The Last Of Us Is Gaming's Greatest Story, HBO Showrunner Craig Mazin Says

In a recent interview, The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin expressed his enthusiasm for the show's source material and speculated why the classic game transcends the common limitations of other video games.

In an interview with Empire, Mazin said, "It's an open-and-shut case: This is the greatest story that has ever been told in video games." He goes on to explain how the game's emphasis on grounded character development and human stories elevated it above other video games. According to Mazin, The Last of Us sings because "they were just people. And that, in and of itself, is remarkably rare in games." He also alludes to the changing of certain elements to better fit the medium of TV, in collaboration with the game's writer and director Neil Druckmann. He said, "Neil and I always knew to ask, "'Why are we only doing what’s in the game? What can we do to expand?'" Chris Mazin was previously best known for creating and showrunning the critically acclaimed series Chernobyl.

Now, there are plenty of games that could take the spot of best video game story. One might suggest that there is a rich and overlooked history of interactive fiction, a legacy that continues today into games like Kentucky Route Zero or Disco Elysium. One might suggest that games like Dwarf Fortress can be pretty interesting story-telling engines that eschew traditional models. One could even point to classics like Final Fantasy X or Silent Hill 2, which hide human stories and characters beneath genre fare. However, it is hard to argue that any of those would be a better fit for prestige TV than The Last of Us.

The Last of Us show will debut on HBO on January 15. It stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay. At The Game Awards, it was announced that the recent remake of the first game, The Last of Us: Part 1, will see a PC release in September.