The Fallout of Arcane wastelands are the hope for the Last of Us
The adaptations of successful video game franchises into series have had multiple successes recently, today I highlight some of my favorites. Fallout, The Last of Us and Arcane.
📺 Fallout (2024)☢️🧑🦾🤠🧪
Fallout, a huge video game franchise owned by Bethesda, has one of the most robust, interesting, and fun dystopian worlds to explore. When Amazon announced its adaptation for Prime Video, I was afraid of being disappointed again, as happened with The Rings of Power (2022).
After slowly enjoying and savoring the first season, I can confirm that the result is fabulous. In my opinion, this is due to the experience and professionalism of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, a married couple specializing in science fiction series, like West World (2016-2022). And of course, the participation of Fallout Series video game director, Todd Howard.
Despite including numerous nods to the video games spread throughout the 8 chapters of the saga, Fallout is a series that stands on its own. It has a triad of protagonists who each deliver a personal, albeit simple, story that is very well presented.
The intention to present the world, surprise, and catalyze the multiple points of view that this post-nuclear society experiences is interesting, violent, and with an irony that maintains interest without pause. As we reach the second half of the season, it intensifies by immersing us in deep moral dilemmas. It also reveals the darkest and most absurd aspects of the Fallout Shelters project and the manipulation of large corporations in times of crisis.
With the franchise faithfully represented and an excellent first installment, I can only wait to see how it unfolds in the already confirmed second season. I hope there is an opportunity to consolidate new stories and adventures in the future. The material, themes, and characters to explore exist, the talent of the development team is present. I believe that the greatest challenge is to maintain that special balance of violence, irony, and absurd presentation of how humanity is divided when facing a tragic nuclear crisis.
⭐9/10. Prime Video
📺The Last of Us (2023)🧟🌿🦒🪓💉
The series adaptation of one of the most awarded video games in history is undoubtedly a great success for HBO. In a reality where humanity is at the mercy of a tragic pandemic spread by a dangerous fungus that attacks the nervous system of humans and animals, causing tremendously violent reactions. Despite the weariness of the zombie genre, the proposal offered by this universe is fresh, intelligent, and very well achieved.
Adapting basically the same story and characters from the video game, The Last of Us series delves into more humanity, a considerable amount of moral conflicts, and character exposition. It leaves me with the impression that it's not just watching the video game story again, but rather a careful complement for fans and new viewers alike.
The involvement and arduous commitment that Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the video game, assumed in the project is undoubtedly a fundamental factor in preserving the narrative, the emotional level, and the universe of the series. However, the presence of Craig Mazin, the director of the remarkable series Chernobyl, is, in my opinion, the key that drives the production, photography, and acting talent to be excellent and of the highest quality.
Given that it is not just another zombie adventure, and far above the narrative level of a typical video game, The Last of Us is an intense emotional journey through a United States in disgrace.
⭐ 9/10 Max
📺Arcane (2021)🧪💣⚙️💔
The video game League of Legends is one of the most relevant competitions in esports year after year. With a wide variety of characters added periodically, the decision to adapt it into an animated work was undoubtedly difficult to understand. However, it is necessary to reflect for a couple of minutes on “Arcane” to understand that the result is not only surprising in the quality of the animation, music, and setting, but also in its enormous narrative. Making a series that amuses, amazes, and captivates.
In a society divided between noble and poor individuals, we are immersed in a world full of political conflicts, a low and delinquent underworld, as well as the search for knowledge and understanding of magic. These elements are found in the conflict between two sisters, Vi and Jinx (Powder), who due to tragic consequences find themselves on opposite sides, which generates an intense, heartbreaking, and tragic adventure.
One of the successes of this series is focusing on the origins of only some iconic characters from the video game, providing the opportunity to develop them, understand their motivations, and also achieve a coherent thread. Although a second season has already been announced, the first series of 9 episodes opens and closes an adventure, generating a true pleasure not only for League of Legends fans but for any enthusiast of modern animation.
⭐10/10 Netflix