Viewers have been raving about HBO‘S latest hit TV show The Last of Us branding it ‘a masterpiece’ as the show based upon the iconic video game rakes in hundreds of reviews from users who are waiting on the edge of their seats for the next episode to release. 

10 years after the PlayStation game debuted, HBO’s post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us premiered yesterday and has already garnered a slew of positive reviews from fans who have dubbed it the ‘best video game inspired content ever created.’ 

The show is centered around the parasitic Cordyceps fungus – which tends to infect insects – evolving to control the human race and according to the showrunner Craig Mazin, is ‘real.’

Based on the video game, it follows the same characters Joel – played by Pedro Pascal – and Ellie – played by Bella Ramsey – as they cross the country after the fungus takes over society. 

And while video games may be thrilling to play, they don’t always translate to the big screen as well as viewers may hope. 

But, The Last of Us has defied the odds, amassing a 99 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes as well as a 9.6 out of 10 rating on IMDB. 

Video game lovers as well as film enthusiasts have coined the TV series as one of the hottest shows this winter.

One user said the first of the nine episode series saw was ‘perfect,’ while another user said HBO had ‘out done themselves.’ 

Others said the shows had ‘rocked my world’, was a ‘video game adaptation worthy of seeing,’ adding that viewers should ‘run’ not ‘walk’ to see the show. 

Another user complimented every aspect of the show, noting that ‘everyone has been cast well,’ and adding that the ‘music slaps and the visuals are perfect.’ 

Others said the Zombie series was ‘pitch perfect’ and said the series had ‘taken over my brain.’ 

Producer and writer John Campea said: ‘The Last Of Us is already the greatest video game adaptation of all time… and we’re just 85 minutes into it.’ 

It comes as no surprise that the show has viewers locked to their screes, as the PlayStation game won numerous awards, including Game of the Year during the 17th Annual Design Innovate Communicate Entertain summit (DICE). 

The TV series has also received glowing reviews from critics.  

New York Times critic James Poniewozik said it is ‘smart’ and has ‘heart.’  

Simon Cardy from IGN dubbed the TV series as ‘brilliant.’ 

At the CES 2023 technology trade show, Sony chief executive Kenichiro Yoshida said Sony has 10 game-inspired films and TV projects in development stages.

During the Los Angeles premiere, star Pascal said the game’s ‘impact on its audience was because of its storytelling,’ noting that it is a ‘sort of perfect marriage’ for HBO and The Last of Us.

Ramsey said she hoped ‘people can realize that video games can have a great story, such a great story that it can then be adapted into a TV show.’

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Mazin explained that the show is based on reality. 

‘It’s real — it’s real to the extent that everything he says that fungus do, they do. 

‘And they currently do it and have been doing it forever. There are some remarkable documentaries that you can watch that are quite terrifying,’ he said. 

He added that he doesn’t believe the fungus could evolve to infect humans, but said hallucinatory drugs such as LSD come from funguses.  

Mazin said: ‘Now his warning — what if they evolve and get into us? — from a purely scientific point of view, would they do exactly to us what they do to ants? I don’t think so. I doubt it. On the other hand, he’s right — LSD and psilocybin do come from fungus.’

Viewers can tune into HBO every Sunday to watch a new episode of The Last of Us.

Mazin is also known for creating the Emmy award-winning series Chernobyl, which he said reminded him of The Last of Us. 

He said: ‘What was so chilling to me was that [the Chernobyl nuclear plant] blew up that night, but it could have blown up a week before or it could have blown up a month before.’

The showrunner added that these issues could occur, but we ‘just don’t know about it.’ 

He explained: “‘Which means that right now, there’s something that’s just waiting to blow up — you just don’t know about it. It was so upsetting to say to people, “We knew about this, it’s been there, now we’re gonna show you the night it finally happens.” Not suddenly, but finally.’