HBO's The Last of Us TV adaptation has benefited the video game version of the series too, with sales skyrocketing since its release.
In its rundown of the UK Boxed Charts this week, Games Industry Biz revealed that The Last of Us Part 1 has shot up to number 20 in the list, with a 238% rise in sales. The Last of Us: Remastered has also rejoined the chart, having gone up by 322% in a week.
While audiences are seemingly compelled to explore the games, Joel voice actor Troy Baker assured that viewers don't need a playthrough of The Last of Us video game to enjoy the new TV series. "The beauty of this is that it is two versions, two retellings of the same story. So if you haven't played the video game, you can completely enjoy the show as a standalone." Baker also added that it is not an "either/or" between TV adaptation and video game series and that there are plenty of differences between the two to warrant playing and watching both.
The Last of Us' Joel
When the TV show was announced, there were some calls for Baker to reprise his role as Joel on screen. However, actor Pedro Pascal ultimately took on the role leading the series, alongside Bella Ramsey who plays Ellie. There are no hard feelings though, with Baker admitting he is "excited" to see another actor provide his own version of Joel and that he was eager to "see what it'd look like."
Despite giving his own version of Joel though, Pascal did admit to playing the game ahead of preparing to act as Joel in The Last of Us TV series. "[HBO's] instruction was: Don't play the game. I ignored them," the actor said. "It was important to me to play notes that were directly related to what was originally in the game -- physically, visually, vocally."
The Last of Us series is based on the 2013 video game of the same name. It sees titular characters Joel and Ellie -- played by Pascal and Ramsey -- encounter each other during a global pandemic. With the world in an apocalyptic state and a disease wiping out humanity, Ellie represents the chance for a cure and Joel needs to take her across the USA in order to help create one.
The first two episodes of The Last of Us are available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Games Industry Biz