The Last Of Us is arguably the best video game ever made. It is centered on the main thing a video game should be: fun, but manages to tell a genuinely harrowing, often deeply upsetting, and disturbing story with poise throughout. With the release of The Last Of Us Part 2, the announcement of an HBO TV adaptation of the show has been somewhat buried. Many fans are thrilled by the idea of having one of the greatest stories ever told expanded on, while many are understandably skeptical.
We’ve listed five things about the game that HBO can change, and five things they absolutely can’t touch.
HBO CAN CHANGE: The Existence Of Listen Mode
Listen Mode is a vital part of the Last Of Us playing experience. It allows Joel (and later in the game, Ellie) to focus on their surroundings and hear the location of both enemies and infected around the game.
This allows you to plan your move without actually being able to see who you are fighting. Of course, if this was brought into the TV show then it would move away from a gameplay mechanic and become more like a supernatural element that would detract from the story.
THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE SAME: LGBT Representation
One of the best features of The Last Of Us was its representation of the LGBT community.
While the main game didn’t dwell on it, the Left Behind DLC delved deep into Ellie’s relationship with Riley, while The Last Of Us Part 2 did well to keep this prominent. Luckily, one of the show’s co-creators has confirmed via Twitter that this key part of Ellie’s personality will not be overlooked.
HBO CAN CHANGE: The Infected Types
In The Last Of Us, there are a few different types of infected that have a different set of skills and get increasingly harder to kill. However, there aren’t that many different types of infected, meaning variety isn’t the game’s biggest strength.
It would be understandable if HBO decided to introduce a few different types of infected, just so that Ellie and Joel can continue to face new challenges.
THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE SAME: The Emphasis On Stealth
Stealth is a key part of The Last Of Us. In fact, there are very few fights in the game that have to be approached with a loud, violent assault; stealth is encouraged in basically every situation.
TV often likes to make sure action-filled set-pieces keep audiences thrilled, but HBO are going to need to understand that most of the excitement in The Last Of Us comes from the tension of slow-moving stealth.
HBO CAN CHANGE: They Can Add Some Characters
The crux of the game is, of course, the relationship between Ellie and Joel. The unlikely pair go from unwilling acquaintances into what is effectively a father-daughter team.
However, this means that a lot of the time, there aren’t too many supporting characters lurking around. A TV show typically needs a varied cast, so they may need to invent a few characters who didn’t exist in the game.
THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE SAME: Ellie’s Intrigue With The Pre-Apocalyptic World
Something which many players don’t really think about is that Ellie was born into a post-apocalyptic world. This means she has no idea what the ‘real’ world was like. This is hinted at every now and again in the game and is a very interesting part of her character.
This fascination with the pre-apocalyptic world could be a recurring theme for her character in the show.
HBO CAN CHANGE: They Can Add Some Locations
While The Last Of Us is relatively long, it has an end-point. The HBO show, if it is successful, will probably want to keep making quality TV (and money) for as long as it can. This might mean the addition of some new locations.
As The Last Of Us includes the occasional jump forward in time, there are parts of Joel and Ellie’s time together that we miss out on- maybe the show will take a look at these missing pieces?
THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE SAME: The Opening Scene
The opening scene of The Last Of Us is one of the most intense in video game history. One minute we are controlling Joel’s young daughter as she wanders her empty house, and the next we are desperately fleeing a twisted, manic world. The opening scene closes with the heartbreaking death of Sarah, setting up for the rest of Joel’s experiences.
The perfect way for HBO to approach this iconic scene would be a shot-for-shot remake.
HBO CAN CHANGE: The Closing Scene
On the other end of the spectrum, we have the last few moments of the game. The ending of The Last Of Us is a perfect summation of the character development we have witnessed over the course of the storyline. However, it leaves everything hugely unresolved and we have so many questions to ask.
The show should make sure to continue after this closing scene, and maybe even fill in the gaps between part 1 and 2?
THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE SAME: The Seasonality Of Major Events
The way The Last Of Us breaks up each ‘act’ of gameplay is by introducing different seasons. Not only does this mark a change in scenery, but also a change of tone, mood, and mission.
The TV series could call on this approach: perhaps the first four seasons could each be subtitled based on the season they are set within?