Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog created the masterpiece called The Last of Us. The original game, made in 2013, has had a remaster which ended up becoming one of the many Playstation hits. Recently in 2022, it had a remake where the game was created from the ground-up with the new engine from the sequel, The Last of Us Part II. Both games are astounding, however, Part 1 still dominates to this day. 

The things that made the games so good are abundant, but a key feature is the amazing combat. You make your own choices on how you’ll take down a patrol of fireflies or a horde of zombies. The story is also a massive part to the game’s success between two of the best characters in video game history, Joel Miller and Ellie. The way they meet and start off awkward and not having much of a relationship then becoming almost like a father and daughter. Ever since Joel had lost his biological daughter, Sarah, at the beginning of the first part, Ellie made Joel feel like his daughter was back again. I am very excited to see how the actors, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will portray these emotions in the show. 

Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games came together to launch the biggest Canadian film project; a series on HBO Max that is about the acclaimed The Last of Us game. Sadly we’ve heard some news that the spread of the infection “spores” will not be brought into the show, instead, spores will be replaced with “tendrils.” Many trailers have already been released and the show premiered on Jan. 15., 2023. 

The trailers look amazing compared to actual gameplay. The zombie models of the clickers and bloaters look awesome and the CGI looks beautiful. The sets look believable and pretty much taken right out of the game, with a bit of a twist to keep the story different but still relating to the game. 

Now onto the actual show. With the first episode lasting around 80 minutes, The Last of Us Series is possibly the best adaptation ever made. There were so many things done right. The scripts were sometimes spot on from the game dialogue and the sets are almost identical. But in order to make the show special, there were some obvious changes. The CGI was done right, making the world look real and connecting the The Last of Us fans feel like they were back playing the games for the first time. The cast is astounding. They couldn’t have picked anyone else for these legendary roles. Pedro Pascal as Joel couldn’t be any better, the way he expresses the emotions Joel has felt through the apocalypse is understanding and easy to connect with. Bella Ramsay being Ellie is hilarious and her personality is everything. The cast sounds and feels like the characters from the game. They may not all look like the characters, but that’s the least thing that matters.

After the first episode, the viewers were given a little look into what is to come for the rest of the show. This sneak peek included the amazing sights from the story, development into the clickers, and to even showing off the massive bloater that I cannot wait to be revealed in the upcoming episodes. There will be nine episodes in total with each being around 90 minutes long, including the special scenes showing how the show was created. What inspired the actors to be these characters, how did they become the characters, and a lot more is showcased.

The Last of Us is one to remember whether you’re referring to the game or the show. This story carries so much heart for so many people and that love isn’t going to die out for a while. I won’t stop waiting for another piece of art from Druckmann and Naughty Dog. Always remember, when you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light.