The show's production design takes many cues from the game, but the result is environments that can feel too manicured-the overgrowth on abandoned cars a bit too carefully placed, the moss in a patch of sunlight streaming through a collapsed roof too neatly lit, and the moments that pause on such sights a bit contrived in their attempt to aestheticize decay. The same details that can be so immersive in the game become mere window dressing for the apocalypse here, However, it became abundantly clear that my nerves were misplaced. Any viewer is in for a fantastic season of huge gut punches, terrifying set pieces, tender moments that will make you cry, and some fascinating changes to the core story that will challenge you - all the fundamentals that made the game so great.

Not every part of it hits with the same emotional ferocity that the games do, but this is proof that video game adaptations work, provided you do them right and you're willing to take some calculated risks with the source material. And good performance so far.