The Last of Us Episode 1 spoiler-free review: The video game curse is broken | Latest TV & Movies News 2023

Cameron Frew  ❘   Published: 2023-01-10T08:01:00  ❘   Updated: 2023-01-09T23:26:48 The Last of Us firmly, beautifully breaks the video game curse; from the outset of the

story, HBO’s adaptation is confidently handled, immaculately staged, and honors its sacred text. Efforts to transfer the successes of gaming to the screen have fuelled the woes

of studios for decades. It began with the Super Mario Bros. movie in 1993, with the so-called curse falling upon the likes of Assassin’s Creed, Max Payne, Hitman, Need for Speed,

and World of Warcraft. Neil Druckmann, the co-president of Naughty Dog, attributed this to the “Where’s my f*cking thing?” effect: you can’t win by solely pandering to the

players, but you can’t alienate them by neglecting the source material. So, how does one capture the essence of a game in a different medium? Article continues after ad The Last

of Us is set to be the blueprint – not in details, but the passion and care behind every facet of its production. It’s an ode, but one envisioned with the reverence of

prestige. This spoiler-free review is based on The Last of Us Episode 1. We will be providing weekly coverage and detailed reviews of each new episode, including Episode 1. The

Last of Us Episode 1 promises greatness Episode 1 is nigh-on impossible to discuss without getting into plot points, so we’ll say this much and move on: there’s stuff before

the outbreak with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker), and there’s the beginnings of the main story between Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a young girl with

a “greater purpose than any of us could have ever imagined.”Article continues after ad We’re also introduced to other characters: Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Joel’s hardy,

rifle-toting brother; Tess (Anna Torv), Joel’s smuggling partner in Boston; and Marlene (Merle Dandridge, reprising her role from the first game), the head of the Fireflies

movement in the city. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more. Parker, who had big shoes to fill from Hana Hayes’ voice acting, is

wonderful in the role. There’s a lived-in commitment from all of the actors, particularly Torv as Tess, who holds a quiet, telling command of rival smugglers. It’s still early

days, but Pascal and Ramsey are perfect as Joel and Ellie. The former imbues even more darkness into Joel from the start; tortured by the past, tormented by what he’s had to

become to survive. The latter has all of the sweary, gutsy charm you’d expect, and instantly puts the (weird and often ridiculous) concerns of some fans to bed. Article continues