The Last of Us 2: 6 tips to help you survive in the post-apocalyptic sequel

The Last of Us 2 can be a tough experience, with Ellie and Joel spending every waking moment trying to survive in a brutal post-apocalyptic world filled with evil cults, deadly infected and other human beings simply trying to live their lives. 

Across its lengthy campaign you’ll need to use anything you can get your hands on to dispatch enemies, avoid infection and advance the story. It’s no easy task, so Trusted Reviews has compiled a few essential tips and tricks to help you stay alive on the mean streets of Seattle and beyond. 

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Gather every resource you can find

The Last of Us 2 is much larger than its predecessor, meaning you’ll spend far more time combing through abandoned buildings in search of materials and resources. Whether its ammunition, melee weapon or crafting components, pick up absolutely everything that isn’t nailed down. You’ll need it all, especially on harder difficulty settings. 

You’ll often need to venture off the beaten path to find all the resources. The Last of Us 2’s best loot is often hidden in drawers, bathrooms and other hidden locations. You’ll also stumble upon journal entries and collectibles which add further context to the world, which is a definite added bonus for being a little nosey. 

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Crafting is your best friend

Once you’ve hoovered up all the random trinkets in Downtown Seattle, you can use them to craft all manner of useful items. We’re talking pistol silencers, smoke bombs, trip mines and even arrows for use in combat. They’re all essential, since ammunition is in short enough supply that you’ll need to think outside the box in the majority of combat encounters. 

Crafting can be done whenever you like, although you’ll need to place your backpack down and leave yourself vulnerable. If you’re in a desperate pinch, find a perfect window of opportunity to throw together a pipe bomb and hurl it toward the infected masses. It’s a fascinating pace which takes some getting used to, but is so satisfying once it clicks. 

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Chug some supplements

While I wouldn’t recommend downing them in reality, supplements in The Last of Us 2 are the key to earning some truly valuable upgrades. Found in the majority of locations, these pills can be used to enhance a variety of different skill trees all related to different disciplines. After a few upgrades you’ll be crafting faster, applying med kits more efficiently and even be capable of more lethal melee attacks. 

Sometimes violence isn’t the answer

Stealth in The Last of Us 2 is a far more viable tactic than it was in the original. Now, entire conflicts can be bypassed if your quiet enough and manage to sneak past. This is all thanks to Ellie’s newfound ability to go prone, hiding in tall grass to the chagrin of her enemies. It adds an entire new dynamic to combat I adore, although it still’s very easy to get spotted if you aren’t careful. 

Taking out foes with a silenced pistol or crossbow in the safety of foliage can remedy even the biggest of encounters a quiet affair, with enemies roaming around in a fit of panic trying to track down whatever is killing their friend. You can use stealth as a way to avoid conflict, or turn things into a dementedly satisfying game of cat and mouse. 

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Use everything at your disposal

Survival in The Last of Us 2 is far more than complicated than pointing, shooting and hoping the threat before you is defeated. You’ll need to constantly think on your feet, using every weapon, item and tactic you can think of to survive even the most casual of encounters. 

You’ll be surprised how useful items such as broken bottles and bricks can be in a scrap. Throwing them will stun the majority of enemies, leaving them open to a lethal melee takedown that would otherwise take several strikes, and plenty of lost health, to achieve. 

Try and make things easier for yourself whenever possible, since every bullet wasted is one you’ll never get back. Except for arrows, since pulling off a perfect headshot will let you recover them from corpses. 

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Take your time to explore

Story is one of The Last of Us 2’s finest qualities, and much of it can be missed if you rush through the campaign without taking time to explore. It wasn’t until my second playthrough did I realise I’d missed out on entire areas because I was too enamoured by the narrative, failing to notice hidden items and other secrets that add so much extra depth to the world.