The Last Of Us Episode 2 Review - 7 Ups & 1 Down
5. Adapting The Gameplay Right
While the cutscenes of The Last Of Us are of course incredible, the biggest challenge Craig Mazin and co faced was translating the incidental dialogue during gameplay over to the show. The time spent with the characters while in control of Joel is essential in establishing their bond, fleshing out their backstories and personalities, and connecting the audience to their plight.
And in a winning move, this element was pretty much adapted verbatim. In this episode we get stretches where the survivors are just navigating through the world, getting to know each other. Or, in one excellent scene, sitting down and asking each other questions while another companion shimmies through a hole to find a way forward.
It's naturalistic, and the performances here further humanise the characters.