Adaptations and Expectations
Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment
* A quick note for my curious readers - to keep this following piece singular to the original game, I will shelve my musings on the Last of Us Part II for the time being.
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It’s fair to say I’m not so much of a gamer these days, at least in comparison to my younger self. I don’t have the same impulse, or, indeed, the patience for gameplay styles that are broader and more complex; there’s a myriad of reasons for that - different priorities, a lack of free time, and the increased pertinence of real-world commitments - to name but a few. I do, however, still cherish a great single-player campaign,
Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us was (and probably still is) the most evocative game I’ve ever played, 200 Game of the Year awards tell me I’m not alone in my admiration.
Amid a global pandemic, it’s natural to make comparisons with a story set in post-pandemic America, even while these are only feeble at best. An emotionally devastating play-through makes for some desperate viewing at times, but it’s the central relationship between Ellie and Joel that’s the real beating heart of the game’s story; the focal point of a rich but otherwise brutal narrative. Throw in an ever-present threat of hostile humans and a violent, cannibalistic virus and it all makes for some very compelling content.
You can imagine my glee, then, when I learned that a television adaptation had been optioned by HBO last year. There was also an underlying nervousness, however. As adaptations go, video games don’t have a particularly noteworthy track record. They receive little recognition from critics and audiences and do little to merit much else. The problem typically comes down to mismanagement of audience and fan expectations, which, as a result, sullies the overall creative transition. In a different medium, the final product then often lacks the same crucial foundations.
In consideration, it’s the names of Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann as showrunners that lend some reassurance. The latter served as a director on the original game and has since been promoted to co-president of Naughty Dog. Druckman's style of writing leans towards intricate character relationships. His first-hand experience of the source material means it’s easier to obtain a more trusted notion that the adaptation will be honest and sincere to the original story. Craig Mazin meanwhile, was most recently the mind behind the acclaimed HBO mini-series Chernobyl, a dark, often apocalyptic show in its own right. I’m also thrilled to see Argentine Gustavo Santaolalla return to compose an original score for the show.
Worth noting also is the recent success of Netflix’s The Witcher, which paints a more positive picture for video game adaptations as a television series. Less hindered by the more rigid constraints of movie scripts, they can operate on a larger scope for which to deliver an often complex narrative. Most crucially, they offer greater potential for character development.
With The Last of Us, there was always great cinematic potential. The landscape of a post-apocalyptic America overtaken by nature was often stunning, while the fluid changing of seasons delivered a richly rewarding palette. The knowledge that filming has taken place across Alberta, Canada, is also encouraging. The national parks, untamed wilderness, and the Canadian Rockies make for some pretty superb locations. In my time out there, I often thought it belonged on the big screen.
On these qualities alone, my worries seem arguably dumbfounded, The knot in my throat will surely fade with time, I tell myself. Only time will tell, of course, but it’s encouraging to speculate nonetheless. It’s therapeutic even; just as long as I don’t descend into full-blown mania as yet another show is held back by this pandemic.
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