First off, I played the game on a PS5, the newest version. I heard a lot of good reviews since the beginning of the first one, the original back in the day on the older PlayStation. It took me many years to finally play the game, and I'm glad I don't regret it. The video game was one of the best stories I've played, so well made. I also played the DLC, which was necessary because in the series, they made an episode about the it.
Right after I finished the video game, I started the series and enjoyed it on another level. It was hard not to compare it to the game. For the first couple of episodes, I wasn't impressed by the direction they took, and I strongly felt that the game was far superior. But I kept going and gave it a chance. The second part hit hard; I wasn't disappointed at all.
They perfectly captured some scenes and some dialogue between the characters, the emotion, the suspense, making the show feel like a grand cinematic experience, almost like a dream. I felt like I was in a completely different universe when watching it. It was like an extension of the fun I had playing the game initially.
Enough said, let me talk a bit about the story in question. Joel (Pedro Pascal) was the hero in this one, and he played like a god; the emotion, the feeling he put behind the camera was as profound as an real human in real life could have and his vulnerability made me want to be friends with him. Then we had Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who is the main character, the friend, and maybe we could even say the second daughter to Joel, a daughter he adopts during his journey with her. She also played very well for her young age, showing true emotions, sadness, loyalty and even the no verbal that she gaves us was on point. She's also very tough and funny, almost like a boy in a girl's body because of all she's gone through in her life.
This series, including the game, was a rollercoaster of emotions. I tried to go slow during my experience and savor it bit by bit, but sometimes it was hard because it was so captivating, so delicious. It made me feel like a father in a sense and projected me into a future that I could have if all the stars aligned. It made me think about how I would handle all these adventures with a child and how challenging, yet rewarding, it could be to be a dad. Made me want to be one to feel all the goods and the bads that a child can give to a father. To show her everything that I know in life and contemplate her journey in her learning. To be able to see her growing day by day because of the little part that I played in her life. I think I've never felt anything as profound as that in any video game or cinematic experience in my life. Just the experience itself is amazing enough to give it a 9 out of 10. When you experience the story, you understand why this game has been remastered three times and given a prime-time TV show. They know that fans want something like this, and they also know it will make them a lot of money.
You know what's beautiful about that? I haven't played Part 2 yet, and season 2 will be released pretty soon, so it makes me excited to see what it's all about and to relive some of these amazing emotions that the series gave me. I'm really glad I took the time to enjoy both and to feel the passion behind the creators of this amazing 5-star show.
