The Last of Us: Advice

It certainly has a lot of bells and fancy whistles dangling from it's fanny pack, but deep down The Last of Us is a resource management game. I went into the game completely blind, and while The Last of Us is amazing in almost every way, here's a couple of tips that I wish I knew before diving in.

1: Make Shivs a Priority

Do you remember how power nodes worked in Dead Space? It's the exact same system in The Last of Us. Shivs are super useful, they make a beautifully silent stealth takedown, and they can save you from a Clicker's insta-kill. However, parts to make a shiv become harder to find, especially later on, and you need a spare to open hidden treasure rooms. I missed two shiv rooms in a row because I decided to make nail bombs instead, having no idea how hard it would be towards the end to find the needed parts. 

2: Respect Your Flamethrower

You receive the flamethrower fairly early, but that is not an excuse to use it. The flamethrower is the most powerful gun you'll receive for the entire game, and it eats ammo quickly. Save it for Bloaters only, and when you squeeze the trigger, don't miss.

3: You're Stronger Than The Game Wants You To Think You Are

Although similar in many ways, The Last of Us is different than all other survival horror games in one huge way, you're quite capable of killing everything. Other than Clickers, there really isn't anything The Last of Us can throw at you that should make you nervous. Yes, the cutscene before this giant 1 vs 40 was intense, but if you calm down, and start looking around for patterns, you'll do fine. The Last of Us is very good at making you feel overwhelmed, but with a couple upgraded weapons and a nail bomb, you'll do just fine.

4: Hatchet 

Drop the leadpipe, the crowbar, the 2x4, the machete, and pick up the hatchet. It has five durability bars, and if a bad guy gets close, Joel will bury this beautiful melee weapon right into their clavicle. It saves ammo, kills quick, and lasts forever. Use it.