My top two picks would be The Last of Us for a third person adaptation but for first person I would use Dead Island 2, though I would tone down some of the more wacky and unrealistic aspects of course.
There was a really cool total conversion mod themed around The Last of Us that unfortunately has become defunct with the new updates and it was a really cool experience, so few resources, less undead but each encounter was far more dangerous. Plus the overgrown atmosphere was peak.
Dead Island 2 really surprised me with how much I ended up enjoying it, I bought it on sale with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The basic combat with shamblers, walkers, and runners would work well for a Zomboid adaptation I feel. I wouldn't include any of the mutant zombie variants or the crazy weapon modifications, but the combat system and the awesome visual style with all the gore would be a great foundation for a 3D adaptation.
What do you guys think?