As many players have discovered, The Last Of Us Part 2 can be stressful on any difficulty. The most challenging is Survivor difficulty, which makes enemies more aggressive and harder to kill. Whether players have played the game beforehand on a lower difficulty, Survivor mode can still push anyone to their limit.

Sometimes, a game is only as hard as anyone makes it, though. Such is the case with The Last Of Us Part 2. For those who are ready to take on this journey in the hardest way possible (until Grounded mode eventually comes out), here are a few tips to make things a little easier.

Updated on December 7th, 2022 by Jordan Iacobucci:

The Last of Us is only weeks away from its live-action adaptation premiering on HBO Max, with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the main roles. As fans eagerly anticipate the return of this beloved zombie-infested franchise, many are flocking back to the original two games to re-experience their emotional stories. However, for players looking to play through the second game's notorious Survivor Mode, there are a few tips and tricks that they'll need to succeed.

Practice Normal Difficulty First

Ellie kills Nora in The Last of Us 2

The Last of Us Part 2's Survivor difficulty will certainly test each player's mettle during its long and intense gameplay. Therefore, it would be wise for players seeking to pass this challenge to first play through the game on its normal difficulty settings before graduating to a more difficult game mode.

Not only would this strategy help players hone their skills and learn the ins and outs of the game's combat, but it also makes for a better overall experience. Playing on a normal difficulty lets the player experience the story beats of Ellie's pursuit of revenge first before becoming distracted by the near-impossible Survivor Mode.

Try Survivor+ Mode

Split image where Joel plays the guitar alone; Abbey glares forward in anger; Ellie sadly plays Joel's guitar in The Last of Us 2

Survivor Mode is incredibly difficult in The Last of Us Part 2 in part because it is much harder to find supplies, ammunition, and weaponry. An alternate game mode, Survivor +, alleviates some of the challenge by allowing the player to carry over the supplies they gathered in the early portions of the game to the levels after reaching Seattle.

Survivor+ mode makes it less stressful to gather supplies and maintain character upgrades, but does offer much more difficult combat in turn. Therefore, if a player struggles with maintaining their cache more than they do combat, this may be the best game mode for them.

Scavenge Everything You Can Find

Ellie in Seattle in Last of Us Part 2 game

While every player knows that scavenging is essential to completing both games in the franchise, this skill is all the more important in Survivor Mode. Players looking to make it to the end of this game mode must not allow a single scavenging opportunity to go by, but should rather wipe each location clean before moving on.

It can be easy for players who have completed the game on normal difficulty to bypass certain scavenging opportunities, having become used to reaching the maximum capacity of what Ellie can carry. However, this will almost never be the case in Survivor Mode, as resources are much more scarce and players certainly won't want to miss the valuable items each location might offer.

Activate Enhanced Listen Mode In The Accessibility Menu

A door The Last of Us Part 2

Given Survivor Mode's limited resources, players need to scour every inch of the game. One way to help make this experience easier is by activating Enhanced Listen Mode in the Accessibility options, which highlights things that Ellie can grab.

While scavenging will still be a somewhat boring chore, Enhanced Listen Mode will at least make the process somewhat quicker and will allow players to find the items they need to progress further in the game.

Save Supplements For The Stealth Training Manual

The Last Round manual in The Last of Us 2

Stealth is key to this Survivor difficulty. Luckily, the second Training Manual players find in the early hours of the game is all about stealth. Up until that point, players should have a decent amount of Supplements, which they should dedicate to building up their stealth.

All the Stealth Skills are extremely useful to make Ellie as quiet and deadly as possible. Players can craft silencers, or upgrade Ellie's abilities for faster, stealthier kills. The Stealth Training Manual is found during the Capitol Hill Chapter in a gas station, shortly after players first encounter the WLF.

Don't Be Afraid To Kill The Dogs

Ellie hiding in The Last of Us 2

The Last of Us prides itself on its many difficult enemies seeking to kill the player. This time around, certain enemies use dogs to sniff out their quarry. While some players may find themselves unable to kill the dog enemies in The Last of Us Part 2, it is necessary to keep an edge in a stealth combat scenario.

As lovable as dogs can be, those depicted in this game make it quite difficult to remain hidden when pursued by enemies, which quickly becomes a problem in Survivor Mode. Picking off the scouting canines one by one helps to ensure that the enemy doesn't find the player and initiate a hand-to-hand throwdown.

