The popularity of live game adaptations continues to rise swiftly, including "Fallout on Prime" and "Detective Pikachu." However, among these developments, HBO-"The Last of Us" will be remembered as the elusive gem. HBO's "The Last of Us Series 2" took home the Best Adaptation Award at The Game Awards 2025.
Fans as well as critics have appreciated the series for tapping into the emotive levels and passions associated with the original PlayStation IP and then developing it deeper. Based on initial reservations among gamers about live-action adaptations, it seems that with HBO's series, their fears have been put to rest.
Tough Competition Didn't Stop 'The Last of Us'
Other nominees within the Best Adaptation category include big hits such as "Minecraft Movie," "Until Dawn," "Devil May Cry," and Splinter Cell: Deathwatch." It should be noted that "The Last of Us Season 2" stood out among millions, passing the competition with flying colors.
Although the series stuck with the same storyline as seen in the game series, there were some changes implemented by HBO that made it more appropriate for an episodic series.
Fan Reactions From Controversy to Praise
However, Season 2 had some controversies as well. At first, some fan reactions emerged about castings and changes that were made in some stories. But soon, people realized that there was some value added to the series as well, and there were threads on Twitter and some postings on Reddit about people appreciating several things related to performance and impact.
Fans were amazed at what they were doing with the series and were noticing its astonishing adaptability.
The fan appreciated the storyline with careful adjustment, and even initial cynicism can be countered. Meme videos, fan art, and celebrations of defining instances from Season 2 filled various online platforms.
What's Wrong With 'TLOU Season 2'?
According to some Reddit users, the live adaptation didn't portray the characters well. Abby, for instance, did not look feminine enough while Lev was trans.
Another Redditor said that the acting seemed "forced" for the series. Others said that watching their character "brutally murdered" in the first two hours wasn't a great feeling.
"Because the plot was ridiculous. How does anyone realistically expect us to believe that one girl was able to track down one person across the entire country, without GPS, to take revenge on a person who shouldn't have died to begin with, only to not take revenge because she couldn't kill one more person after killing hundreds on her murderous journey in a plot for revenge?" another person commented.
It even came to a point that some fans boycotted the game to skip the bad elements of the story.
