[HBO has announced that "The Last of Us" (opens in new tab) has been renewed for a second season. [The game, "The Last of Us," is generally regarded as one of the best video game stories ever told, so it is a strong foundation to build upon. In a world where adaptations of terrible video game movies and TV dramas are the norm (opens in new tab), the simple fact that it is not fragrant, flaming garbage is remarkable in itself.

But this HBO show goes far beyond simply not being a shitty game. The Last of Us has been a huge hit, with multiple sites, including The Wrap, The Daily Beast, Empire, and the BBC, calling it the best game adaptation of all time in their respective reviews, and Rotten Tomatoes' overall rating is an enviable 97%! The overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes is an enviable 97%. You couldn't ask for a better response, and the positive word of mouth is so strong that even people who know nothing about video games (like my mother, literally, no kidding) are tuning in.

Of course, the show has not been without its critics. Online editor Fraser Brown wrote last week that the first episode "takes few creative risks (open in new tab)" and is "too safe and a bit boring," while associate editor Tyler Kolp called the 2013 video game storyline, while not zombified "It gestures at the initial desperation of an infectious disease that kills millions, but ultimately reverts to the same zombie stuff we've seen over and over again," wrote Associate Editor Tyler Kolp. It's back to the zombie stuff. " Perhaps the creative team behind The Last of Us will feel freer to take more creative risks now that HBO has more definitively committed to the film."

The Last of Us is available on HBO Max in the US and on Sky in the UK. If you want a taste of what it has to offer without having to subscribe to another service, you can watch the entire first episode on Sky TV's YouTube channel (opens in a new tab). Unfortunately, it is restricted to UK viewers, but the good news is that we have a list of the best VPNs to get around such outdated geographical restrictions (opens in new tab). And in case you forgot, the game that started all this fuss is finally coming to PC on Steam (opens in new tab) and Epic Store (opens in new tab) on March 3.