Fallout’s biggest difference from HBO’s The Last of Us is proving that the future of video game adaptations looks incredibly promising.

Fallout and The Last of Us have both been released to stellar reviews, and their biggest differences are encouraging for the future of video game adaptations. For years, video game adaptions have struggled to find their groove in Hollywood, with plenty of renowned games failing to translate into a movie or TV format. However, The Last of Us TV show proved that video game adaptations can work and put an end to the idea that games can’t translate into other media, as HBO’s hit series managed to capture the magic of the game and won over audiences and critics.

This achievement put extra pressure on Fallout to meet these standards, and the show passed the test with flying colors. Fallout‘s show replicated The Last of Us‘ success, becoming a major hit while continuing to prove how successful video game adaptations can be. Despite both shows excelling, they managed to find their success in completely different ways. The Last of Us was widely praised for its faithful adaptation, perfectly conveying the tone and weight of the game’s emotional story in a televised format. While this appeared to be the winning formula for gaming adaptations, Fallout found its own technique.

Fallout’s Original Story Reverses What Made The Last Of Us So Successful

Amazon’s Fallout Completely Changes HBO’s Approach To Video Game Adaptations

While The Last of Us did an excellent job at adapting the game’s story, Fallout completely reversed this triumph by creating its own fresh narrative. Rather than attempting to rehash one of the Fallout games’ stories on TV, Amazon opted to introduce new characters and tell an original story. Fallout still has plenty of Easter Eggs referencing the game and uses its world-building brilliantly, but there is an element of unpredictability compared to The Last of Us due to its unseen plot, highlighting just how different each show is and how contrasting their path to success was.

HBO’s series needed to tell Joel and Ellie’s story as they are the heart and soul of The Last of Us. In contrast, Fallout‘s lore and expansive universe are what make it so compelling, allowing the show to be about characters that have never appeared before in the franchise. Fallout doesn’t try to rewrite the games or erase their history; instead, it embraces what makes them so good and uses this to its advantage. While this goes against everything that made The Last of Us work, Fallout still thrives since its storytelling fits the complicated nature of the franchise.

The Last Of Us

Based on the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us developed by Naughty Dog, the story of the TV series takes place twenty years after a parasitic fungal infection wreaks havoc across the world that turns humans into zombie-like creatures. Joel (Pedro Pascal) agrees to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone, only to discover she may be the key to discovering a cure. The Last of Us TV series is a collaborative effort between one of the original creators, Neil Druckmann, and the creator of the award-winning HBO series Chernobyl.

Why Both The Last Of Us & Fallout’s Adaptations Worked So Well

The Last Of Us & Fallout Both Utilize The Best Attributes Of Their Respective Franchise’s

Despite being so different, Fallout and The Last of Us both work as they understand what made their respective games so popular in the first place. Without Ellie and Joel, The Last of Us wouldn’t work. Although the different types of infected like clickers and bloaters are interesting, it is the dynamic between the central characters that makes so many people admire the game series, not the apocalypse. Ironically, it is Fallout‘s apocalypse that makes the series so unique, with its post-apocalyptic wasteland and different factions being one of the franchise’s most compelling elements, hence why Amazon embraced this.

Replicating specific scenes and storylines helped HBO make The Last of Us such a hit. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey nailed their roles and transitioned the emotional relationship between Joel and Ellie from the gaming industry onto TV. Starting as strangers and developing a father/ daughter-like relationship makes Joel and Ellie two of gaming’s most memorable characters and are why The Last of Us shines. HBO recognized this was the game’s greatest strength and made it the show’s focal point, while still finding ways to introduce new and interesting dynamics like the Bill and Frank episode.

Alternatively, Amazon came up with a completely fresh plot for Fallout, since it would be impossible to adapt a single game. The RPG element means the games play out differently for each player and don’t have a definitive story, which is why Fallout season 1 includes weapons and gadgets from the games. Unlike The Last of Us, Fallout works because of its setting and gimmicks, meaning things like the vaults, Pip-Boys, and power armor are crucial. The Fallout show includes all of these captivating concepts and combines them with new ideas to craft another excellent video game adaptation.

Has Fallout Surpassed The Last Of Us’ Success?

Fallout’s Incredible Reception Puts It In Competition With The Last of Us

Fallout has had an incredible reception since it was released, but it will have a hard time truly surpassing The Last of Us‘ legacy. The world of Fallout has so many complicated aspects, and while this arguably gives it more room to develop than The Last of Us, it also becomes hard to contain. Amazon did a great job of taking these elements and getting the most out of them, but the simplicity of The Last of Us‘ story still makes it stand out. This led to impressive viewership numbers that Fallout will struggle to replicate despite its strong start.

Both shows have had massive audiences, but The Last of Us‘ finale broke international records, highlighting just how wide-scale its success was. In terms of reviews, Fallout and The Last of Us are very competitive. Fallout is the more consistent show, with each episode maintaining a relatively high standard that never drops off. The Last of Us has more impressive individual episodes, but some rank a lot lower than others; however, this could be down to the review bombs the show received. As of now, The Last of Us seems to slightly edge Fallout, but things could still change.

After an impressive first season, The Last of Us was renewed for season 2 and looks set to follow the story of the second game. Likewise, Fallout has also been given the green light for a second season, indicating that the competition will continue. The controversial nature of The Last of Us Part II could hurt the show if it continues to faithfully follow the games. On the other hand, Fallout season 2 has complete freedom, meaning it could still surpass The Last of Us in the future.

Fallout & The Last Of Us Are A Great Sign For Future Video Game Adaptations

Video Game Adaptations Have Had An Incredible Run Over The Past Few Years Which Fallout & The Last Of Us Have Continued

Regardless of which show is better, The Last of Us and Fallout are a great sign for the future of video game adaptations. They are two of the most mainstream adaptations, but both continue a positive trend for the genre. Since 2021, there has been a gaming adaptation on TV every year that has delivered. Arcane was released in 2021, followed by Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in 2022, The Last of Us in 2023, and now Fallout in 2024. All four of these shows received incredible reviews and proved that when done right, video game adaptations can be huge hits.

On top of this, there have been plenty of movies based on games that have at the very least been commercially successful. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the second highest-grossing movie of 2023, with Five Nights at Freddy’s and the Sonic the Hedgehog movies also doing well financially. While the quality of shows may be better than movies, The Last of Us and Fallout both show positive signs for the future. They were both successful enough to receive second seasons and will continue to display the excellent stories that can be told through video game adaptations.