Should you play The Last of Us videogame before you watch the TV series? Like with any adaptation, if you’re excited to watch The Last of Us, you’re probably wondering whether or not you should check out the source material first.
In the case of the new TV series, that source material isn’t a novel or a comic book but a videogame. The Last of Us is one of the most well-known and celebrated games of the 2010s, telling the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they travel on a vital mission across the United States which is full of zombie-like creatures, known as the infected.
The zombies aren’t the only monsters in the wasteland, though, there’s raiders, the tyrannical FEDRA and the radical Fireflies to deal with as well. The HBO horror series tells this same story so we want to know, is it best to go in blind on The Last of Us TV series, or should you play The Last of Us before you watch the series?
Should I play The Last of Us before watching the TV series?
Here’s our recommendation: if you’re looking forward to watching The Last of Us, then save playing the videogame until after you’ve seen it.
That way, you will be able to experience The Last of Us TV series unburdened by expectations, and you can enjoy the drama series without being distracted by similarities or differences from the videogame.
If you enjoy The Last of Us TV series, you can then check out the first version of the story in videogame format and enjoy experiencing it again through the original medium.
Make no mistake though: for people who have already played the videogame, there should be lots to enjoy too. You’ll get to see your favourite The Last of Us characters brought to life and memorable scenes recreated like the terrifying encounter with the Clickers.
The Last of Us will debut on HBO on January 15th. For more on the new thriller series, check out our guide to The Last of Us cast, or take a look at our The Last of Us TV series review. Alternatively, find out how many episodes of The Last of Us TV series there will be, and how to watch The Last of Us.
If you’re a fan of the video game, check out The Loadout’s The Last of Us part 1 remake review, as well as their guide to the best PS5 games. You can also enjoy our ranking of the best video game movies.