In a recent interview, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer praised HBO’s recent TV series adaptation of Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Us, commending both the TV staff and the original game’s team. Since the story-driven adventure game following Joel and Ellie in a zombie-ridden America debuted in 2013, the game’s story and character writing has seen universal acclaim. The game would spawn a massively successful franchise featuring a sequel, comic books, andmultiple cancelled film projects. Now, with the HBO series recently debuting on HBO Max, Phil Spencer had nothing but positive things to say about the show.
The recent debut of HBO’sThe Last of Usseries has been met with positive reception from fans and critics alike. Early reviews have praised the performances of the series' two leads with many feeling Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey show natural chemistry in the roles of Joel and Ellie. The premiere of the show’s first two episodes saw the series trending on social media, even beating out the ongoing NFL playoffs on Twitter. Now, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has given his own seal of approval to the Naughty Dog-inspired series.
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During a recent interview with IGN, Spencer spoke about the debut of theLast of UsHBO series, referring to it as a “fantastic” show. The Xbox boss commended the work that went into crafting the adaptation of what he called a “fantastic game,” speaking highly ofNaughty Dog’s own work to build the game series. Spencer also had kind words for Neil Druckmann, feeling that the involvement of the original game’s writer and creative director helped to elevate the series.
Spencer’s words of praise for the HBO adaptation ofThe Last of Uscome after Microsoft recently saw one of its own flagship franchises adapted for a TV audience. The long-awaitedHaloseries debuted last year on Paramount Plus to mixed reception, with its action scenes and cast lauded while the series' writing was criticized.Haloco-creator Marcus Lehtowas particularly critical of theHaloParamount series, feeling it had strayed from “theHalohe made.”
The Last of Ushas already seen a massively successful launch despite only being two episodes into its first season run. HBO revealed that the second episode of the series saw a spike in viewership from its premiere, serving as the largest increase in viewers for an HBO original drama. Warner Media would later confirm that the popularseries will continue, officiallygreenlighting a second season forThe Last of Us.The Last of Uswill look to continue its launch success moving forward throughout the rest of its first season and into the second.
The Last of Usairs Sundays at 9:00 PM EST on HBO.
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