HBO: The Last of Us

[Rayman]

Different media have different languages and will have different ways of working for each of us so… lets compare them for no reason whatsoever:

1. Whatever Pascal does, he nails it. I love Joel in the game, but Pascal’s carisma is beyond this world.
2. I’m amazed at Bella Ramsey’s performance. Was really skeptical about her, she got me in her first 10 seconds. Awesome acting. She’s intense but also nuanced.
3. Sarah grabbing his money to fix his watch gave us more info on Sarah in less time: she loves her dad, AND she’s a funny, pesky child. I get why they did that.
4. I did miss a little more drama on Sarah, but I guess drama will come a bit later. It’s a balancing act.

Now for a more nuanced take on this last point. The game’s pace is one that relies on a lot of time of hiding, killing, being killed, etc. Time from dramatic moment to dramatic moment gets elongated because… it’s a game. On the series it doesn’t work that way at all, so in order to let the drama sip in without being too much, they need to make it grow one chapter at a time.

I believe they’ve chosen wisely on how they’ve delivered this first chapter and I can see how they are going to move forward to get us the same point and feelings were we ended when we finished TLoU those of us who did.

Oh and please pleaaaase HBO Max: get the people who colour graded this and its HDR version to teach a thing or two to those who worked with House of Targaryen. Colour grading is AWESOME, camera work is awesome, sound is excellent too. On all technical aspects I’d say it’s flawless and a good recreation of the game when it tries to be (the car’s shot was beautiful).

 

[choombaz]

Different media have different languages and will have different ways of working for each of us so… lets compare them for no reason whatsoever:

1. Whatever Pascal does, he nails it. I love Joel in the game, but Pascal’s carisma is beyond this world.
2. I’m amazed at Bella Ramsey’s performance. Was really skeptical about her, she got me in her first 10 seconds. Awesome acting. She’s intense but also nuanced.
3. Sarah grabbing his money to fix his watch gave us more info on Sarah in less time: she loves her dad, AND she’s a funny, pesky child. I get why they did that.
4. I did miss a little more drama on Sarah, but I guess drama will come a bit later. It’s a balancing act.

Now for a more nuanced take on this last point. The game’s pace is one that relies on a lot of time of hiding, killing, being killed, etc. Time from dramatic moment to dramatic moment gets elongated because… it’s a game. On the series it doesn’t work that way at all, so in order to let the drama sip in without being too much, they need to make it grow one chapter at a time.

I believe they’ve chosen wisely on how they’ve delivered this first chapter and I can see how they are going to move forward to get us the same point and feelings were we ended when we finished TLoU those of us who did.

Oh and please pleaaaase HBO Max: get the people who colour graded this and its HDR version to teach a thing or two to those who worked with House of Targaryen. Colour grading is AWESOME, camera work is awesome, sound is excellent too. On all technical aspects I’d say it’s flawless and a good recreation of the game when it tries to be (the car’s shot was beautiful).

Some great points. I’m half wayish through the first game at the moment and you can certainly have hide and seek/hunt deer for food stuff in the show but I can play for 2 hours and do just that and you can’t do that in a tv show. (exceptional examples maybe) I think that’s why some people didn’t give Andor more of a chance.

 

[R_R_X]

Different media have different languages and will have different ways of working for each of us so… lets compare them for no reason whatsoever:

1. Whatever Pascal does, he nails it. I love Joel in the game, but Pascal’s carisma is beyond this world.
2. I’m amazed at Bella Ramsey’s performance. Was really skeptical about her, she got me in her first 10 seconds. Awesome acting. She’s intense but also nuanced.
3. Sarah grabbing his money to fix his watch gave us more info on Sarah in less time: she loves her dad, AND she’s a funny, pesky child. I get why they did that.
4. I did miss a little more drama on Sarah, but I guess drama will come a bit later. It’s a balancing act.

Now for a more nuanced take on this last point. The game’s pace is one that relies on a lot of time of hiding, killing, being killed, etc. Time from dramatic moment to dramatic moment gets elongated because… it’s a game. On the series it doesn’t work that way at all, so in order to let the drama sip in without being too much, they need to make it grow one chapter at a time.

