Video sport variations require large modifications to suit the wants of a extra passive medium. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann dealt with this transfer fairly properly in HBO’s The Last of Us and had been in a position to graft the sport’s strengths to the present whereas additionally including to the world to make it greater than a easy retelling. Not all modifications are created equal, although, as some made the present excel the place the sport didn’t and vice versa. And whereas each are improbable in their very own proper, right here’s how every episode stacks as much as its counterpart in the sport.
Episode: “When You’re Lost in the Darkness” vs. Hometown, The Quarantine Zone
The Last of Us has an unforgettable intro, but the present comes out on prime as a result of of its capacity to flesh out that world earlier than the outbreak. This offers viewers extra time to bond with Sarah and look after her extra dearly. Naughty Dog did one thing comparable by letting gamers management her in the starting, which took benefit of the medium’s interactivity, however that shortcut clearly can’t be used the identical in tv. The scene of the neighbor’s an infection can be considerably creepier, as an outdated girl unnaturally slinking round is a bit scarier than Mr. Cooper crashing via the glass door.
The post-Outbreak Day sections are additionally extra thoughtfully launched. Viewers get to see how Robert screwed Tess over as an alternative of simply being advised about it. The battery Joel needs as cost additionally has extra story significance than simply the nebulous weapons he was promised in the sport since he needs the battery to go see Tommy. All of this cuts down on chasing Robert and the tutorial sections, too, that are the weakest elements of that sport. Setting all the things up takes time in video video games, and that’s not all the time helpful in an interactive medium. However, taking extra time for preliminary worldbuilding can work higher in the realm of TV and this debut, from its surprising discuss present intro to radio tease at the very finish, exhibits precisely why.
Winner: “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
Episode: “Infected” vs. The Outskirts
This one is a detailed match, however the TV present takes it largely as a result of the sport continues to be considerably in tutorial mode at this level. The slower segments that the sport must introduce the participant to its techniques are extra apt for a tv present since they’re nearly completely centered on dialogue and worldbuilding and never involved with slowly laying out the right way to swing a melee weapon or throw a bottle.
The added dialogue in the present additional sells the rift between Joel and Ellie, as he’s extra persistently vocal about his displeasure surrounding the deal, which additionally then contrasts properly with Ellie’s array of well-delivered jokes. Their awkward change when Tess is maneuvering to open up a path is a transparent instance of this and never one thing the sport takes its time to do. This regular buildup offers Tess’ pleas to Joel to complete the deal much more weight because it’s extra apparent that he isn’t pleased with this association.
When Joel upgrades his shotgun at any of the workbenches in The Last of Us Part I, he meticulously scrubs…
Thanks to some intelligent framing in the present and overly slim degree design in the sport, the scenes with the contaminated are additionally stronger in the present. Seeing the Clickers via the glass and the way the contaminated talk is extra partaking than having to take down contaminated in the museum’s cramped halls.
The unimaginable chilly open in Jakarta is the greatest differentiator, because it lays out the grimness of the outbreak whereas additionally giving a extra international view of it. The video games are likely to give attention to the extra native results of how the world ended, which works, however broadening it out like this does open up the universe a bit extra.
Winner: “Infected”
Episode: “Long, Long Time” vs. Bill’s Town
Bill’s Town is the place the sport really begins because it’s the place Naughty Dog takes off the coaching wheels and begins giving gamers extra weapons and more durable encounters. It’s even full of unimaginable moments, like when Joel hangs the other way up and has to defend Ellie and the Bloater battle in the highschool health club. Bill and Ellie’s catty banter can be hilarious because it exhibits how kooky Bill is whereas additionally demonstrating Ellie’s ferocity.
But although Bill’s Town is a spotlight in the sport, “Long, Long Time” is only a elegant quick movie. Watching Bill and Frank’s relationship play out is the greatest swerve from the video games and tells an identical story from the reverse angle. In the sport, Bill exhibits Joel what he’d be like if he had nobody to look after: a shut-in lunatic who mutters to himself as a result of he’s pushed away everybody who doesn’t have a mushroom for a face. In the present, Bill exhibits Joel that discovering somebody to look after has worth is a key to happiness, a shift that makes him a job mannequin as an alternative of a cautionary story. This extra optimistic angle fantastically flips the lesson on its head and tells a touching love story the place survival isn’t simply the key; it’s about making the most out of the time that’s left.
