The Last Of Us co-creator responds to criticism over game changes

[ad_1]

The Last Of Us co-creator responds to criticism over game changes

The Last Of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann responds to criticism of major changes to the game, including replacing infected spores with tendrils.

The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann has revealed how well he’s come to deal with the backlash over major changes to the series. The Last of Us follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), two survivors of a cordyceps infection that has swallowed the whole world. After Ellie proves she has a natural immunity to the Cordyceps fungus, Joel must transport her across the country in hopes of finding doctors who can create a vaccine from Ellie’s biology. Unfortunately, it’s a long way to go and there are enemies every step of the way.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Although The Last of Us proved that video game adaptations could be successful, the series had to make major changes to the source material in order to adapt it to a new medium. For example, the Infected are a hive mind that spreads tendrils from their mouths, rather than shooting spores. In an interview with Variety, Druckmann opened up about how he reacted to some of the backlash over the show’s changes and how he perceives the critics, while also focusing on the high praise the show is receiving. Check out his quote below:

“I’ve learned to expect a backlash from sneezing. I think it speaks to the kind of fans we have, who are so protective and love the world and these characters so much that anything they see as a diversion , without the full context of what it means, they assume the worst and push it away. I think this addition is worth it. It’s actually one of those additions where I’m like, “Oh man, I ‘wish we had it for the game. I wish we had thought about it years ago, because I love it so much.'”

Related: Every Easter Egg & Video Game Scene In The Last Of Us Trailer

How The Infected Were Changed To The Last Of Us

In the video game version of The Last of Us, the infected are a far cry from the creatures that appear on screen in HBO’s The Last of Us. Jakarta’s opening drastically changes the origin of the infection, as the games insist the infection started in South America, rather than Indonesia. The rapid spread of the infection is even more terrifying in light of the new origin, as Indonesia is surrounded by water. Given that Indonesia could have been locked down without spreading the fungus to other countries, it seems even more impactful that there was no successful effort to prevent the fungus from reaching the United States within days. .

Another major change is the change from spores to tendrils. In HBO’s The Last of Us, the fungus passes through the mouth to latch onto its new hosts through a bite. In the game, it spreads through bites and spores through the air, which is a major zombie element removed from the series. This makes traversing the world much easier, as characters don’t have to mumble through gas masks. However, those infected also have the ability to communicate via a hive mind in HBO’s The Last of Us, which only makes them more dangerous than they already are in the games.

How The Last Of Us Stayed True To Its Source Material

Despite the changes to Infected, the series has actually stayed remarkably close to the games. Major elements, including Sarah’s death, Joel’s watch, and even Boston’s landmarks, have been retained in the HBO adaptation, making the series feel like it’s revisiting an old, familiar world. Although the series made major changes to the timeline starting in 2003, rather than 2013, it retains the dialogue, atmosphere, and narrative that made The Last of Us so groundbreaking. The personalities of each of the main characters have been retained across all mediums, which certainly made The Last of Us stand out from most video game adaptations.

More: Joel’s first 2 kills in Last of Us highlight the differences between Ellie and SarahSource: Variety

[ad_2]