There was a time when the idea of a video game adaptation sounded alarm bells, with all but guaranteed audience disappointment and critical dismissal. But the times have changed, especially with the success of HBO’s The Last of Us, based on the video game of the same name. The series earned massive acclaim from fans and critics alike, including 8 Primetime Emmys. The game-changing show follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they survive a harsh and unforgiving America that’s been taken over by the undead—and the other humans who have survived aren’t exactly friendly.
It’s not hard to see why The Last of Us has broken the video game curse. The adaptation takes the game’s hugely engaging story and expands it for the screen, bringing tremendous performances, stunning effects, and impeccably shot action. It’s a tale of humanity’s survival at its most desperate, the unshakable bond between two unlikely people, and a zombie horror all in one. As the second season of the series comes to an end on Sunday, we’ve got some suggestions on how to fill that Last of Us-shaped hole in your lives. From other world-building epics and post-apocalyptic dramas to other worthy video game adaptations, these choices should fit the needs of every kind of Last of Us fanatic.
Post-Apocalyptic Dramas
Silo
A mysterious and unknown event means that all of humanity now lives deep underground in a Silo, a complex and gigantic 144-level community with firmly entrenched class systems and plenty of intrigue. Juliette (a sensational Rebecca Ferguson), an engineer working at the very bottom of the Silo, begins to unravel a theory that may change everything that’s understood about their way of life. The AppleTV+ series benefits from spectacular world-building, with carefully layered details that reveal more and more about life in the Silo as episodes progress. Silo is a wicked and bingeable slow burn with a tantalizing central mystery. And there’s no fear of it being cancelled too soon, as the show has been confirmed for Season 3 and plans to conclude the story in Season 4.
Chernobyl
A miniseries with universal acclaim, including winning 10 Primetime Emmys, Chernobyl hones in on the nuclear fallout in the Soviet Union city of Chernobyl. Created and written by Craig Mazin (who went on to co-create and write The Last of Us), the series is bleak, heartbreaking, and utterly haunting, yet nearly impossible to look away from. Like The Last of Us, it’s a provocative exploration of humanity on the brink, fighting back against what feels like an impossible force. The impressive ensemble cast includes Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter, and Stellan Skarsgård.
Station Eleven
The 10-episode miniseries uses multiple timelines to explore the lives of those who survived a vicious and widespread flu that wiped out much of humanity as they strive to rebuild society. What’s fascinating about Station Eleven, created by Patrick Somerville (Maniac), is that it doesn’t follow the kind of people you might expect, like societal leaders or rebellious groups. Instead, we see the world through a theatre troupe known as the Traveling Symphony, which performs Shakespeare in the new world as they attempt to make sense of the carnage that took so much life. This is a magical series about the healing power of art and how the key to survival lies in community.
World-building Epics
The Walking Dead
Both an apocalyptic drama and a world-building epic, AMC’s The Walking Dead has everything a fan of The Last of Us could want: a horde of undead, beloved characters, and great action. The series begins with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a sheriff’s deputy who wakes from a coma to find the world taken over by creatures called “walkers,” and goes from there. As a bonus, once you get into the series, you may not need to look for your next show for many months; on top of the 11 seasons of The Walking Dead, there’s an array of spinoffs, including Fear the Walking Dead, World Beyond, and The Ones Who Live.
The Leftovers
A shocking event changes the world forever when 2% of the entire world’s population vanishes without a trace.Created by Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) HBO’s The Leftovers examines the impact of the event, dubbed the “Sudden Departure,” on a series of people in a small New York town. There’s police chief Kevin (Justin Theroux), Reverend Matt (Christopher Eccleston), and his sister Nora (Carrie Coon), grieving the loss of her husband. The impressive ensemble cast also includes Regina King, Margaret Qualley, Amy Brenneman, Liv Tyler, and Ann Dowd. At just three seasons, epic might not be the best world to describe The Leftovers, but this unpredictable, thought-provoking series is so expansive in its ideas that it deserves to be discussed alongside the biggest and best of them.
Other Video Game Adaptations
Twisted Metal
The number of video game adaptations are fairly limited, and the ones that are actually worth recommending are even fewer. But Peacock’s Twisted Metal is genuinely fun, and a much lighter look at a post-apocalyptic landscape than The Last of Us, though there’s still plenty of thrilling action sequences. Writers had a lot less to work with here, adapting a game where you drive a car around and blow stuff up into an intriguing story about John Doe (Anthony Mackie) who’s saddled with a strange package he must deliver across a ruthless America with foes that try to wipe him out at every turn.
Fallout
Created in 1997 by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky of Interplay Entertainment, Fallout has emerged as one of the most beloved role-playing game franchises in history. The retro futuristic games have been given TV series treatment, which Amazon has already renewed for two additional seasons. Occurring hundreds of years into the future, Lucy (Ella Purnell) leaves her very secure home in Vault 33 (most people live in bunkers called Vaults after a nuclear war in 2077), heading into unforgiving wastelands to try and find her kidnapped father. It looks and sounds terrific, and delivers exciting action and intriguing characters with a welcome comic edge.
Devil May Cry
Perhaps the show most tonally opposite to The Last of Us on this list, Netflix’s Devil May Cry is a riotous, colorful blast of punk energy. Based on the extremely popular (and fun) action series from Capcom, Devil May Cry follows mercenary demon hunter Dante (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch) as he tries to take down a terrorist known as the White Rabbit (Hoon Lee). This animated series helmed by Adi Shankar is visually adventurous and stylish, and its action sequences are fast paced and inventively choreographed. The first season’s sixth episode is a particularly strong standout, and a great example of why the show is so damn fun.