangs, plants, horses, weapons, and cigarette cards.
There are also stats linked with specific items. For example, you can select a gun to see your accuracy and how many kills you’ve pulled off with it. This is along with the general information about the weapon. All of this info is presented in an eye-catching way. The black and white coloring fits the Western motif brilliantly.
It’s well-known that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a very large game. It contains plenty of monsters, materials, treasure, and equipment. Thankfully, the game contains a handy compendium to help you keep track of it all.
Once you come across different things in Hyrule, they get added to it. For each entry into the compendium, you get additional information, which is dependent on what sort of thing it is. For instance, a monster’s entry will include what materials you can get from killing it, while an entry for a piece of fruit will tell you how much health it can restore. All of the information is presented in a straightforward and aesthetically pleasing way.
No compendium in any game is as famous as the Pokedex from the Pokemon series. It’s used to keep track of all the Pokemon you find during your adventure. Not only does it contain their name and a picture, it tells you what type of Pokemon they are and other bits of information. Therefore, it’s essentially a bestiary for Pokemon, and the overall goal in each game is to fill it up.
While each Pokedoex in the games serves the same purpose, they’re a bit different from one another. The one in Pokemon Legends: Arceus stands out the most due to its visual appeal, as it looks like a charming notebook. On top of that, not only does it contain high-quality images of the Pokemon, but it also provides details on their habitat and preferred foods. It’s one ofthe best bestiaries in gamingand among the greatest compendiums.
