The Last of Us presents a dangerous and blood-soaked world. Everything may seem quiet and serene on the surface, but the infected lurking in the darkness will rip you apart. The odds may seem against you, but these tips will put you on an even killing field.
10. Distraction
While the infected are fast, voracious and aggressive, Joel is a smart survivor. The key to battling the infected is to get the drop on these creatures before they know you are there. Then you can choose to maneuver around or kill them all, which can be done with a simple bottle or brick.
By taking a covered position, you can use a bottle or brick to safely draw out the infected or focus their attention to one spot. Find a bottle or brick and take a secure cover position. Then throw the item to a specific area and watch the infected scurry. Just make sure none of the enemies know your location.
9. Know the Infected
While all infected should be considered dangerous, capitalizing on weaknesses will allow you to gain the advantage. Runners are fast but can be defeated with a simple melee weapon or with Joel’s bare hands. Clickers will lead to instant death if confronted face-to-face, but they are blind and sneaking past them is possible. Bloaters are very durable and can spread infectious spores but are slow and can be outrun.
8. Use Cover
This may seem like a no brainer, but it is the simplest mistakes that can get you killed. Cover is important in a lot of games, but it is imperative in The Last of Us. Failing to take proper cover can lead to a surprise attack.
When approaching an open area, take cover behind a structure that provides protection. Also choose a structure where you have a good vantage point on the entrances and exits. Be careful when running while crouching behind cover, as it will expose your location and make noise that can attract unwanted attention.
7. Listening Mode
Listening Mode is an ability that Joel learned to use from 20 years of battling the infected. This mode is paramount to survival, as it gives Joel an immediate tactical advantage over the infected. Using this ability allows Joel to approach tense situations in a very different way.
Press and hold R2 to enter Listening Mode. In this mode, you can see silhouettes of the infected based on Joel’s location. At first, you can only see things in a certain spatial distance. This can be upgraded to increase the area of location.
6. Listen to the Environment
The Last of Us foregoes a heavy overbearing soundtrack in favor of environmental noise. The silence is deafening and provides a creepy aesthetic that will make your skin crawl. It creates paranoia where every groan, creek or scurry sounds like an infected. This can be used to your advantage.
The silence allows Joel to hear the infected in the area. The subtle sounds of the Clickers or the ravenous groans of the Runners let Joel take cover and helps you choose how you want to approach the situation.
5. Choose the Right Weapon
With different variations of the infected comes different tactical ways of dismantling their corpses. You want to make sure you choose the right weapon at all times. The wrong choice can result in immediate death for Joel and Ellie.
Clickers cannot be strangled to death so you must approach them with a shiv or other blunt object. While they can be shot, the resulting noise will attract more of the infected. Runners can be dealt with using Joel’s bare hands, which saves ammo and extends the life of your melee weapon.
4. Know Your Exits
When entering a building, danger exists the moment you cross the threshold. Even with Listening Mode, there could be infected in the building you may not detect. You can also get caught in a narrow area or cornered.
When entering a structure, take cover and explore. Do so quietly and you will not alert the infected within the building. Keep moving behind cover and always have your eye on an exit in case you need to make a quick escape to an open area.
3. Upgrade Melee Weapons
Melee weapons like two-by-fours and pipes are your main sources of protection. While both items are fine on their own, upgrading is key to survival.
By finding duct tape, scissors and other materials around the environment, these normal weapons can be upgraded to dangerous utensils of death. These upgrades also extend the life of the item and increase the weapon’s range and effectiveness.
2. Move in Silence
Within the world of The Last of Us, silence surrounds you at all times except for environmental noise. Although you can use this to your advantage, the infected can as well.
The infected, especially Clickers, can pick up on your sounds and movements very quickly. Even making the mistake of tipping over a bottle can reveal your location. Remember to move slowly and quietly through the environment.
1. Never Fist Fight A Clicker
While Runners can be killed with Joel’s blood soaked hands, Clickers are strong and fast. They can take a direct shot to the head, but it takes stealth and timing to defeat one.
If you attempt to fit fight a Clicker you will lose every time. They have a very high level of pain tolerance and will destroy you before you can take a single breath. Clickers should always be approached with stealth, and if that doesn’t work, take out a gun and fire multiple shots.
More The Last of Us Features
The Last of Us Beginner’s Mini eGuide
