The Last of Us, or the First of Many?

Red Dead Redemption. Assassin’s Creed. Resident Evil. Video games turned into movies or TV shows have been ‘game over.’ They have had the stigma of just bad adaptations of the games. But has the new HBO Max show, “The Last of Us,” broken through this barrier?

“The Last of Us” was a video game that reached the hearts of many on June 14, 2013. There have been many sequels that have later been published, but the show is based on the original game. The show (similar to the game) takes place in a post-apocalyptic United States after an outbreak of Cordycep brain infection, which kills, or transforms, nearly 60% of mankind globally. 

Now, it has been 5 episodes since the series premiered and it has garnered so much attention that, rumor has it, a second season is in the books. On Rotten Tomatoes, it is rated 97% by critics (with 100% being the highest), and 91% by the audience. 

If you’re one of the people that played the game, as of right now, the show seems to go almost hand-in-hand with the game. There are many differences – while still staying true to the game – that should entice the people who have played the game. The differences also give the viewer a more in-depth understanding of “The Last of Us.”

But, this show is very friendly to those who haven’t played the game like myself. Seeing it happen in front of my eyes for the first time had me surprised and sad at many turns. The actors, Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie), are just phenomenal at making the viewer feel connected to them. I think, along with many others, “The Last of Us” has developed a formula to combat ‘video games cannot be on the screen’ stigma and we should expect to see many more in the future.