Be Prepared To Get Caught & Run Away Often

A fight in The Last of Us Part 2

While stealth is crucial for Survivor mode, things can go wrong pretty often. One thing to prepare oneself for is getting caught, especially in this difficulty, where enemies are much more aggressive and react faster.

Luckily, players can get caught but can still find a way back to being hidden. This is going to happen a lot, so gamers should be ready to run away if things get too dicey. The Last Of Us Part 2's stealth is not the cleanest gameplay of its kind, and that's the point, making it easy to slip back into a stealthier combat mode.

Keep Moving As Much As Possible

Ellie in The Last of Us Part II

Getting cornered can easily spell death for a player attempting to make it through Survivor Mode in The Last of Us. In order to keep such an occurrence from coming true, players must ensure that they are constantly moving, especially when attempting to stealthily dispatch their opponent.

Being still means death in The Last of Us universe, opening players up to discovery, either by the dead or the living. So long as there are safe places to keep moving to, players must make sure that they don't remain stagnant for too long, or else risk losing their stealthy approach.

Only Upgrade A Melee Weapon When It’s Close To Breaking

Ellie with a machete in The Last of Us 2

Melee weapons have durability, only allowing a certain number of uses before they break. Players shouldn't immediately craft an Upgrade when they get a melee weapon, however, as they would only be wasting extra hits that could have been used before.

Instead, players must wait until they have only one use left before upgrading a weapon. The Upgrade will bring it back to full durability, allowing future use. This gives players extra hits with each weapon and, though the early hits won't do quite as much damage, every weapon will last a bit longer.

Use Bricks Or Bottles To Stun & Grab

Ellie in The Last of Us 2

Even in a game that has flamethrowers, crossbows, and shotguns, the bricks and bottles are still the most overpowered weapons at a gamer's disposal. Just like all throwables, bricks and bottles automatically lock on to enemies. Hitting them will stun them, giving players a chance to strike.

When players charge a stunned enemy, they should not use a melee weapon. Instead, grabbing a stunned enemy and performing a stealth kill allows players to dispatch their opponent without consuming any precious ammo or hit points.

Master Headshots

Ellie aiming a gun in The Last of Us 2

Headshots are pivotal for making it through Survivor difficulty. As Joel said in the original game: “Make every shot count.” Players will want the weapon upgrades that reduce sway and recoil. Another way to prepare for headshots is by going prone, which increases accuracy.

Additionally, mastering headshots also means being proficient with the bow and crossbow. Headshots with these weapons will allow players to pick that arrow back up, saving a lot of ammo and time in the process.

Get Certain Damage Upgrades Early On

A character with a gun Last of Us 2

The Bolt-Action Rifle and Revolver are two of the earliest weapons in the game. Players will want to immediately unlock the Damage Upgrade for both of them. The Bolt-Action Rifle upgrade costs 100 Scrap and the Revolver’s costs 70.

When combat gets messy, a headshot may prove difficult in the heat of the moment. With the Damage Upgrade on these two weapons, players may be able to get a one-shot kill on most enemies, regardless of where they hit them. That being said, players should always try to go for a headshot, no matter what.

Save Shotgun Ammo For The Shamblers

A shambler in The Last of Us 2

As satisfying as it is to blow off a charging Runner’s head with the shotgun, it’s best to use regular ammo on them. This is because gamers will have certain encounters where they are forced to fight the deadly Shambler.

Shotgun ammo isn’t always easy to come by in Survivor mode, so players will appreciate saving it for these disgusting creatures. Two to three good headshots on the Shambler (wherever their head actually is) is enough to bring them down in most situations.

Feel Free To Restart Checkpoints Or Encounters

A Last of Us 2 menu

Even in the Survivor difficulty, The Last Of Us Part II offers a fairly generous checkpoint system. With ammo being so scarce in Survivor mode, players will want to ensure each encounter is done as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Players shouldn't feel ashamed to restart a checkpoint if things didn't go as well as they planned. Simply restart the checkpoint or encounter and do better next time in these situations. The game also runs so well that one is brought back in after just about two seconds, without long wait times, as in older games.

Don’t Bother Killing Every Enemy

Ellie in The Last of Us Part 2

Sometimes, violence isn’t the answer. Of course, there are certain encounters where players will be forced to kill every enemy to progress. Still, most of the game is really just about getting from point A to B, and killing is optional.

Certain sections of the games are riddled with guards or infected, yet all anyone really has to do is get past them. In these cases, players must focus more on finding a way out than trying to pick off each enemy one by one. Players might be forced to kill one or two enemies, but this is still easier than clearing out the entire area. This will also save ammo for later, more important battles.

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