I believe they’ve chosen wisely on how they’ve delivered this first chapter and I can see how they are going to move forward to get us the same point and feelings were we ended when we finished TLoU those of us who did.

Oh and please pleaaaase HBO Max: get the people who colour graded this and its HDR version to teach a thing or two to those who worked with House of Targaryen. Colour grading is AWESOME, camera work is awesome, sound is excellent too. On all technical aspects I’d say it’s flawless and a good recreation of the game when it tries to be (the car’s shot was beautiful).

I think the criticisms on the episode and the casting don't need to be frowned up, it's only natural that some people will compare the game to the show considering the behemoth that TLOU is as an IP and the ammount of people who played it, there is criticism which is obviously just picking low hanging fruit like making fun of Bella's looks but I find myself agreeing with the more constructive arguments and while your points are good ones and I agree with them I think we could take the game to compare for no reason whatsoever and find that it excels in all those points too.

1. Pascal is great in the role and he looks good for what the show is aiming for but when you're in the shoes of game Joel you have a deeper connection with everything that happens to him and you feel the weight of the world not only on his shoulders but yours, Troy Baker also did a fantastic job protraying him a decade ago and I think he did some things better than Pedro, the fact Pedro obviously inspired his performance on the game is no accident. Aside from that my only nitpick is that he doesn't look as rugged or harsh as the game model, especially in the remake they really did some dark magic because I look at him and see the pain, the rage, 20 years of a horrible world taking it's toll, his unkempt beard, scars, dirty skin and overall disheveled appearance are 10/10 character design while in the show Pascal is more pampered with a stylish quiff and minor makeup around the eyes and brow but always looking good on camera with not a lot of grime or blood on him.

2. I'm still not sold of her but she does act well, she plays the spunky teenager part nicely but her voice seemed off in some scenes of the episode and the trailers, she's yet to convince me she is Ellie so I'm holding my judgement for now but let's not pretend she doesn't have big shoes to fill, Ahsley Johnson delivers a powerhouse performance in both games but then again she is a grown woman with years of expirience in acting while Bella is still very young I'm rooting for her to win me and others over.

3. The same could be said for the game, in a few minutes we learnt that she was waiting for her dad to come back from work, bought him an actual gift instead of getting his watch fixed which I think lessens the emotional attatchment to that memento and she also joked around with him, I do love the new material in the show tho but both mediums sold the relationship perfectly with and without the extra fluff.

4. This I don't know what you mean, did you mean someone else? Or are you talking about the mentions that will come later on? I'm looking forward to the ranch scene the most.

Very true there's things the show can't adapt just like there's things that wouldn't work in the game I too believe they've done a good job building a version of TLOU for TV, I'm obviously still biased torwards the game but there's some decisions the show's done which I just don't like, like the infected only appearing briefly in 4 episodes, I think it's a mistake, they should appear in most or all of them because they are what sells why everything went to hell, if they are not a constant threat and only used in action set pieces then moral dillema of the ending, which I won't spoil, loses it's punch imho but none of this is meant to say the show is bad or that I dislike it I actually like it and have watched the first episode a few times over the week which I rarely do I just think that there's some valid criticism to be pointed out and that's perfectly fine especially for people who've played this game multiple times since 2013.

 

[choombaz]

All this talk, I’m off to keep playing the game. I want to have it finished before I get spoilt by anything else this thread serves up.

 

[R_R_X]

All this talk, I’m off to keep playing the game. I want to have it finished before I get spoilt by anything else this thread serves up.

Stay off this thread and enjoy the game.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

I finished episode 5 last night.

I like Pascal and Ramsey in other things, I'm not quite sure they were the right casting choices. Well at least in my book. Maybe that will change in the next episodes on tap but I have my doubts. Something like that either pops out or it doesn't. The chemistry between Joel and Ellie is so critical, and sometimes it just feels a bit disjointed. I want to be fair and say anything produced in the new normal of the pandemic has more hurdles to overcome and that changes everything.

