Ender’s Game
Some of the world’s best stories are no doubt found in books. With gaming becoming more and more popular as the years go by, it’s about time that some of these tales are brought to life as video games.
Having had a movie adaptation in 2013, it’s a bit of a mystery as to why the Ender’s Game series still hasn’t had a video game adaptation as of today. Following the genius Ender Wiggin as he trains at a prestigious battle station school in order to grow up to one day become strong enough to help humanity fight against an invading alien army, the Ender’s Game book series does a great job of being action-packed and subversive from a story standpoint.
Ender’s Game as a video game could play a lot like a tactical third-person shooter or a real-time strategy game where players can control their teammates in battle and choose whether or not to engage in combat. This can go for fight sequences both in zero gravity training and in spaceship simulations. When not on the playing field, the player can build relationships with NPCs and boost their stats.
Dark Tower
Stephen King’s Dark Tower series follows the story of the gun-slinging Arthurian Knight Roland Deschain of Gilead as he hunts down the mysterious man in black and inches closer to the Dark Tower that lies on the horizon. It’s said that this edifice sits at the center of all possible realities in the universe.
Needless to say, a Dark Tower video game adaptation has a lot going for it. There’s plenty of opportunity here to feature beautiful vistas against the unforgiving, brutal combat that Roland often finds himself in. Seeing as how the character dresses almost like a cowboy, a Dark Tower video game adaptation could be a third-person shooter inspired gameplay-wise by an interesting combination of Red Dead and Dark Souls.
The Hunger Games
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, The Hunger Games is a massively popular teen book series authored by Suzanne Collins that tells the story of Katniss Everdeen as she competes in a televised event called the Hunger Games. The battle is a fight to the death against eleven other districts in the fictional nation of Panem. After she fights in the Games, Katniss becomes a galvanizing symbol of rebellion against the oppressive Capitol.
With Battle Royale-style games becoming extremely popular this year through PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite, it makes perfect sense for there to be a video game adaptation of The Hunger Games. Players can create their own tributes to compete in the Games, facing off against opponents in an ever-changing arena with new equipment and weapons available given lower player counts.
Saga
Saga is a comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan that depicts the story of Alana and Marko, a husband and wife from long-warring extraterrestrial races that are fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war. They struggle to care for their daughter, Hazel, who is born in the beginning of the series and who occasionally narrates the series as an unseen adult.
The most encouraging aspect of there being a Saga video game adaptation sometime in the future is that the series’ creator has already given it some serious thought. Speaking with The Verge, Vaughan suggested that he really admires what Telltale has done with their episodic series and especially likes what the studio does in forcing players to make moral choices. This same mechanic could fit in wonderfully with Saga’s themes, especially if it includes the series’ controversial social topics like ethnicity, sexuality, and gender roles.
Mistborn
Mistborn is a fantasy book trilogy by Brandon Sanderson that depicts a rebellion against a tyrannical ruler and the political fallout that follows said rebellion. It includes an intricate storyline and compelling cast of characters much in the vein of the family trees and political intrigue found in Game of Thrones.
Now that The Witcher series is over, it’s time for Mistborn to take its place. Characters have Dishonored-like powers like the ability to turn coins into bullets, meaning a Mistborn video game adaptation could be a first-person role-playing title featuring stealth mechanics set within an expansive open world. Branching paths can ultimately let the player decide which families and factions end up being victorious.
There are plenty of other book series out there worthy of video game adaptations. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comment section below!
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