‘The Last of Us’ TV Series Looks Like a Live-Action Copy of the Game, HBO Says

Ever wanted a 1:1 live-action adaptation of a video game in a TV series format?

Apparently, that's what HBO's "The Last of Us" (TLOU) TV series is.

HBO revealed in a tweet just how similar its adaptation of the hit 2013 video game is to its TV Series, which was featured in a 20-second trailer in the company's "Coming Soon" trailer for HBO Max.

HBO's "Coming Soon" trailer, which was released on Aug. 22, has already accumulated 1.23 million views and 28 thousand likes.

'The Last Of Us' TV Series - Video game Comparison Details

HBO posted on its official "The Last of Us" HBO Twitter account a side-by-side comparison of its TLOU TV series and its 2013 video game counterpart. From what we can tell, HBO has done a pretty good job reenacting some of the game's many scenes and moments.

Kotaku seems to have found the same conclusion. In its report about HBO's tweet, it found that the TV series was closely copying the original material, from the game's framing and pace to even the characters' expressions.

Fans of the 2013 game would love to see their favorite moments from the video game reenacted on the small screen down to the smallest detail, and people who haven't played the game may feel like they're already getting some kind of walkthrough to the game themselves.

In terms of faithfulness to the source material, this kind of commitment from HBO does them credit; video game adaptations are often found to be drifting too far from the game they're based on.

Is Being Too Faithful A Bad Thing?

Fans of the game seem to also think that HBO has done a great job at developing and directing the TV series.

Twitter user @kaimeruh mentioned that they wish that Paramount's "Halo" TV series had the same faithfulness as HBO's TLOU TV series.

However, Kotaku believes that HBO's TLOU TV series will be the catalyst of much discussion on what happens when a video game was seamlessly adapted into a live-action TV series or movie to the point that both are indistinguishable.

Paramount's "Halo" TV Series may have been spiritually faithful to the game it was based on, but it deviated too much from the game as it was set in a parallel universe instead of the game's.

Paramount may have allowed such a deviation to allow the direction and development team to take creative liberties as some experiences are not easily replicated in different mediums.

'The Last of Us' TV Series Release Date

HBO's TLOU TV series is set for release on January 1, 2023, on HBO Max. It consists of 10 episodes that, as previously mentioned, will follow the game's events, per Nerdist.

Fans of the game and interested people can get an HBO Max subscription for $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year if you don't mind ads, according to Tech Radar.

Those who wish to not see ads during their viewing experience can get a subscription at $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year.