The Last Of Us Episode 1 Review - 9 Ups & 1 Down

Even knowing what was about to unfold onscreen, watching Joel lose his beloved daughter Sarah in live action hit differently.

The tear-jerking emotional impact of her demise was magnified in part by Nico Parker's superb performance. The young actress produces a wonderful turn as Sarah, effortlessly bringing her loving relationship with her father to life in her short time on-screen.

With that being said, the true spectacle was witnessing Outbreak Day itself. Unfolding in parts like a shot for shot remake of the game's original opening, the infected rise in nightmarish fashion as the world quite literally explodes in the background - including a plane nose-diving from the sky in a mushroom cloud of apocalyptic fire.

This of course, is all before the moment that every fan was dreading arrived. Despite her father's desperate attempts to shield her, Sarah is tragically gunned down by a soldier.

The sheer panic, loss and heartbreak that Pascal imbues his character with as he unsuccessfully attempts to tend to his stricken daughter are legitimately breath-taking in their levels of raw intensity. As Joel's mouth contorts in an endless, silent sob, rocking Sarah's broken body in an inconsolable haze of grief, one would have to be made of stone not to feel a sizeable lump in their throat.

One of the video game's most devastating moments and an absolutely unforgettable introduction to Neil Druckmann's harrowing world.