After Fallout Drops, People Can't Stop Making The Last Of Us Comparisons

After years of trying, it seems Hollywood may have finally broken its streak of turning great video games into less-than-stellar movies. Last year, we saw The Super Mario Bros Movie become a billion-dolloar hit, cementing itself as one of the highest-grossing films of the year. However, the real success of video games may be at their home on the small screen, as the TV medium has been churning out great adaptations. At present, critics are loving Fallout, which is Prime Video's take on the game of the same name. Amid the buzz, pundits and fans alike have been making comparisons to a previously successful prestige TV series based on another title, The Last of Us.

It’s maybe not too much of a shock that The Last Of Us and Fallout are being seen as similar shows. Not only are both based on hit video games, but they also take place in post-apocalyptic worlds where humans fight to survive after civilization has fallen. (Though the latter franchise's environment feels more like a location ripped out of one of the best western movies.) Beyond that, both are just equally good shows. So why are they being compared? Let's talk it out.

Why Fans Are Comparing Fallout To The Last Of Us 

One elment that fans of any existing property want from a film or TV adaptation is for that material to be adapted accurately. Changes always happen, to one degree or another, but many just want to see what they love about their games on screen. The Last of Us largely did that with its TV adaptation, and Fallout is, according to many on X, following suit:

Up until recently, most adaptations of video games on the big screen haven’t been well regarded. In some cases, fans of the source material thought too much was lost in the translation. While a few video game movies are decent, even some of the best game-adapted flicks are only mediocre endeavors. Many would call TLoU one of the best game adaptations ever, and Fallout is now joining that elite class. Check out what another user said:

As stated, part of the reason that fans are drawing a connection between the two shows is clearly that they have a lot in common when it comes to their settings. While both offer distinct characters, tone, and plot, they both take place after some sort of global disaster has destroyed life on Earth as we know it, leading the main characters to wander a wasteland of a world. Check out a comparison on that front:

With fans holding up The Last of Us and Fallout as the best among video game screen adaptations, the only question left is which one is actually the best. Well, at least one person thinks the newer show may have actually exceeded its predecessor:

All things considered, it’s not that surprising that fans are comparing the two shows, not simply because of their similar source material, but because the one show helped the other into being.

Fallout's Jonathan Nolan Admits The Last Of Us Helped Make Fallout Happen 

Jonathan Nolan, who co-produces Fallout, recently spoke with Collider about the series. During the chat, he admitted that it would have been nice to be the first show based on a video game about a post-apocalyptic world that resonated with fans, but he doesn’t mind that his show was only in the second. In fact, the success of The Last of Us helped the Prime Video production because Nolan said it became easier to explain what it was his show was trying to accomplish. He explained…

The good news for fans of video games, and those looking forward to upcoming video game movies and shows, is that maybe, now that more people know what’s possible thanks to both Fallout and The Last of Us, we’re in for even more successful adaptations. At present, grab a Prime Video subscription to stream the former show, and know that you can check out the latter if you're a Max subscriber.