In times past, when news of a beloved video game title getting its own TV or movie adaptation was announced, people tended to roll their eyes. Typically, these adaptations are simply just unfaithful to the source material of its video game predecessor. Some of the adaptations are so off-the-rails that the only thing similar to the game is its name. HBO finally put an end to this ever-lasting drought of poorly received adaptations with their reimagining of Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us.”
In June of 2013, Naughty Dog released the first installment of “The Last of Us.” Some may argue that this game single handily changed the way that video games were made. Video games were no longer just about mashing buttons or hacking and slashing one’s way through enemies. “The Last of Us” gave gamers something refreshing: a dark, gut-wrenching and impactful story. A game about two complete strangers in a post-apocalyptic world being drawn to one another due to unfortunate circumstances grow from loathing one another to becoming a father-daughter relationship by the game’s end.
After announcing the TV adaptation, HBO brought on the creator of the game, Neil Druckmann, to ensure the show stays faithful to its source material. Not only does the show stay true to its roots, but there is also new content in the show that gives more insight into how the cordyceps fungus began spreading to rapidly bring upon the apocalypse. Even if someone played the game first and knows the story in-and-out, there are still many twists and turns to keep those people on the edges of their seats.
So far, “The Last of Us” has been extremely well received, and has averaged nearly 5 million viewers in its first two episodes. The show airs every Sunday on HBO and streams on HBO MAX. The story is still far from its climax, and fans of the game are surely along for the ride of emotions to come.