Winner: “Long, Long Time”
Episode: “Please Hold to My Hand” vs. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is much more gameplay-oriented than Bill’s Town and is full of considerably extra complicated fight arenas. That itself is thrilling since its tense encounters are all the time so dynamic and replayable attributable to the sport’s unpredictable A.I. Clearing out the resort, skulking via its creepy basement, and wiping out the bandits in the bookstore and monetary district make for some of the finest battles in the sport since they’re all open and by no means play out the identical means twice. The workforce additionally leans slightly away from cutscenes and extra towards environmental storytelling, which retains up the pacing.
And whereas it’s satisfying to play, the present’s portrayal of this part offers it the slightest edge. Humanizing the bandits echoes what Naughty Dog did with The Last of Us Part II, as the unhealthy guys are not faceless goons and have considerably justifiable motivations. Applying this lesson from that sequel was sensible because it permits for extra nuanced characters on each side. Kathleen is ruthless, however her anger is sound, which is extra totally defined in the following episode.
Winner: “Please Hold to My Hand”
Episode: “Endure and Survive” vs. The Suburbs
And that extra thorough rationalization is why “Endure and Survive” is a barely extra memorable episode than The Suburbs part. Kathleen’s anger towards Henry extra successfully colours him with shades of grey. He does abandon Joel in the sport, however ratting out somebody to the hostile F.E.D.R.A. forces in change for drugs is considerably extra merciless. Making Sam deaf was additionally a inventive creative flourish that extra clearly makes him codependent on his brother.
Both even have glorious sniper sequences and for various causes. The chaos of the present with the huge battle between the contaminated and Kathleen’s military is wild and the present’s most bombastic set piece. In the sport, sneaking down that lengthy hall whereas additionally preventing bandits is a disturbing battle that pushes gamers to be extra intelligent about how they use cowl and advance. They’re barely totally different takes, however improbable nonetheless, making this one of the more durable comparisons.
Winner: “Endure and Survive”
Episode: “Kin” vs. Tommy’s Dam, The University
“Kin” is a particular case as a result of it blends Tommy’s Dam and The University into one tight episode. And since one is healthier in the present and the different is healthier in the sport, it’s onerous to select a winner right here.
“Kin” excels as an episode as a result of it really takes viewers inside of Jackson, which Naughty Dog didn’t have time to totally implement, based on a current interview with Druckmann. It’s why gamers solely go to the dam in that part of the sport. But having the ability to tour the place, see how individuals reside, and the life Joel may have is simpler than being advised about its qualities whereas preventing off raiders in a dilapidated dam.
Showing off Joel’s anxiousness was additionally an ideal new wrinkle since the sport doesn’t as clearly present that aspect of his thoughts. His emotional moments with Tommy are the payoff to that setup since his vulnerability communicates how distraught he’d really feel about letting down one other younger daughter-like determine. And whereas the sport handles Ellie’s tried escape slightly higher since it’s extra reckless and dramatic for her to jet off in anger (and it’s not that clear how she hears Joel and Tommy discuss in the present), this entire part’s give attention to character is extra compelling in the TV collection.
However, nearly fully skipping previous the college is unlucky since that degree excels in environmental storytelling and constructing Joel and Ellie’s bond. Having Joel clarify soccer and seeing how the college students handled a lethal pandemic make for excellent little items of worldbuilding. The scene the place Joel will get impaled is the spotlight, although, as a result of the wrestle to take down enemies in a hobbled state is a chaotic set piece, as Ellie is capturing wildly and Joel is fading out and in of consciousness. It’s one other space the place being behind the sticks heightens the attraction that enables the participant to really feel extra for the character.
Winner: Tie
Episode: “Left Behind” vs. Left Behind
People have known as on Naughty Dog to include Left Behind into the sport’s core marketing campaign in its subsequent releases, however the TV collection demonstrates why it’s higher as a separate story. Watching Ellie draw on her previous to assist Joel in the current makes for a superb twin story the place gamers get to see how a key second outlined her life in a single storyline and the way that compels her to save lots of Joel’s life in the different. The lengths she goes to acquire medical provides and defend him as David’s goons attempt to hack his head off offers gamers her perspective on their relationship, too, since taking part in solely as Joel for the different elements of the sport tends to border their bond extra from his level of view.
