It has been around 50 years since Computer/video games have been in existence. In fact, it's actually 70 years, but the rise of Arcade games was in the 1970's and it is fair to say that they have come a really long way since the boing boing tennis of ping pong and the pew pew of space invaders. It has only been two weeks since the last video game trailer was released for Grand Theft Auto 6, where technology has changed over the last 70 years, which in turn, has also changed the maturity level for games has also changed. There are levels to it, but The Last of Us is a different type of mature game from GTA. The Last of Us is cinematic, it is deeply rooted in the cycles of violence, and in this case, the show is also touching on generational trauma. This episode squeezed a tear out of me, and I will tell you why.
This episode is unlike the game, as the game has flashbacks throughout it and at different points in the game, rather than how it is presented here, each year on Ellie's birthday. As it is a game, there are certain parts we go through, such as the museum, and everything in the museum is like-for-like in the game. It looks exactly the same. You get to see the Tyrannosaurus Rex and climb it, as well as the space rocket moment, etc. And the moment on the porch is shot-for-shot and almost word-for-word with a few improvements or alterations. The prologue with the dad and the scenes with Eugene are not in the game, as these serve the purpose of showing us, the audience, Joel's patterns and cycles of lies, his generational trauma, along with the latter showing us the lengths one could go to protect what they feel is their own. That porch scene was heartbreaking, and Pedro Pascal did an amazing job, acting and barely being verbal and answering Ellie's questions. The game is more verbal, but for me, this was more heartbreaking and real. It was more of a tear-jerker than in the game for me. I am likely to break this down a bit more after the finale has aired, but this episode was touching and very well done. I am wondering where they will go with the finale, because having played the game, there is a lot of ground towards cover, so where will they draw the line?