The production values are very good, very solid, it's clear there is a lot of love and attention put into this show, and this is above and beyond the usual polish in most HBO productions.

I would have picked Kaitlyn Dever for Ellie personally. But again, that's probably my preference and maybe one not as widely shared by others.

I suspect part of the problem with casting someone who is older to play someone younger is that you might run into the Enola Holmes problem. Millie Bobbie Brown and Henry Cavill were displaying a type of personal chemistry that doesn't fit in line with their characters actual relationship on screen. You cast Ramsey, you are guaranteed a father/daughter/parental dynamic. Dever is much older and more mature. I don't think anyone wanted to take that kind of risk. There's a large share of the potential audience that has become hyper sensitive to stuff like that now in modern entertainment.

Like any other show, anyone who likes the IP, I always encourage folks to give the first full season a chance.

 

[Mandible]

I finished episode 5 last night.

I like Pascal and Ramsey in other things, I'm not quite sure they were the right casting choices. Well at least in my book. Maybe that will change in the next episodes on tap but I have my doubts. Something like that either pops out or it doesn't. The chemistry between Joel and Ellie is so critical, and sometimes it just feels a bit disjointed. I want to be fair and say anything produced in the new normal of the pandemic has more hurdles to overcome and that changes everything.

The production values are very good, very solid, it's clear there is a lot of love and attention put into this show, and this is above and beyond the usual polish in most HBO productions.

I would have picked Kaitlyn Dever for Ellie personally. But again, that's probably my preference and maybe one not as widely shared by others.

I suspect part of the problem with casting someone who is older to play someone younger is that you might run into the Enola Holmes problem. Millie Bobbie Brown and Henry Cavill were displaying a type of personal chemistry that doesn't fit in line with their characters actual relationship on screen. You cast Ramsey, you are guaranteed a father/daughter/parental dynamic. Dever is much older and more mature. I don't think anyone wanted to take that kind of risk. There's a large share of the potential audience that has become hyper sensitive to stuff like that now in modern entertainment.

Like any other show, anyone who likes the IP, I always encourage folks to give the first full season a chance.

To add to the alternate casting:

 

[chrisstbh]

I think the opening was done better than the game personally, got to spend more time with Sarah and see little hints of the outbreak starting; reminded me of Shaun of the Dead in that regard.

Also we've barely seen Joel and Ellie together yet, and people can fan cast all they want but there's more that goes into casting than just looking the part. I'm surely they looked at many different actors for both Joel and Ellie but they have to be able to hit the mark and they need to have the right chemistry with eachother.

Still lots to see but I like them as Joel and Ellie, and so does the creator of the original characters

 

[Victοr]

Finally watched it. It's okay. I don't have much to say about anything that doesn't either piss me off or enthrall me. I played the game nearly a decade ago and remember it more fondly. But honestly, I've always disliked Post-Apoc/Dystopia fiction. Be they movies, shows, books, games, whatever, I've always hated it. Same with Disaster movies. They make me too depressed, and I'm someone who easily watches Kaufman. It's too much wide-scale misery porn for me, so I was never the target audience. I bought the game back in the day because of the hype, and I did admittedly enjoy it, but I never fell in love with it. Now, as for this, I can see the productions values, the good acting, but nothing jumps out at me. I'll keep up with it, it's not like I'm watching literally anything else right now, but I'm more excited about Succession coming back, you know?

 

[ScoutingForToys]

I think the opening was done better than the game personally, got to spend more time with Sarah and see little hints of the outbreak starting; reminded me of Shaun of the Dead in that regard.

Also we've barely seen Joel and Ellie together yet...

Yeah those were the bits of ep1 I liked.
Also agree re Ellie and Joel. There's nothing interesting or engaging there yet, but it's only the first episode. Plenty of time to develop that.

