HBO's The Last Of Us reviews call it the greatest video game adaptation ever made

We have been truly blessed, my fellow The Last of Us fans. HBO’s TV adaptation is finally set to debut this week and ahead of the series’ 15 January premiere (16 January here in the UK), the first reviews are in - and let me tell you, they’re very positive.

Starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, The Last of Us promises to be a faithful adaptation of Naughty Dog’s seminal 2013 title. The show is set to feature less violence than the game, but only in order to focus on the core emotional story. It’s also a show that won’t overstay its welcome. The plan only entails adapting the games - so the series won’t venture beyond into new stories. You’re here for the reviews though. Shall we crack on?

Check out The Last of Us’ epic trailer below.

At the time of writing, season one of The Last of Us has landed a very respectable score of 84 on Metacritic. That being said, it’s early days and that number could change. The Telegraph’s Ed Cumming deemed The Last of Us to be “the greatest video game adaptation ever made”. He wrote, “In its scale, depiction of dread and its believable vision of friendship in disaster, The Last of Us is a rare piece of television: an adaptation that makes you want to rush out and play the game.”

Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall added that The Last of Us is “essentially a smarter and much better-executed The Walking Dead, with higher production values, and a smaller and stronger cast,” adding that the Infected are “very gross, and very scary.” Daily Beast’s Nick Schager wrote, “The Last of Us is a triumph that ends any further debate about the all-time best video game adaptation ... It seems destined to be HBO’s next big blockbuster.”

Collider’s Ross Bonaime emphasised that showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have “taken this unforgettable story and made it richer and more impactful, letting us live with these characters and this world in a way that we couldn’t in the game.” He deemed the show to be a “monumental success.” Empire’s John Nugent said the TV series is on par with the game. He wrote, “Comfortably the best adaptation of a video-game ever made: one that deepens the game’s dystopian lore, while staying true to its emotional core. Like the game, it’s a masterpiece, too.” If that doesn’t fill you with hype, I don’t know what will.

Topics: The Last Of Us, Naughty Dog, TV And Film