Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/HBO
As heartbreakingly faithful as it is riveting and suspenseful, The Last of Us is a triumph that ends any further debate about the all-time best video game adaptation.
Spearheaded by the acclaimed PlayStation title’s creator Neil Druckmann and Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin, and designed to satisfy fans and newbies alike, the series is a post-apocalyptic nightmare that, as with its source, is at once familiar and original, action-packed and mournful. Barring some Armageddon-grade calamity, it seems destined to be HBO’s next big blockbuster.
The Last of Us, which premieres Jan. 15, is littered with Easter eggs for die-hards, from comics and movie posters to a book of jokey puns that provides sporadic levity amidst the crushing gloom. More important than those flourishes, however, is that the drama sticks closely to the events of Druckmann’s initial game without duplicating its every plot point.