The reputation of being serious works of art is scarcely one that live-action video game adaptations enjoy. Most of them have found nowhere near great quality but only settled with mediocrity; at best, the last ten years have yielded well-crafted family fun, such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu.
Although video games themselves are capable of telling stories on their own, they do not naturally translate to films or television programs. However, The Last of Us is different, as it has been widely acclaimed as one of the best video game stories ever told and adapted into a spectacular nine-part HBO series.
All about The Last of Us
The Last of Us, which was first released in 2013, takes place in the post-apocalyptic US. It is set 20 years after the majority of the population has been transformed into mindless monsters by a parasitic fungus called Cordyceps.
It centers on Joel, a seasoned smuggler played by Pedro Pascal in the program, who is charged with transporting Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a young woman with an apparent uncommon immunity to the illness, across the nation.
For those who will enter this series entirely unprepared, their performances serve as excellent entry points. Particularly those who were intrigued since their gaming friend or a member of their gaming family had been nagging them about it.
What makes it stand out among the rest
The standard was raised when the original “The Last of Us” game was released in 2013 and word of mouth and sales helped it become an instant classic, similar to a species-jumping viral tangent. Neither was the game intended to become a cult classic. Everyone wanted it to be known as one of the greatest video games ever, regardless of opinion.
Nonetheless, we are aware of the skepticism or caution shown by non-fans and non-players. The money-hungry studios have always considered these adaptations as cash cows, and for every entertaining “Mortal Kombat” or “Resident Evil” movie (but just the first ones!), there’s a cringe-worthy “Warcraft” or “Assassins Creed”.
This series stays clear of all the pitfalls of those rotten apples. The best adaptations try to improve their source material rather than simply copy it. However, even if you’ve played the games, there’s no assurance that you’ll be able to predict with any degree of certainty where the episodes are heading or what will happen next.
There seem to be a lot of scenes and passages in the series that just wouldn’t have made sense in the video game. Yet, overall, we have to give credit to how much thought and wise decisions were made to build this series in its high quality, even after seeing the first episode. Thus, in its entirety, The Last of Us is something you should definitely watch during the weekends, whether you’re a gamer or not.
