Craig Mazin, showrunner for HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us, has claimed that it is the greatest story ever told in a video game. Speaking to Empire magazine in the run-up to the premiere in January, Mazin had nothing but praise for The Last of Us, albeit some are likely to posit contentions.
To say that ventures to turn beloved video game franchises into successful live-action productions have proven difficult would be a severe understatement. Before recent times, video game adaptions of any form were often lackluster and uninspired, forcing even the most devoted fans to denounce the efforts. Castlevania is one of the oldest adaptations to garner critical acclaim and even that was only released in 2017. Fortunately, Netflix has continued to find success both with and outside its seminal vampire-infested series, releasing the universally praised Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners which have challenged the negative narrative surrounding translating video games into other mediums. Although live-action endeavors such as Sonic The Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu have seen promising results, The Last of Us is poised to be perhaps the best example yet.
During an interview with Empire, Mazin asserts "this is the greatest story that has ever been told in video games," and emphasized that because protagonists Ellie and Joel "were just people" the game was able to "really make you feel." While there are undoubtedly those who agree with Mazin's sentiment, to declare it "an open-and-shut case" seems designed to incur the wrath of some gamers.
The Chernobyl showrunner believes that because "they didn't shoot anything out of their eyeballs," the characters in The Last of Us felt so "grounded," which was something he "had never experienced... [despite] playing video games since 1977." Narratives have struggled in the past to be effectively told in video games, ostensibly due to intricacies of development and the natural limitations faced by the medium. However, such a definitive statement seemingly ignores the sprawling role-playing potential of Mass Effect, the shocking reveals of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and The Walking Dead's gut-wrenching story, all of which came before The Last of Us.
Since 2013, video game stories and their delivery have only continued to reach new heights. Many would argue that Red Dead Redemption 2 is far more "grounded" than even The Last of Us, pitting players against Pinkertons and disloyal gang members rather than infected monsters. Sam Barlow's Her Story and Half Mermaid's projects since have masterfully implemented filmed footage into an interactive setting, crafting puzzles that still compel people to this day. And this year alone saw gamers treated to God of War Ragnarok and Pentiment, two games that could not be further apart but both offer enthralling narratives for those who wish to battle Norse mythology or for others tempted by an illustrated manuscript of the Bavarian Alps.
The Last of Us premieres on HBO January 15, 2023.
Source: Empire
