Is Joel dying too often while you control him? Or are you running in a circle without finding a building’s exit? You’re not alone, and this guide is here to help!
In part 1 of this guide and walkthrough, you learnt some important things for your time in The Last of Us Part 1. Now it’s time to use everything you’ve learned and get started. I recommend only looking at the walkthrough when you’re genuinely stuck somewhere. The game is loads of fun, and much of the fun comes from finding your own way.
In this walkthrough, I’ll let you know how to move forward, and explain tricky sections in more detail. Let’s play!
Prologue / Chapter 1: Hometown
The first section of the game is easy when it comes to gameplay, but hits your emotions. After a cut-scene, you are in control of Sarah. Go and explore the house, answer Joel’s cell phone, and explore some more until you get to the part where Joel storms back into the house.
You end up in a car with Joel and Tommy, witnessing the destruction all around you. Things don’t go very well, and your group finds itself without a car. You’re now in control of Joel, carrying Sarah. Press buttons when the game tells you to, and follow Tommy’s instructions to find the way out.
Sadly, a soldier with strict orders stands in between Joel and Sarah’s way. Tommy comes to their rescue, but it’s too late for Sarah. This is the first serious loss in the game.
Chapter 2: The Quarantine Zone
20 Years Later / Beyond The Wall / The Slums
After the cutscene, in which you meet Tess for the first time, you just need to follow her. You can take your time to take in some additional dialogues and witness life in a quarantine zone.
This part is pretty much a tutorial, and you shouldn’t run into any issues. Keep following Tess, take in the surroundings, make a moral decision, and fight your first infected. A thing to note: Infected don’t notice your torch, so you can keep it on without being detected by them.
Sneak up on them to stealth-kill them or shoot them right away – It’s up to you. You’ll often have to choose between rushing in and stealth. Choose the option you prefer.
You’ll keep making your way towards Robert, and eventually confront him after killing some of his goonies. A bit later, Marlene turns up and makes Joel and Tess an offer.
The Cargo
You’re now on the run with Marlene, who wants to take you to the cargo you’re supposed to smuggle out of the city. Follow Marlene, you can’t get lost.
You’ll end up confronting a few soldiers along the way. Deal with them in your preferred manner. There are plenty of places to take cover and sneak past. Or you can just shoot them if you’re a good shot and have enough ammo. At the end of this part, you’ve learnt that your cargo is none other than Ellie.
After another cut-scene, Ellie accompanies you. Go ahead straight, jump down, go down some stairs, turn right and go down some more stairs. Follow the path, and crouch when you’re close to the street, so passing vehicles can’t spot you.
Pull out a dumpster from the storage close to the fire escape, steer it to the fire escape, so you can use it to jump up. Make your way through the building, open the door, and the following cutscene marks the end of Chapter 2. Prepare for the difficulty to go up a little.
Chapter 3: The Outskirts
Outside
Your team now consists of Joel, Ellie, and Tess. Follow Tess, start the generator, and go down the elevator. Follow the path, climb up a ladder, and prepare for the first trickier part of the game: getting past the patrols and not getting lost. One thing to keep in mind: there are slightly different ways to get to the end of this section, so the below isn’t the only option!
This is not a part to rush, especially on higher difficulty settings. You’re not likely to have enough ammo to just shoot your way to the other end. Your first surprise comes after going through a cargo container. Watch the cut-scene, and then it’s time to move.
Tess is taking the lead for a bit, you need to try and keep up. After you crouch through a sewer pipe, it’s your turn to set the pace. Tess will tell Ellie to follow Joel. That’s your cue. Your best option is to be stealthy all the way to the end, otherwise it’ll get problematic.
From the wall, you need to make your way to the other wall to your right as soon as the soldiers move.
You’ll see a tunnel opening to your left. Make your way through, turn to your right, enter another short tunnel, and move ahead, you’ll drop into some shallow water, climb up on the other side, where you see water running down the ruined street.
Climb up the street until the end, beware of soldiers turning up, you’ll hear them talk. Wait until they say that the clickers should go and get you. Then move to your right, up some stairs. Jump down, walk on, and open the rolling door.
Tess takes the lead again. Keep up with her until you need to take care of soldiers. Throw bricks to distract them, sneak up on them, stealth kill them. It can be slow, but it’s the best option if you’re low on ammo; which you will be if this is your first playthrough.
Make your way to the end of the road, jump down into the water and make your way through yet another tunnel. Turn to your right, go up the stairs.Turn to your left, crouch through an opening in the wall, and then keep crouching as soldiers keep looking for you.
Go straight ahead, then take the turn to your right to find – guess it – yes, another tunnel! This time, there’s a door at the end of the tunnel. It leads to another cutscene, and the end of this section.
Excited for the next sections of the game, cool sights, and some in-game sunlight? Then keep your eyes open for part 3 of this guide and walkthrough by following us on player.me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is The Last of Us So Popular?
It has been pretty popular since it first came out for PS3 in 2013 and increased when it was remastered for the PS4 (2014) and PS5 (2022). The game sold millions of copies, and it is still going strong, especially with the recent PC release (2023) adding to the line-up and its HBO drama releases.
Is The Last of Us Scary?
Yes, it can be a scary game, especially if you’re spooked easily. Sometimes, things sneak up on you, you’re jumped by someone, or you hear the sound of clickers just when you thought you could relax for a minute. The infected also look pretty disgusting and are what you’d expect to find in a full-on horror game.
What Platforms Is The Last of Us Available On?
For now, you can play The Last of Us Part 1 on PlayStation 3, 4, and 5. Since March 2023, the game is also available for PC gamers. The PC launch had a rocky start, but patches are sorting the problem, and with a decent system, you can play the game smoothly.
Author Profile
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Name: Kim Anisi
Intro: Gaming has been my passion since childhood. The journey started when I received hand-me-down games on Atari and Amiga systems from my brother and I now mainly play games on PC. Among the vast genres in the gaming world that I have tried, my personal favourites are RPGs, MMORPGs, (Action) adventures, horror games, and settlement/city builders. Overcoming the challenges and helping others in games provide a great satisfaction to me.