The Last of Us viewers share their reactions to "outstanding" first episode as it lands on HBO

The Last of Us has been called "outstanding" and "devastating" by viewers. Shortly after the first episode of the eagerly anticipated HBO adaptation landed on HBO, those tuning in took to social media to praise the opener – and it seems as if they were most delighted by the performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey and how faithful it is to the games.

For those who have not played the Naughty Dog video games on which its based, the show centers on Joel (Pascal), a smuggler who's tasked with escorting Ellie (Ramsey), a young girl with a potentially society-changing secret, out of their quarantine zone and across the United States. A mission that's not so easy, considering the world has been ravaged by a violent fungal infection that has destroyed civilization and turned some of its hosts into vicious, mushroom-headed monsters.

"The Last Of Us is cementing my utter hatred for Hollywood 'telling new stories in familiar worlds.' TLOU is so good, so faithful, and the changes all make sense. See? Just adapt the source material. Faithfully," one enthusiast wrote on Twitter. "Fill in / tweak where NEEDED, not for ego reasons."

"The first 35 minutes of The Last of Us is one of the most devastating pieces of television I’ve seen in years. Just a sublime start to this series," added another, while a third tweeted: "Just watched the first ep of Last of Us. It's so good. Pedro Pascal is such a good actor in his own right, but here, he just is Joel. I don't see Pedro. I see Joel. I can already tell how good the rest is going to be. Also, it saves me ever having to play it again which is good."

Check out some more reactions below...

The Last of Us continues on Sunday, January 22 on HBO in the US. Episode 2 is set to air on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV the following day in the UK. Ensure you never miss an episode by checking out our The Last of Us release schedule and our breakdown of how many episodes are in The Last of Us.

For more from the series, check out our guide to the major Last of Us episode 1 changes from the games and a terrifying look at the Cordyceps fungus.