The Last of Us Part II: Beginner's Guide

Getting Started in The Last of Us Part II

The game opens in Jackson, Wyoming, four years after the first game, with a quiet prologue before Ellie's story moves to Seattle. A walkthrough lists the Seattle Day 1 chapters as The Gate, Downtown, Eastbrook Elementary, Capitol Hill, Channel 13, The Tunnels, The Theater and The Birthday Gift. The game has resource scarcity and stealth options, so check the difficulty settings and the extensive accessibility options before you start.

Core Mechanics to Master

You can crawl prone to evade enemies, and Listen Mode reveals enemies through walls. By default Listen Mode is held on R1 and dodge is L1 on PS4/PS5 (PlayStation accessibility page); both can be changed, and Listen Mode can be set to toggle. Crafting covers health kits, Molotovs and silencers, and workbench upgrades improve weapons. Bottles and bricks can be thrown as distractions. Enemies can take cover, call for help and exploit distractions, and dogs track your scent.

Skills and Upgrades

A skill tree is unlocked through supplements and training manuals (Wikipedia). Guides list Ellie's skill trees as Survival, Crafting, Stealth, Precision and Explosives, with Abby having her own. Training manuals unlock new skills in each tree, and supplements pay for them. Skill names and tree contents vary between guides, so check the in-game menu for exact names rather than relying on a single list. Silencers are crafted items and Craft Silencers is listed as a skill upgrade.

Essential Tips

1. Use Listen Mode before entering a room to see where enemies are.
2. Search everywhere: supplements, training manuals and crafting materials are found by exploring.
3. Use distractions: thrown bottles and bricks can pull enemies away from your route.
4. Learn the dodge: it is available during melee (L1 by default), and the accessibility menu has dodge prompt and Enhanced Dodge options.

Early Challenge: The Tunnels and Shamblers

The Tunnels chapter in Seattle Day 1 is where, according to Console Pulse's walkthrough, Shamblers are introduced. Shamblers are armored infected, so avoid melee range and conserve ammunition for them. For encounters with infected, move quietly, use Listen Mode and look for routes that let you retreat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to play The Last of Us Part I first?
A: The story builds on the first game, so playing it first is recommended.

Q: Is the story controversial?
A: It divided players and critics; Metacritic lists 93 for the original PS4 release (Wikipedia).

Q: Is there a PC version?
A: Yes. It released on Windows on 3 April 2025, developed with Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy; reviewers generally praised its optimization, with occasional performance issues (Wikipedia).