Important Notes - The Last of Us

Important Notes for The Last of Us (Part I & Part II)

This section covers crucial warnings, pitfalls, irreversible choices, missable content, difficulty spikes, grinding traps, and save management advice that many players regret not knowing earlier. Both The Last of Us Part I (PS5/PC) and The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5) are linear, story-driven games, but small oversights can lead to frustration or permanent loss of upgrades, collectibles, or narrative moments.

Warnings & Pitfalls

Limited Resources & No Grinding – Ammo, health kits, and upgrade parts are finite. You cannot grind enemies for loot; each encounter drops only what the game intends. Overusing firearms early can leave you empty-handed against mandatory fights. Use stealth and melee attacks (bricks, bottles, shivs) whenever possible.

Listen Mode is Critical - In both games, pressing R1 (PS) or the equivalent toggles Listen Mode, which highlights enemies through walls (Part I) or tracks footsteps/heat signatures (Part II). Always use this before engaging to plan your route. Forgetting to use it is a common cause of surprise attacks.

Difficulty Affects Resource Economy - Higher difficulties (Survivor, Grounded, Permadeath) drastically reduce supplies, remove Listen Mode, and increase enemy damage. If you are struggling, lower the difficulty mid-game (only in Part I; Part II locks difficulty per chapter). Do not start on Grounded unless you are experienced.

Checkpoint System Limitations - The games use generous auto-saves, but checkpoints are often placed just before major encounters. If you die minutes later, you may have to replay a long section. In Part I, manual save slots exist; use them before risky areas. Part II has no manual saves; you rely on auto-saves only, but you can back up saves via PS+ Cloud or USB on PS5.

PC Performance Issues (Part I) - The PC port of Part I launched with severe shader compilation stutter, crashes, and poor optimization. Even with updates, large open areas still cause frame drops. Disable motion blur and reduce crowd density if you encounter issues. Always update your GPU drivers and verify game files via Steam. Consider lowering texture quality to reduce VRAM usage.

Irreversible Choices

Part I – Vaccine or Ellie? - The final choice is a scripted story decision (not a player choice). You must play as Joel and rescue Ellie. No branching narrative; the outcome is fixed. However, missing the optional final scene after credits by skipping cutscenes can lock you out of the epilogue's emotional impact.

Part II – Ellie's Fate & Final Decision – At the end of Part II, Ellie makes a pivotal choice regarding Abby in the theater. This is a single-player linear story; you cannot change the outcome. Many players find this controversial; accept that the narrative is fixed.

Character Upgrade Paths – Both games have upgrade trees (weapons, skills, supplements). Once you spend pills (Part I) or unlock a skill (Part II), you cannot respec. Prioritize essential upgrades: "Weapon Sway Reduction" (all games), "Health Upgrades" (first two levels), and "Listen Mode Distance" (Part I). In Part II, unlock "Prone Dodge" and "Stamina" early.

Training Manuals (Part I) – Scattered in the world, these manuals unlock additional upgrade tiers for weapons. If you miss one, you cannot upgrade that weapon past a certain point. Example: Missing the "Shotgun Upgrade Manual" in the University of Eastern Colorado means the shotgun can only upgrade two of its four slots. Always explore thoroughly.

Collectibles – Artifacts, trading cards (Part I), coins (Part II), and optional conversations are missable. Once you leave an area, you cannot return. Use chapter select to replay, but chapter select resets your story progress to that chapter's start, erasing later progression if you save over your main file. Better to use separate save slots or track collectibles on a first playthrough to avoid losing upgrades.

Missable Content

Optional Conversations – Both games reward exploration with character dialogue that deepens backstory. In Part I, Ellie and Joel comment on graffiti, locations, and notes. Missing a conversation does not lock you out of trophies (some are tied to all conversations in Part I), but it reduces narrative immersion. Example: In the "Bill's Town" chapter, reading the note on Frank's body triggers an optional conversation with Ellie. If you burn the note before talking, you lose the scene.

Trophies & Achievements – Several trophies require collecting all artifacts, trading cards, or firefly pendants (Part I). Part II has similar trophies for coins, training manuals, and safe combinations. Starting on a difficulty that disables Listen Mode or increases enemy density makes collecting easier? No; collectibles are present on all difficulties, but higher difficulty makes it harder to explore safely.

Weapon Upgrades – In Part I, workbenches are placed in specific safe rooms. If you miss a workbench entirely (unlikely), you cannot upgrade that weapon. Part II allows upgrading at any safe room bench, so no missable workbenches.