Finally watched it. It's okay. I don't have much to say about anything that doesn't either piss me off or enthrall me. I played the game nearly a decade ago and remember it more fondly. But honestly, I've always disliked Post-Apoc/Dystopia fiction. Be they movies, shows, books, games, whatever, I've always hated it. Same with Disaster movies. They make me too depressed, and I'm someone who easily watches Kaufman. It's too much wide-scale misery porn for me, so I was never the target audience. I bought the game back in the day because of the hype, and I did admittedly enjoy it, but I never fell in love with it. Now, as for this, I can see the productions values, the good acting, but nothing jumps out at me. I'll keep up with it, it's not like I'm watching literally anything else right now, but I'm more excited about Succession coming back, you know?

Yeah I'm not into post-apocalyptic stuff either. Probably why I lost interest after the time jump.

 

[Victοr]

Yeah I'm not into post-apocalyptic stuff either. Probably why I lost interest after the time jump.

I actually preferred the time jump in that sense. The collapse parts are the worst for me. Seeing it all go downhill, hence why I can't stand Disaster movies. When you're in the rough and the Post-Apoc is the new norm, I can find solace that the worst is technically over and they've settled in a state of constant but manageable misery. One thing I do like about Post-Apoc media like TLOU though is the untamed vegetation. Crysis had that going on too. I can still find some "enjoyment" in that world, whereas something that has to do with Nuclear Annihilation is an absolute no-go for me. It's why I never got into Fallout; nothing about it grabs me. TLOU at least has some nifty settings.

 

[ironwez20]

I finished episode 5 last night.

I like Pascal and Ramsey in other things, I'm not quite sure they were the right casting choices. Well at least in my book. Maybe that will change in the next episodes on tap but I have my doubts. Something like that either pops out or it doesn't. The chemistry between Joel and Ellie is so critical, and sometimes it just feels a bit disjointed. I want to be fair and say anything produced in the new normal of the pandemic has more hurdles to overcome and that changes everything.

The production values are very good, very solid, it's clear there is a lot of love and attention put into this show, and this is above and beyond the usual polish in most HBO productions.

I would have picked Kaitlyn Dever for Ellie personally. But again, that's probably my preference and maybe one not as widely shared by others.

I suspect part of the problem with casting someone who is older to play someone younger is that you might run into the Enola Holmes problem. Millie Bobbie Brown and Henry Cavill were displaying a type of personal chemistry that doesn't fit in line with their characters actual relationship on screen. You cast Ramsey, you are guaranteed a father/daughter/parental dynamic. Dever is much older and more mature. I don't think anyone wanted to take that kind of risk. There's a large share of the potential audience that has become hyper sensitive to stuff like that now in modern entertainment.

Like any other show, anyone who likes the IP, I always encourage folks to give the first full season a chance.

Episode 5 ? Where are people watching more episodes at?

 

[Rayman]

I think the criticisms on the episode and the casting don't need to be frowned up, it's only natural that some people will compare the game to the show considering the behemoth that TLOU is as an IP and the ammount of people who played it, there is criticism which is obviously just picking low hanging fruit like making fun of Bella's looks but I find myself agreeing with the more constructive arguments and while your points are good ones and I agree with them I think we could take the game to compare for no reason whatsoever and find that it excels in all those points too.

1. Pascal is great in the role and he looks good for what the show is aiming for but when you're in the shoes of game Joel you have a deeper connection with everything that happens to him and you feel the weight of the world not only on his shoulders but yours, Troy Baker also did a fantastic job protraying him a decade ago and I think he did some things better than Pedro, the fact Pedro obviously inspired his performance on the game is no accident. Aside from that my only nitpick is that he doesn't look as rugged or harsh as the game model, especially in the remake they really did some dark magic because I look at him and see the pain, the rage, 20 years of a horrible world taking it's toll, his unkempt beard, scars, dirty skin and overall disheveled appearance are 10/10 character design while in the show Pascal is more pampered with a stylish quiff and minor makeup around the eyes and brow but always looking good on camera with not a lot of grime or blood on him.

2. I'm still not sold of her but she does act well, she plays the spunky teenager part nicely but her voice seemed off in some scenes of the episode and the trailers, she's yet to convince me she is Ellie so I'm holding my judgement for now but let's not pretend she doesn't have big shoes to fill, Ahsley Johnson delivers a powerhouse performance in both games but then again she is a grown woman with years of expirience in acting while Bella is still very young I'm rooting for her to win me and others over.