Nonchalantly rummaging round one mall, whereas stressfully stalking contaminated and thugs in the different additionally makes for an interesting and well-paced gameplay loop that yields story and gameplay in equal elements. There’s a purpose it’s one of the finest expansions in the whole medium.
Taking away that second half of the story by having Ellie simply discover the provides she wanted in the identical home she was taking refuge in is slightly underwhelming by comparability. Her journey with Riley continues to be charming and heartwarming, as famous by their matches in Mortal Kombat II and dancing scene, however the cuts that had been essential to make it a digestible episode of TV diminish some of the greatest takeaways from the growth.
Winner: Left Behind
Episode: “When We are in Need” vs. Lakeside Resort
Lakeside Resort’s superiority can be a byproduct of slotting Left Behind into the foremost storyline. The regular realization that you simply’re taking part in as Ellie after the onerous minimize from Joel’s damage to the snowy panorama is such a well-orchestrated sequence. The change initially implies that Joel is useless and Ellie has to make her personal strategy to the Fireflies, which is lots to soak up. But it’s not unrealistic as a result of of how one thing vaguely comparable occurs in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, a e book and movie that The Last of Us takes heavy inspiration from.
Understanding that you simply’re taking part in as Ellie has way more influence than shifting the focus to her in the present. It’s the place the interactivity advantages the storyline since empathy is felt extra strongly via the controller. The gameplay sections additionally assist gamers find out about David and have some degree of fondness for him, as allying with him to blast Clickers strengthens the non permanent bond gamers have with him, which then makes his descent into insanity much more stunning. His flip isn’t strung out fairly as fastidiously in the abbreviated runtime of the present.
The intercutting between Joel and Ellie’s views can be a robust device the sport makes use of to construct up pressure. Watching Joel’s paternal instincts (and dose of penicillin) reawaken him from his grave is made much more thrilling as a result of it’s being pitted towards Ellie’s wrestle to outlive in a city that desires her useless. They each construct splendidly and in unison, additional displaying their bond via gameplay. The TV collection mirrors lots of these scenes nearly precisely and is extraordinarily efficient as a result of of it, nevertheless it’s simply one other facet the place the controller and additional time play to the sport’s benefit.
Winner: Lakeside Resort
Episode: “Look for the Light” vs. Bus Depot, Firefly Lab, and Jackson
The season finale strikes at a breakneck tempo, which Druckmann says was deliberate, and it does hit the large beats: Ellie’s preliminary somber tone, the giraffe, the hospital slaughter, the lie, the unforgettable ending. All of that are nonetheless efficient right here, however, as soon as once more, the interactivity of the sport provides some extra nuance to some of these beats.
Joel making an attempt to spice up Ellie as much as get the ladder and her not responding is a seemingly minuscule alternative, nevertheless it’s the repetitive nature of the sport that factors out how out of it Ellie is. Time after time, gamers go to a excessive ledge and press the Triangle button, and Ellie all the time responds. But the one time she doesn’t highlights how traumatized she is in a means related to gameplay. It snaps the participant out of their routine and fully turns a easy gamey system on its head.
The hospital scene can be very gamey in the present, as Joel goes on a bloodbath like he’s obtained a five-star needed degree. It’s unhinged, but taking part in via that lengthy and arduous degree elongates that feeling and really hammers it house how far gone Joel is. Having to deftly weave out and in of cowl to take out the many well-armed Firefly forces can be the final last take a look at from a gameplay and story perspective.
These two are as soon as once more intertwined by the easy addition of the assault rifle. This weapon lastly lets gamers free and understand Joel’s rage in a means that the sport’s array of extra deliberate semi-automatic weapons simply can’t do. Players nonetheless must hunt intelligently, however this device of struggle evens the odds only a bit extra.
As is the case with different episodes, this finale surpasses the sport in a single space the place it’s ready so as to add to the fiction. Seeing Ellie’s mother, Anna, undergo her final moments is a robust scene, particularly as Ashley Johnson, who performs Ellie in the video games, offers such an intense efficiency. Fighting off an contaminated being whereas giving beginning each exhibits how Ellie was born into violence and offers a strong concept explaining her immunity, each of which thoughtfully inform her character.
This additionally makes the determination Marlene makes afterward much more highly effective because it exhibits how lengthy she’s been with Ellie and offers a glimpse at her friendship with Anna. It’s a disgrace that the plan for this spin-off didn’t get made right into a sport, however this opening was nonetheless an unimaginable distillation of that storyline.
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