How can you take something so perfect and adapt it for the screen in a way that will do it justice? Is it possible to not completely ruin it for long-time fans while making it enticing and entertaining for newcomers? These are questions that The Last Of Us video game players thought to themselves when HBO announced they were adapting the story into a television series.
Luckily the creators of the series worked diligently with Naughty Dog, the creators of the video game, to ensure that the story was done justice and only adjusted when absolutely necessary.
So much of the show features scenes ripped right out of the game and brought to life by a group of extremely talented actors and some truly incredible set pieces.
Still, some things have changed. So let’s break down all how The Last Of Us series differs from the video games.
The Show Features the Outbreak
The biggest difference is that the series deeply touches on the fungi outbreak. Sure, it is mentioned in the game’s story, but there are more than just discussions and speculations in the TV series. Viewers see how it all starts in a flour factory, which is the perfect breeding ground.
The Last Of Us episode one even starts with a fun conversation between “experts” that hints at what is to come and how the world would be lost if it ever warmed up a few degrees. This gives viewers the background they need for it all to make sense. Something that really is important in a TV series versus a video game.
Not as Many Infected
In the game, there are infected people around nearly every corner. You must tread quietly if you want to sneak by then or spend countless hours trying to kill them to continue to the game’s next scene. However, only a handful are found wandering the halls of the buildings that Joel and Ellie find themselves exploring in the series.
Of course, this makes a lot of sense because the series would get extremely repetitive if it were just infected fight after infected fight, taking away from the story. Plus, we are sure it costs a pretty penny to bring them to life, so the creators likely snuck them in during critical moments to preserve costs.
Frank and Bill’s Story
Frank and Bill’s story is probably the most changed in the entire television series. In the game, Bill finds Frank’s dead body. He killed himself after becoming bit and left behind a note telling Bill that he never loved him.
However, the two fall in love in the show and have a whole life together. It is very clear that Frank loves Bill. He does die by suicide (sort of), but it is not because he is infected. It is because he has another deadly disease. Although what exactly it is, is never specified.
Another change in the show that revolves around Bill is that he is alive and well in the games. We never see him die. He is even mentioned briefly in The Last of Us Part II. As far as players know, he is still out there somewhere.
In the show, Bill cannot fathom living without Frank, the love of his life. So he kills himself alongside Frank when the time comes.
Kathleen Is a New Character
Kathleen does not exist in The Last Of Us video games, at least not really. However, her group of people exists, and Joel and Ellie do have a showdown with them.
The creators clearly took this moment of the game and added to it. Because of this, it works better on the screen.
Very Loyal to the Source Material
Besides these minor things, The Last Of Us series is very loyal to the source material: the set design, the characters’ lines, and the story itself are all very well adapted from the source material.
Fans can expect the second season to follow by bringing Part II to life. It is hard to adapt such a well-loved franchise. But Naughty Dog and HBO put their heads together and came up with something incredible. As a result, The Last Of Us season one more or less plays out exactly like The Last Of Us Part 1. Because of that, fans will be thrilled.