3. The same could be said for the game, in a few minutes we learnt that she was waiting for her dad to come back from work, bought him an actual gift instead of getting his watch fixed which I think lessens the emotional attatchment to that memento and she also joked around with him, I do love the new material in the show tho but both mediums sold the relationship perfectly with and without the extra fluff.

4. This I don't know what you mean, did you mean someone else? Or are you talking about the mentions that will come later on? I'm looking forward to the ranch scene the most.

Very true there's things the show can't adapt just like there's things that wouldn't work in the game I too believe they've done a good job building a version of TLOU for TV, I'm obviously still biased torwards the game but there's some decisions the show's done which I just don't like, like the infected only appearing briefly in 4 episodes, I think it's a mistake, they should appear in most or all of them because they are what sells why everything went to hell, if they are not a constant threat and only used in action set pieces then moral dillema of the ending, which I won't spoil, loses it's punch imho but none of this is meant to say the show is bad or that I dislike it I actually like it and have watched the first episode a few times over the week which I rarely do I just think that there's some valid criticism to be pointed out and that's perfectly fine especially for people who've played this game multiple times since 2013.

I totally agree on most of your points too. Troy Baker is a legend, and I think it was a good decision to base the acting on his perfomance. Yet I still think the show is wanting to portray things a little different. It’s true that Pascal doesn’t seem as damaged as the character did in the game. But I still think we are going to see more of that on the show as a part of the character’s development, instead of a point of departure. Also because in the series you are not playing Joel, meaning he’s not as much of a protagonist for the viewer as he is in the game (this is just game vs show thing… game’s really just put you inside one character).

About the watch thing… I still think what they tried there was to add something else to the character and maybe both options are just as right. Like… I don’t really care, both ways of portraying Sarah were really good and smart imo. BTW, the actress, awesome job there. She had 15 minutes to make us love her as our own daughter and I think she excelled at it.

About the drama on Sarah, I just mean that I think we’ll see more of that edgy moments of how it affected Joel, as it happened when he beat the hell out of the… guy who’s name I don’t remember lol . BTW, gotta say that was the actual worse moment of the show imo, showing the scene as a flashback of what had happened 45 minutes back for us as spectators seemed awefully redundant and was really sloppy edit If you ask me. Seemed so 90s. It was way too obvious. Bella’s face on that moment though… Creepy and awesome.

I’m excited about the show. It does recreate the world we saw pretty in the game extremely well, and we’ll only get the full picture onhow well they did to portray Joel’s and Ellie’s story later on. I’m way more optimistic than I was 2 weeks ago.

 

[choombaz]

Episode 5 ? Where are people watching more episodes at?

There has only been one episode aired. Must be a critic lol.

Stay off this thread and enjoy the game.

Finished the first game. Probably the best game I’ve ever played. I’m not a serious gamer and I’m sure there are tons of better games out there. But it covers all my favorite aspects of modern vg, first person shooter, crafting, sneaking around, riding a horse lol, with an unbelievably tense and dark storyline and those two characters are really great. Hopefully the show won’t digress too much and will go to those dark places.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Started a new game today. I think I’ve played it through easily 20 times. Never gets old.

 

[ironwez20]

Yea the first game is such a great game to revisit

 

[Rayman]

Started a new game today. I think I’ve played it through easily 20 times. Never gets old.

Now that’s a ton of times! I’m waiting for PC release to replay it, can’t wait. Here’s to hoping Sony brings another ace to the gaming community. So far they’ve been almost flawless with their releases.

 

[Asta]

Google "The Last of Us", scroll down and click the mushroom.

Spoiler

 

[R_R_X]

Google "The Last of Us", scroll down and click the mushroom.

Spoiler

View attachment 619583

Doesn't work for me.

 

[chrisstbh]

Google "The Last of Us", scroll down and click the mushroom.

Spoiler

View attachment 619583

Keeps growing the more you click it