Review Roundup For HBO’s The Last Of Us TV Series

HBO’s TV series The Last of Us premieres this weekend, and ahead of that, reviews of the show are starting to pop up online. What do critics think of video game adaptations? In short, the show is generating a good amount of praise, including here at GameSpot.

GameSpot’s The Last of Us review scored the series 9/10. Reviewer Mark Delaney called the first season “faithful, incremental and brilliant”.

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“It stands proudly as one of the best video game adaptations ever and a clear signal that PlayStation is right to pursue a future where its already renowned video games are reborn on TV,” said Delaney.

The Last of Us stars Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Pedro Pascal as Joel, with a supporting cast that includes Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Merle Dandridge, Gabriel Luna, Jeffrey Pierce, Anna Torv, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid and Nico Parker. The show was created by Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin along with game director Neil Druckmann.

Before the TV series, there were attempts to make a Last of Us movie. Maisie Williams and Kaitlyn Dever were considered for the role of Ellie in the Last of Us movie, but it never happened.

The Last of Us premieres Sunday, January 15 on HBO, with new episodes airing weekly every Sunday night. There’s also a companion podcast hosted by Troy Baker — who played Joel in the games — where Mazin and Druckmann break down each episode.

You can see more results and review excerpts below. For more on the critical reaction to The Last of Us, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes.

The Last of Us Created by: Craig Mazin, Neil DruckmannStars: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Anna Torv, Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett, Merle Dandridge, Gabriel Luna, Jeffrey Pierce, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Nico Parker. Release Date: 15 on HBOGameSpot — 9/10

“It stands proudly as one of the best video game adaptations ever and a clear signal that PlayStation is right to pursue a future where its already renowned video games are reborn on TV. The show is brought to life by a cast and crew that looks hella live up to her name and their already glowing reputation.” — Mark Delaney [Full review]

IGN — 9/10

“HBO’s The Last of Us is a breathtaking adaptation of one of the most influential stories told in video games and brilliantly brings Joel and Ellie’s journey to a whole new audience. Taking the essence of what made the original tale so consistently, it builds the game’s world while passing over certain aspects to almost entirely stunning effect.” — Simon Cardy [Full review]

Nick Offerman as Bill in HBO’s The Last of UsBBC – 4/5

“It doesn’t even feel like much of a stretch to call this the best video game adaptation ever made. For fans of the game, it’s an adaptation of the utmost skill and reverence, but still capable of surprising; for people who have never picked it up on a controller, it encapsulates the heart and soul of the game – its full-blooded characters, its neat plots, its mature themes of love and loss. To finish Ellie’s quip, it’s ‘outstanding in the field of his’.” — Stephen Kelly [Full review]

IndieWire — Class A

“Just as games challenged players to embrace difficult perspectives or unwanted tasks, The Last of Us challenges the way we view horror, if not action/adventure stories in general — and it does so with particular brutality.” — Ben Travers [Full review]

Empire — 5/5

“Easily the best video game adaptation ever made: one that deepens the game’s dystopian lore while staying true to its emotional core. Like the game, it’s also a masterpiece.” — John Nugent [Full review]

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