HBO's The Last of Us may finally be the video game adaptation that manages to be just as good as its source material. With The Last of Us' director Neil Druckmann having a large role in the show's production, most fans have high hopes that the adaptation will manage to capture the same essence of the games. Though some characters have been tweaked, some locations changed, and some motivations altered, HBO's The Last of Us looks like it's shaping up to be not only a faithful recreation of the games, but an expansion of them. Based on its recent trailer, The Last of Us' infected look practically unchanged.
Even from the first set photos, it was clear that the show's creators understood the visual aesthetic of The Last of Us games, with plenty of Cordyceps spores and mushrooms growing around the environment. Based on the most recent trailer, it seems HBO has not only nailed the look of The Last of Us' infected, but also their movement and sound design, essentially ripping the infected straight from the games.
Comparing The Last of Us' Zombies in the Games and HBO Series
HBO dropped its first full trailer for The Last of Us in September, and while it delivered copious amounts of Easter eggs and references it didn't give too much away about its infected beyond one brief look at Clickers. The Last of Us' most iconic enemy type, Clickers are blind, but can detect even the slightest sound, requiring players to sneak past them. It seems as though HBO's Clickers are going to be doing exactly the same, with the first Last of Us trailer showing Joel, Tess, and Ellie hiding behind a cabinet in a museum.
During this brief museum sequence in the trailer, the Clickers' audio design can also be heard, and it sounds as though it's been ripped straight out of the game. The same visceral gurgles and clicks can be heard as the Clicker approaches, along with the groans present in all The Last of Us' infected.
Though only its silhouette can be seen in this sequence, its visual design also looks nearly identical to the games, being hunched over and making sudden jerking movements when it detects sound. At the end of this trailer, a brief glimpse of a Clicker's face can be seen, with its head being largely taken over by wet-looking leaves of fungus, indicating that the Cordyceps infection has reached its height.
Just a few days ago, HBO released another trailer for The Last of Us that reveals two more of its infected designs: the Runner and the Bloater. Though it's difficult to see them in clear detail, Runners chase down the show's protagonists in different scenarios. The clearest look at the Runner is in the final moments of the trailer where one rushes down a hallway. This design is pretty subtle, with the Runner essentially just looking like a woman running on all fours with some makeup over her face. It could be the case that this Runner is only in the early stages of infection, which is why she doesn't look more obviously zombie-like.
The end of this trailer also shows the Bloater infected type for the first time. Acting as The Last of Us' tank enemies, the show's Bloater - much like Clickers - looks nearly identical to those found in the game series. As Runners rush from either side of it, the Bloater climbs toward the camera, revealing its hulking body covered in spores and fungal leaves. A low-pitch gurgling can also be heard, again sounding similar to those in-game.
The Last of Us releases on HBO Max starting January 15, 2023.