HBO Max
The Last of Us surpasses House of the Dragon on HBO
Critics are raving about The Last of Us, the video game adaptation that just released its first episode on HBO Max and is getting non-stop praises.
The wait is over. The Last of Us has just released its first episode on HBO Max and it’s already cemented itself one of the biggest new names in 2023, as reactions to the first episode have hit the internet with an overwhelmingly positive outlook. Both the critics and the public are praising the production and place it as one of the highest rated series in recent history. It’s no longer about it being just “the best video game adaptation”, but about it actually rivaling other HBO hits like Succession, White Lotus or Barry.
The series currently boasts an 8.4 on Metacritic after over 36 reviews from around the world, earning the “Must Watch” badge awarded by the site to the best performing titles. In Rotten Tomatoes, the verdict is basically unanimous. 99% of the critics recommend it, while 96% of the site’s users do the same. To give you an idea, House of the Dragon, recent Golden Globe winner of the best drama series award, has a 6.9 on Metacritic and a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The rest of the big releases from a few months ago are as follows:
- 1899 — 7.6 on Rotten Tomatoes, 68 on MetaCritic.
- Alice in Borderland Season 2 — 8.9 on Rotten Tomatoes, 81 on MetaCritic.
- Andor — 9.6 on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.4 on MetaCritic.
- Barry — 9.9 on Rotten Tomatoes, 8.4 on Metacritic.
- House of the Dragon — 9.3 on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.9 on MetaCritic.
- The Rings of Power — 8.5 on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.1 on MetaCritic.
- Wednesday— 7.2 on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.6 on MetaCritic.
- Succession — 9.4 on Rotten Tomatoes, 7 on MetaCritic.
- White Lotus Season 2 — 9.4 on Rotten Tomatoes, 8.2 on MetaCritic.
- Willow — 8.6 on Rotten Tomatoes, 7 on MetaCritic.
The first reviews for The Last of Us
In the Los Angeles Times, critics guarantee that the series is playing “in a different league” when compared to other productions. They also let readers know that it’s not necessary to have previous knowledge of the franchise to enjoy it completely. The San Francisco Chronicle goes even further by saying it isn’t “just the best video game adaptation, but the best series, period,” a feeling that is echoed by many sites like Indie Wire.
The debate surrounding video game adaptations as a genre has every single entertainment journalist pitching in. Empire magazine insists it is “the best adaptation of a video game ever made” while The Daily Beast stated that “it’ll end the debate and stigma about adapting video games.”
But there’s also some skeptics. The New York Time has given it praise, but guarantees that it’s not going to be what The Sopranos was to mafia dramas or The Wire was for police serials. The Hollywood Reporter called The Last of Us “superficial” for the way it represents the light and dark sides of human nature, and on Time and Entertainment Weekly they’ve concluded it’s nothing we haven't seen before.
What do you think? Have you watched the first episode yet? Don’t forget you can find out how long each of the episodes will be right here.