Safe Codes (Part II) – Some safes require codes found in notes or environmental clues. If you skip a note, you cannot open the safe. Example: The safe in the "Hillcrest" area code is on a note inside the garage. Open the safe for valuable supplies and collectibles.

Difficulty Spikes

Part I – The Hotel Basement (Pittsburgh) – This stealth section with a generator, stalkers, and a bloater is notorious for sudden difficulty. Run to the keycard immediately, avoid combat unless necessary. Use a smoke bomb to cover escape to the door.

Part I – The University Ellie Section – The sniper encounter and the subsequent runner/bloater fight can overwhelm players. Save shotgun shells and molotovs for the bloater.

Part I – The Winter Blizzard (Ellie) – Ellie's smaller stature and lack of upgraded health make the cannibal fight tough. Use bricks/bottles to stun and then melee.

Part II – The Rat King (Hospital) – This spawn of multiple infected (bloater, stalkers) is the single hardest enemy in the series. Use all pipe bombs, shotgun blasts, and flares. Hit its weak spots (bulging fungi) and back away. On Grounded, this fight can take 30+ attempts.

Part II – The Seraphite Island – Stealth sections with constant patrols and snipers. Use prone movement and grass cover. Enemies have unpredictable patrol paths; save often.

Grinding Traps

No Infinite Farming – Enemies do not respawn except in scripted repeat encounters (e.g., runners in open areas of Part II). Killing enemies does not yield extra supplies beyond what is placed. Do not waste ammo trying to "clean" an area; loot what you need and move on.

Crafting Overuse – Crafting health kits, shivs, and melee upgrades consumes resources. Save sugar and alcohol for health; use shivs only for locked doors (Part I) or stealth kills (Part II). Don't craft shivs for melee attacks unless you have excess.

Part II – Workbenches & Upgrades – Some players spend all parts on weapon upgrades immediately. But certain upgrades like "Holster Speed" are nearly useless. Prioritize "Damage" and "Stability" first. Similarly, skill upgrades: "Crafting Speed" is a waste; invest in "Field Surgery" (health kits heal more) and "Crafting" (unlock new recipes).

Save Management Advice

Part I (PS5/PC) – Manual saves are available from the pause menu. Use multiple save slots before each major chapter or before collecting a missable artifact. If you miss a collectible, you can reload an earlier manual save without losing hours of progress. On PC, the game uses cloud saves via Steam; disable if you want to manually manage.

Part II (PS5) – No manual save slots; the game uses a single auto-save that updates continuously. However, you can back up your save data via Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS5) > Console Storage to USB or Cloud. Before a critical section (e.g., Rat King), back up the save. If you die after a checkpoint and want to reload earlier, you can restore the backup.

Chapter Select (Both) – After completing either game, Chapter Select lets you replay any chapter with your current upgrades and collectibles. But be careful: selecting a chapter overwrites your current progress if you save after replaying. Always start a new save file for Chapter Select runs, or use a separate profile.

Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat (If Relevant)

No online etiquette to follow.

Part I PC has no anti-cheat software; modding is possible but disable mods if you want achievements. Using mods may corrupt your save or crash the game.

Leaderboards (speedrun) are not official; third-party tracking exists but is optional.

Common Regrets Players Mention

Not Exploring Enough - Many players rush through story and miss crucial upgrade manuals or safes, leading to underpowered weapons. Example: In Part I, the "Upgrade Training Manual 2" in the University's dorms permanently limits your weapon upgrades if missed.

Sloppy Scavenging - Failing to fully search every room (check corners, behind shelves, breakable doors) causes ammo shortages later. Use the flashlight to spot glint on pickups.

Ignoring Weapon Sway Reduction - This upgrade is non-negotiable. Without it, aiming feels sluggish and inaccurate. Spend pills/parts on it first.

Using Full Auto Spray - Firing guns without aiming (hip-fire) is wildly inaccurate. Always aim down sights (ADS) unless point-blank.

Not Practicing Stealth - Trying to fight every encounter head-on leads to death and resource drain. Use stealth to thin numbers, then finish stragglers.

Part II – Not Using the Prone Crawl - Prone movement is introduced late but is essential for grass stealth. Players who forget to use it get spotted constantly.

Overreliance on Listen Mode - On higher difficulties, Listen Mode is unavailable (Part I Grounded) or has a cooldown (Part II). Learn to read enemy footsteps and visual cues without it.

Skipping Cutscenes - The story is the core of The Last of Us. Skipping cutscenes on a first playthrough robs you of emotional context. Missable dialogue during gameplay also provides backstory.

By keeping these notes in mind, you can avoid the most common frustrations and enjoy the harrowing journey of Ellie and Joel to its fullest.