A Major Piece of The Last of Us Gameplay Was Finally Added to the TV Series

It’s incredibly difficult for a video game adaptation to capture the feel of the game. After all, nobody watching a show or movie on their couch can pick up a controller and decide where the characters go next. Sure, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies are able to recreate the titular hedgehog’s iconic movements, but that’s easy when a bunch of the characters are animated in a live-action world. A lot of adaptations, such as The Last of Us, have no choice but to operate entirely in the live-action medium, making it incredibly difficult to translate aspects of the game. However, that doesn’t mean the HBO series isn’t trying.

The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4, “Day One,” sees Ellie and Dina start to make their way through Seattle and learn more about the conflict between the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, and the Seraphites. While it doesn’t take them long to find themselves in trouble, Dina borrows a mechanic from The Last of Us games that gives her a leg up in a fight for survival.

Dina Uses Listen Mode in The Last of Us Season 2

Early in “Day One,” Dina locates a radio station with the letters “WLF” painted on it. At this point, Ellie and Dina don’t realize the strength of the group they’re up against, so they assume the building is where Abby and her friends hang out. They wait until nightfall and make their way over, but it doesn’t take long for things to take a turn. Ellie and Dina find the bodies of WLF soldiers who have had their guts ripped out by the Seraphites. It’s a gruesome scene, and they don’t even really get to take it in because WLF soldiers arrive and start canvassing the place. Ellie and Dina make it out, but they’re being followed, which forces them into a train station.

Underground areas are not a fun hangout spot in the world of The Last of Us, and like most of the others that Ellie and Co. have come across, this one is crawling with infected. But as Dina and Ellie hide from the soldiers, Dina really focuses and is able to determine just how many infected they’re up against. While the show makes it seem like Dina acquires super-hearing out of nowhere, the moment is actually a reference to the “listen mode” from the games, which allows players to view silhouettes of all the nearby enemies by crouching down and moving slowly. It’s an invaluable tool, and while the live-action The Last of Us has never referenced it until now, it’s not the first time the show has used a feature from the game to its advantage.

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HBO’s The Last of Us Shows Love to the Games Any Chance It Gets

With HBO following the story of The Last of Us games pretty closely, there are Easter eggs around every corner. The horse Ellie and Dina are riding in Season 2 comes straight from the games, and the actors who bring Ellie and Joel to life in the Naughty Dog titles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, both have important roles in Season 1. However, from time to time, the callbacks go deeper than that, with the show ripping a moment straight from the game, such as Ellie visiting with the giraffes in Salt Lake City, or borrowing an important aspect of gameplay. The latter happens a lot less, but there are a few notable instances of it.

One of the first times the show pulls something straight from the games is in Season 1, Episode 2, “Infected,” when Tess is hurt and in need of help. Joel uses duct tape, one of the most common resources in The Last of Us games, to take care of her foot and get her moving again. Season 2 also gets in on the fun, showing a workbench in Ellie’s room that surely works like an upgrade station for her weapons, just like in the games. Now, those references aren’t as overt as the listen mode situation in “Day One,” but when backs are against the wall, there’s no room to be subtle.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming now on Max.

Did you catch the reference to listen mode in The Last of Us Season 2? How often did you use the feature in the games? Let us know in the comments below!