The last of us 2

Avoid crafting stuff until you need it
Because you never quite know what’s around the corner, try to avoid crafting too much stuff straight away until you know what you need. Resources are scarce and easy to use up if you just go on a making spree. As a rule, you’ll usually get plenty of warning, or time to hide and assess the situation before things kick-off, so only make stuff when you know what you need. People, Clickers, and other situations all demand different approaches, and the last thing you want to do is blow everything on petrol bombs and end up in a tiny room where they’re as dangerous to you as anything else.

Always explore open areas thoroughly
There’s a lot of open space in Part 2 and it's a game full of corners to poke into. Try not to move on until you’re sure you’ve searched everywhere. Scrap and supplements are hidden everywhere and vital to upgrading both Ellie and her gear. Even the workbenches you need to improve your guns can be hidden away. Just don’t leave an area, or worse trigger a one-way moment before you’re sure you’ve got everything. Rattle all the doors, break all the windows and check around every corner.

Don't forget you can smash the glass
Continuing on from the idea of making sure you search every corner; don’t forget you can break almost any glass you can see in the game. That might be a door into an otherwise locked shop, a fridge with supplies inside or even a high window that you can then climb through. Anything will do the job from bullets to bricks and even a melee weapon or the handle of your knife. Even if you don’t find anything it’s just fun to do.

Always take a damage upgrade to your weapon
Ammo is scarce and you’ll rarely have more than a handful of rounds for any given gun. You’ll also often find yourself in a position where you might only have time to get a shot or two off - either because a Clickers rushing you down, or people fire back as soon as you stick your head up. Because of that it’s best to spend any scrap you have on upgrading the damage output of your weapons. Things like the Hunting Rifle can become a one-shot kill on most enemies once upgraded, which can make a huge difference in a fight. Stability is a close second as it almost completely removed gun wobble which is a huge help for anything more than really close targets.

Train yourself to get headshots
Aiming for weapons isn’t easy in The Last of Us Part II. But headshots pay off in instant kills for many enemies. A human might take four bullets to kill if you don’t get a headshot, and that gives plenty of time for another enemy to flank you. If you can take the extra time to get headshots, everything gets easier in combat. This isn’t always practical advice, but you should aspire to get there.

Match the weapon to the enemy
If you are faced with a Shambler, the big farting boss, you can soften it up with an explosive. They’re dumb, so putting a trap mine in a doorway can take one out. If it doesn’t, you can finish it with a headshot or a shotgun blast. Ellie always has a knife that is handy to use on Runners, or when you get the jump on Clickers from behind. Big melee weapons work well on humans, and they’re even deadlier if you can craft a scissor on top of the melee weapon. If humans are hunting you in packs, use a silenced pistol to take them out. It’s the worst thing in the world if you have used up your shotgun shells and then a Clicker or a Shambler shows up with a bunch of friends. So, use the right weapon for the job, but don’t go overkill and use a pipe bomb or a flame thrower on a Runner. Save it for the Shamblers and real beasts.