The game’s 2020 sequel, “The Last of Us Part II,” explores the fallout from decisions made in the original game; the TV show’s first season follows the plot of the first game.
“The Last of Us,” HBO’s upcoming flagship show, is based on a critically acclaimed video game series. There’s good news for those interested in the new prestige drama but less interested in video games: you don’t need to play the games to understand the show. In fact, you don’t even need to be familiar with video games.
A fungal infection ravages the world in “The Last of Us” (both the game and the show), taking over human hosts and transforming them into unusually floral zombies. There is no treatment. Joel, a world-weary smuggler, reluctantly agrees to transport Ellie, a young girl who appears immune to the infection, to a medical facility across the country.
The game’s 2020 sequel, “The Last of Us Part II,” explores the fallout from decisions made in the original game; the TV show’s first season follows the plot of the first game.
Though I haven’t played the games, as a gamer (and an editor at The Washington Post’s video game vertical), I am familiar with the premise and even some key plot points.
Having seen a few episodes of the show, there’s no indication that watching the series is required to enjoy the HBO adaptation. The show explains its central premise clearly and does not assume any prior knowledge of the game.
Some viewers may benefit from additional context and depth of understanding by playing the games. I asked Gene Park, a colleague and avid fan of the games who has seen the entire first season of the show, what people who had played the games might pick up on that viewers coming in cold might not.
“Experienced players of the game will undoubtedly delight in many of the Easter eggs that allude to the game’s storytelling,” Park said. “The made-for-fiction teenage wolf movie posters all over cities in the game reappear in the show, alongside real-world corporate signage for brands like CVS and GameStop. Fans will also recognise the costume changes, especially since they are based on the outfits seen in the game at key moments.
Nonetheless, Park cautioned that fans will not hold some secret contextual key to the show. Fans are more likely to notice differences between the two stories, especially different approaches to key scenes. The Last of Us game series is extremely popular; based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews, it’s safe to say the consensus opinion among gamers is that playing the games will be its own reward.
If you want to play game, you have a few options, with one more coming in March if you’re patient. The original PlayStation 3 game, a remastered version for PlayStation 4 titled “The Last of Us Remastered,” and a remake for PlayStation 5 titled “The Last of Us Part I” are all available. The PC version of the remake will be released on March 3.
Just don’t worry about “needing” to play before you watch. According to Park, there is no best order in which to engage with The Last of Us media.