The process of adapting beloved source material is never an easy one. When translating material originally designed for a different medium to the screen, creators must find a way to satisfy fans of the original while also making their version appealing to a broad audience discovering it for the first time. There are more than a fewbeloved novels turned into disappointing movies, but turning a popular video game into a television series is perhaps an even greater challenge.Both HBO’sThe Last of Usand Prime Video’sFalloutfaced sizable expectationsfrom fans based on the games’ popular culture significance.
On a narrative level,The Last of UsandFallouttell broadly similar stories; they are both dystopian science fiction adventures, incorporate elements of the Western and horror genres, and analyze a group of lonely characters who reluctantly team up to ensure the survival of the human race. However, the two shows couldn’t be more different tonally;The Last of Usis a haunting drama about the inescapable fear of loss, andFallouttakes a darkly comedic lookat the development of human infrastructure in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The shows were both successful, as they both reflected the tone and spirit of the original games. Despite presenting different challenges of adaptation, the combined acclaim forThe Last of UsandFalloutproves that there is no one right way to do a video game adaptation.
In a future, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles brought about by nuclear decimation, citizens must live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from radiation, mutants and bandits.
HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Adapts a Cinematic Game
When Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Uswas first released in 2013, the game instantly drew acclaim for its cinematic qualities and strong writing. Although it was hardly the first narrative game,The Last of Usreached a level of emotion that was greater than most mainstream films. ShowrunnerCraig Mazinfaced a challenge withThe Last of Usin ensuring that the series had the same depth as the game. Fans didn’t need to see a mere recreation of cut-scenes, but it was important to retain the basic story beats that made the game feel so original. Mazin succeeded in recreating iconic moments from the game while making necessary changes in order to sustain the episodic nature. Although the seriesremains very close to the plot of the game,it cuts out some subplots in order to keep the story focused on the complex dynamicbetween Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsay).
Considering how acclaimed the vocal performances from the original game were,casting was very important inThe Last of Us.Players had already forged a strong emotional connection withTroy BakerandAshley Johnson, presenting a challenge to the new performers to earn the same affection. Thankfully, Pascal managed to perfectly embody the stone-hearted solitude of Joel, whileeven adding his own improvised linesthat signified his dedication to the material. Similarly, Ramsay was able to give new insights into Ellie’s backstory, particularly in the flashback episode “Left Behind.” The heartbreaking bond that she forms with Riley (Storm Reid) during the origins of the outbreak serves as a purely visceral moment that is only possible in the television medium.
Prime Video’s ‘Fallout’ Creates an Original Story
While Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Ushas a set of easily identifiable protagonists, Bethesda’sFalloutfranchise is made up of role-playing games where players are able to create their own characters. As a result, Prime Video’sFalloutseries faced the challenge of creating an original narrative with charactersrepresentative of the games’ possibilities.Although showrunnersGraham WagnerandGeneva Robertson-Dworethad a wealth of creatures, locations, technology, and mysteries to draw from, none ofFallout’s dynamic post-apocalyptic universe would have been effective if the series hadn’t createdlikable, original protagonists that could introduce viewers to the narrative. Thankfully, the characters of Lucy (Ella Purnell) and Maximus (Aaron Moten) were reflective of the way both the Vault Dwellers and Brotherhood of Steel, respectively, were depicted in the games. Even for both non-gamers, these leads had inherent curiosities about the world around them that helped lead into the show’s worldbuilding.
Although there was no shortage of Easter eggs referencing the gaming franchise,theFalloutseries succeeded in adding new elements to the mythology. A new backstory constructedfor the origin of “The Great War”added context to how society evolved from a retro-futuristic paradise to a dour, dangerous world that was divided between the surface and Vault societies. While Ghouls had been strong antagonists within the series, the backstory ofWalton Goggins’ Cooper Howard added a surprisingly heartfelt origin to these creatures. These revisions ensured that longtimeFalloutfans could learn something new about the universe they had dedicated so much time to; for non-players, the complexity of the established mythology was translated in a more palatable way.
The Future of Video Game Adaptations Is Bright
Riding off the back of serious critical acclaim,bothFalloutandThe Last of Uswere renewed for second seasons, confirming thatthe “video game adaptation curse”is all but extinct. Both shows have a challenging road ahead. The second season ofThe Last of Uswill have to translate the divisive storyline of the second game, and ensure that it fits within the tone that the series has already established;Falloutwill need to introduce new mysteries to ensure that the series still has a hook. However, the ingenuity within both shows’ initial seasons signifies that the creators are willing to take necessary narrative risks.
Video game adaptations are now more popular than ever, withmany highly anticipated projects coming this year. The television industry has the potential to bridge a greater crossover audience by creating dynamic, exciting adaptations that utilize the wealth of great video game content as inspiration. If the acclaim and renewal of bothThe Last of UsandFalloutindicate anything, it’s that great adaptations take many forms.
Falloutis streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
Watch on Prime Video
