Know this isn't my thread, but I'll set some ground rules:
-Adaptations only. So, for instance, something like Shadow of Mordor isn't an adaptation, whereas the Two Towers/Return of the King games are - one's a story set in a world, the other is adapting a pre-existing story.
-No "do-overs." So, for instance, I can't nominate stuff like Aladdin, because while I had an idea for a Prince of Persia-esque game, it's been adapted into game format before.
-Story has to be good enough to "deserve" an adaptation in my mind, and also be practical to adapt.
-Only going to choose one genre per adaptation, otherwise this list would be overrun with RTS-esque games (since war is easy to adapt into a game, for better or worse.
-Has to be a specific story. For instance, something like the Doctor Who Adventure games could easily adapt any TV episode, but there's no reason to adapt a TV episode rather than making your own.
So, on that note:
Ender's Game
As in, mainly an adaption of the first book. I'd split the game between two time periods, and two protagonists.
First period would be the Second Formic War, from the POV of Mazer Rackham. How practical this would be remains to be seen (since we've only got the first novel of the trilogy), but regardless, yes, this game would be space-battles focused. Second period would be the Third Formic War era from the POV of Ender. In both cases, the game would be divided between a story-mode space, building up character relationships, gaining access to new tech (which would work since the International Fleet sent to the formic homeworld gets more tech in-universe due to how faster ships developed later can catch up with the slower ships deployed earlier. To be fair, you would cut out the Second Invasion sequence entirely, but I think it would be good to get a requisite number of battles. So, in essence, think Homeworld matched with the setting.
Mistborn
To be honest, I think this would work better as a story set within the Mistborn setting, but even the books themselves would be well suited for an installment, or multiple installment, depending on how much you want to cover. I mean, the allomancy/feruchemy/hemalurgy systems are pretty 'gamey' anyway, so playing as someone like Vin (for the first trilogy) or Wax/Wayne for the second trilogy would work. Something like a cross of Assassin's Creed/Dishonoured/Thief style of gameplay focused in Luthandel, coupled with allomatic magic abilities, so, voila. At the least, I think you could very easily turn the first book into a game, as Vin not only builds up her powers, but you could have some kind of system to reflect the growing Skaa Rebellion, all coupled with a final boss fight against the Lord Ruler.
Of note, it occurred to me that you could do the same thing for Tron: Uprising (Beck stirring up rebellion against CLU), but like I said, one genre per entry.
Starship Troopers: Roughnecks
I can't really call this a "great" story per se, but I can't see any adaptation of the novel working since a lot of it is devoted to philisophical conversation. That, and the movie has already been adapted more or less. Still, I could see this as a squad-based shooter. Plenty of enemy variety, add in squad banter ala Gears of War, gain tech/new weapons as SICON technology improves, heck, you could even give the series a proper ending. So, in short, think Gears of War mixed with Starship Troopers.
A Song of Ice and Fire
Technically there's any number of things you could do with this setting, but if I had to actually adapt something from it directly, I'd choose Robert's Rebellion, turn it into an RTS/RTT, and let the story play out. I know Aegon's conquest was given the same treatment in Genesis, but still, this could be better...
...or not, because I'm sure there's a Total War mod that covers this already. But, the lore of ASoIaF is good enough to warrant adaptation, whereas something like, say, Shannara...isn't. Even if that could work in a fantasy RTS by adapting First King/Sword/Elfstones.
Foyle's War
It occurred to me that if you took the police procedural gameplay of LA Noire, you could apply it to any police procedural...ever, really. So, per my rules, you could apply that idea to any detective series out there regardless of media. So, if I had to nominate said series, it would be Foyle's War, but I could just as easily apply it to the likes of Castle, or Midsommer Murders, or Law and Order (bleh), or, well, y'know. I mean, these types of games already exist of course, but Foyle's War gets the nomination from me because of overall quality, and its setting would help distinguish it from its contemporaries.
Moana
It's not like Disney movies haven't had adaptations made of them, and in the case of The Lion King/Aladdin, sometimes those adaptations have been good. Before anyone asks, you could easily have a police procedural Zootopia game, but that would be better served as a story set after the film rather than adapting it per se. Moana though, if you took the gameplay of something like Wind Waker, then you could easily adapt it, since the film does allow some leeway as to how much time the story takes. So, follow the beats of the film, but factor in monsters, islands, discovery, etc. Heck, when I did a Moana/Wind Waker crossover oneshot, I joked that the film made me want a Wind Waker adaptation. So, what goes around comes around?
Anyway, that's all for now.
