Review: The Last of Us – There has never been a better video game adaptation!

It's been almost two months since I watched the first episode. an article about the series wrote and raved about the promising first impression of the series. In that article, I reported on both expectations and concerns, and so now, after the season finale, we finally have certainty that one can expect "best video game adaptation of all time"is truly not far off. How exactly this opinion of the series is formed, and what minor negative aspects did stand out, you can now find out here in my short series review of HBO's "The Last of Us"Right at the start – for all those who haven't yet embarked on HBO's adventure – let me say that this review will be spoiler-free, so there's no risk of ruining the suspense right from the beginning. So, where do I begin?

Learned otherwise

When I saw the first trailers and pictures for the series, I was truly not impressed. Prejudiced by all the... World of Warcraft's and Uncharted's In this world, it was probably just impossible for me to truly believe in a video game adaptation. Sure, HBO always maintains a certain standard, but it wasn't just the circumstances alone that made me doubt it. I already liked Bella Ramsey in Game of Thrones And Pedro Pascal probably belongs to the "no-haters" group and is always welcome, but I just couldn't picture either of them as Joel and Ellie. The fact that the characters don't look exactly like they do in the game isn't really a problem and shouldn't bother anyone, but after watching the series, I realize: it did! Because for me, apart from the fact that they don't look exactly like their inspirations, there's absolutely nothing to criticize about either Pascal or Ramsey. Beyond the fact that they both deliver consistently fantastic performances, they truly capture Joel and Ellie perfectly. There's dedication, fascination, and understanding for the characters in every single line, practically in every single glance. Despite all the praise heaped on both actors, that's not even the best thing about their performances. The real trump card of this unlikely duo is their chemistry, and I can honestly say that I've rarely experienced such chemistry in any medium. Every interaction instantly warms the heart or goes right to the core, and always without creating a feeling of inauthenticity or coercion.

fine tuning

Of course, we don't owe these great qualities of the series solely to the excellent actors; a series clearly stands or falls on how it's written and directed. Certainly, one could argue that a good story was already there, and they simply had to follow it, but this is where several things go wrong. Firstly, it would be a challenge to simply translate such a game directly into a series. More importantly, the art lies in preserving the core of the story and, ideally, expanding upon it with some improvements. In my other article, I already mentioned a scene that perfectly illustrates how small details are tweaked to get even more out of the story, and now it's clear that this approach permeates the entire series. Throughout the series, small details are omitted, elaborated upon, or simply added, and these changes never feel out of place, but rather like a loving expansion or enhancement of a fascinating world. Episode 3 is a prime example, as it tells a love story in detail that was only touched upon in passing in the game. And this third episode is yet another piece of evidence that the casting department knew exactly what they were doing every second. Aside from the two main actors, almost every single character is spot on, regardless of whether they already existed in the game or not.

Much more work – much better!

Now let's address one of the points that worried me after the first episode. I mentioned earlier that I wasn't entirely convinced by the production design and hoped that it would improve as the series progressed. Fortunately, my concerns were satisfied in this regard as well, because "The Last of Us" It doesn't take you through a CGI apocalypse; no, they actually built huge sets and, believe it or not, traveled to various locations. This might seem obvious to some, but unfortunately, these days money and effort are increasingly being cut, and everything is simply filmed in a studio. While this is easier for production, it ultimately looks rather soulless and jarring. So when Joel and Ellie walk through streets that nature has long since reclaimed, they're really doing it. When the two walk through a forest, the team is actually in a forest, and when they're in an icy, snowy region, it's clear they went to the trouble of traveling there as well. Whenever our heroes trek through landscapes, the superb production design becomes apparent, something that wasn't quite as evident in the first episode. But even aside from the well-executed apocalyptic setting, the production design is noticeably high-quality. Whenever one of the menacing zombie creatures appears, it always looks incredibly well-made and genuinely dangerous. Unfortunately, the series repeatedly struggles with the large CGI shots. Whenever a city skyline is visible in the background, or an idyllic landscape can be seen behind a giraffe (yes, even that's real), there's a stark contrast to the rest of the visuals. I have to say, this did throw me off a few times.

Good moments, bad timing

Since we're already on the topic of the few negative aspects of the series, let's keep it brief and talk about another, more subjective topic. Personally, I found the aforementioned episode 3 outstanding, also enjoyed the considerably weaker episode 7, and generally loved immersing myself in the flashbacks and digressions into the exciting world of... "The Last of Us" I'd gladly lost. Nevertheless, I see the following problem: Not only do we have a very limited number of episodes, and therefore time, to spend with Joel and Ellie, but we also had to wait for a new episode every week. The downside of such well-written characters and relationships is, in this case, that you always want more and more of them without wanting any interruptions. After the first two episodes, I was so excited to see what happened next with the two of them that the series actually managed to completely disappoint me with an Emmy-worthy love story. This feeling wasn't limited to just that one episode, because whenever there were longer flashbacks, sometimes entire episodes dedicated to one of the subplots, it completely pulled me out of the series' flow. This was particularly noticeable in episodes 3 and 7, which each dealt entirely with a subplot. As I said, I generally really liked these digressions, and episode 3 in particular will quite rightly be a topic for one or two award ceremonies. However, I didn't like the chronology of the episodes. In my opinion, it would have been better to tell Joel and Ellie's story more linearly and release episodes 3 and 7 as a special sometime between season 1 and the upcoming season. I'm familiar with this way of making the wait for the next season more enjoyable for fans; they also released two long episodes between seasons, each with a well-written and directed side story, which not only delighted fans but also didn't disrupt the flow of the main series.

More Read

The Last of Us Part 3: Troy Baker pushes for return

The Last of Us Season 3: First set photos show Lev and Abby in Seattle

The Last of Us: Joel's return despite his death in the series is only a matter of time

Conclusion

Nothing screams "first-world problem" more than someone complaining about a few bad CGI moments and great flashbacks that just aren't quite where they should be. And those are precisely my criticisms – first-world problems. The series captures everything that made the game the global hit it is, both in terms of characters and world and story. You constantly encounter fantastic adjustments and changes that always have a positive impact on the series, and even small homages to cliché gameplay moments ("Climb up and throw the ladder down for me") regularly warm the heart of any gamer. The acting in every single role is superb, the chemistry between Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal is incredible, and the apocalypse looks far better than what, for example, "The Walking Dead" or indeed, other zombie projects that have largely succeeded. I myself have never seen a better adaptation of a game into film or series form, and so I can only express my deep respect for what HBO has created. It's not a perfect series, and there's certainly room for improvement, but this 9/10 is still better than anything that video game adaptations have attempted before. Like many others, I'm incredibly excited for the second season, but at the same time, I don't feel at all ready for what's to come – anyone who's seen the second part knows what I'm talking about…

Since March 12, 2023, the complete season of HBO's "The Last of Us" has been available to stream on WOW in Germany. It will also be released in July. the UHD version, which also includes three hours of bonus material and Pre-ordered here .