The Lasts of Us Remastered Advanced Tips

Tips to help you beat the Survivor and Grounded game modes.
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The Last of Us Complete Walkthrough and Guide

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A few days ago, we posted our Beginner’s Tips for those just starting out with The Last of Us Remastered. We then followed that up with some Multiplayer Tips to help you survive Naughty Dog’s masterfully crafted online experience. Today, we’re going to backtrack to the single-player side of things, providing you with some of the more advanced tactics that we picked up while completing the campaign no less than four times.

Hey, What Was That Sound?

Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you are using your Listen Mode, certain enemies won’t show up or simply disappear? The reason is because Listen Mode tracks sound, so enemies who aren’t moving or talking typically won’t show up. This can make life complicated when trying to sneak through an area undetected.

To counter these sneaky jerks, try throwing a brick (preferably away from the direction you plan to go) or bottle to distract them. The sound the object makes will get your foe’s attention, often prompting them to move and check out the commotion, or at the very least comment on it. By quickly popping into Listen Mode once you throw the object, you can usually find out where your enemy is hiding. The only problem with this maneuver is that it only works on the Easy, Normal and Hard difficulties, since Survivor and Grounded don’t allow players to use Listen Mode at all.

Easy, Pal, I’m Just Collecting Supplies

We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Since getting The Last of Us Remastered, we picked up every single collectible that the game has to offer. This includes all Comic Books, Artifacts, Firefly Pendants, Training Manuals, Shiv Doors and even the Optional Conversations and Ellie’s Jokes. The trick is, we did it all on the Easy difficulty setting.

If you’re looking to get all the same collectibles that we found, lower the difficulty, beat the game, then use the chapter select feature to go back and pick up anything you’ve missed. When you have all of the goodies and unlocked each of the trophies, boost up the difficulty to Survivor or Grounded. This will allow you to focus entirely on beating the game, rather than risking detection because you’re trying to shoot a Firefly Pendant out of a tree.

The Right Tool for the Job

Let’s face it, video games can be predictable, and while the story in The Last of Us Remastered is one of the greatest of all time, perceptive players can often predict what they’re about to face based on the weapons the game gives them. For example, shortly after getting the overly powerful Flamethrower, Joel finds himself locked a basement dormitory with four Clickers and a Bloater. This is clearly a sign from Naughty Dog that you should set the Bloater on fire, and as it turns out, that’s the most effective way to kill them in the game. However, it doesn’t just end there. Each weapon you pick up will excel in different situations.

Take the Bow for example. When using it to try and kill a Bloater, you might as well try to sink a Battleship, but use it at range to take out a group of Infected without anyone noticing and you’re starting to get the right idea. Don’t just choose a favorite weapon and run with it, make sure you’re good with all the tools at your disposal so you can exploit any weaknesses your enemies have.

Be Vewwy, Vewwy Quiet… I’m Hunting Wabbits

We’re not sure why, but all of a sudden we really miss Elmer Fudd. Come to think of it, he might be the perfect protagonist to hunt down and kill a pack of pesky Clickers. However, since he’s not a playable character in The Last of Us Remastered, let’s just heed his advice.

When you get up to the Survivor and Grounded difficulties in this game, Clickers and other Infected will start to hear you for making even the slightest noise, and that’s where the Bow comes in. When you draw back your Bow, you’re still able to move around, however you will move at the slowest possible pace the game allows, which means you will be virtually silent. Remember, you’re not actually firing the bow, just drawing it back as you crouch and move. Try using this technique to sneak past the Clickers in the graveyard of Bill’s Town, or even the tunnel full of Bloaters on Bus Depot. Aside from allowing you to move slowly and quietly, the Bow is the perfect option for taking out Infected without tipping off their buddies.

This is My Bow. There are Many Like it…

If you weren’t sure before, you’re now fully aware that we love the Bow. It is the perfect weapon for so many situations in The Last of Us Remastered. The sad part is, it’s largely ignored because without any upgrades, it can be a real pain to use. Plus, there’s the issue with all your arrows snapping in half every time you fire it. Even so, we’d highly advise spending the parts required to fully optimize this stealthy instrument of doom.

Simply put, once fully upgraded, it’s the most effective and satisfying weapon to use in the game. Think about just after the graveyard full of Clickers in Bill’s Town, when you were faced with multiple backyards full of Infected. If used correctly, you can kill every single one of them without making a sound. The same goes for the Hunters in the top of the hotel, and even the Infected in the tunnel on Bus Depot (minus the three Bloaters). There just isn’t anything quite as satisfying as clearing out an entire area of Infected using only the Bow. Well, maybe barbecuing a Bloater with a Flamethrower, but the Bow is a close second.

The Last of Us Complete Walkthrough and Guide


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