HBO and SkyTV have uploaded The Last of Us Episode 1 for free on YouTube, making it freely available to watch the opening to this record-setting video game adaptation.
Where to watch The Last of Us Episode 1 for free
The video has been uploaded to both SkyTV and HBO’s YouTube channels, and can be watched without a subscription to Sky or NowTV in the UK or HBO in the US and other regions. We’ve embedded it here, though it is age-restricted:
The goal is obviously to entice viewers to grabbing a subscription to watch the rest of the series. It’s the same trick that HBO employed with Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, so we don’t expect them to upload further episodes to YouTube.
Don’t worry, though – if you really don’t want to fork out the money for a Now TV subscription, there is a 7-day free trial available. If you can stay clear of spoilers until The Last of Us season 1 ends (or have already played the game and know what happens), you could quite easily binge all nine episodes before your trial expires. Make sure you cancel your subscription before it renews for £9.99 a month. Also, make sure you select the Entertainment package.
Is The Last of Us worth watching?
Absolutely! It’s still early doors for the HBO long-awaited TV adaptation, with just two episodes released so far, though critics (some of whom have had access to the entire series) have been mostly glowing in their reviews. In our own impressions we wrote:
It’s a strong first showing and one that holds plenty of easter eggs and tiny details The Last of Us fans have already been analysing. There are also elements we haven’t touched upon, including certain side characters, the incredible set designs, and soundtrack, all of which mesh together in a way that feels wholly authentic to the TLOU universe.
There’s been a real buzz surrounding the show, with fans of the original video game tuning in to see how well it’s been adapted, and non-gamers eager for a new big-budget TV show also diving into the world for the first time. The response to the first episode was so overwhelmingly positive that HBO has been able to tout record growth in viewership, with the second episode getting 5.7 million viewers, up 22% on the first episode.
Following the TV show, what’s next for The Last of Us? At some point this year we expect to see more of Naughty Dog’s standalone multiplayer experience set in the TLOU universe after recently sharing some concept art.
