The Last of Us Part 1: Walkthrough and Guide Series 1

Are you having trouble getting through The Last of Us? It can be challenging, but some tips can make your life in-game much easier. Read on to learn more.

The Last of Us Part 1 has been on PlayStation 3 since 2013. Ten years later, in 2023, PC gamers finally got to try their hands on one of the best games ever made, and the trending Netflix series certainly elevated its popularity to a new height. While the game gives you some help with tutorial hints, you need to figure out a few things on your own. This can become frustrating when you’re in the middle of a heated fight and aren’t sure how to survive.

As we know tips and tricks are all-important to play a game like The Last of Us, we will be releasing five series of articles to help you conquer this game. Series 1 will talk about the general guide while Serie 2 to 5 will offer a walkthrough of the game’s 12 outstanding chapters. Let’s get started!

11 Tips to Help You Survive The Last of Us Part 1

Familiarise Yourself With the Controls

If you were drawn to The Last of Us because of its story, you might not have played a similar game before. Even an experienced gamer doesn’t know which buttons to push immediately. Don’t wait until you get into a hectic situation to figure out how to do stuff. 

Pull up the menu, go to settings, and view controls there. You can adjust control settings if you prefer a different button for actions like sneaking. The Last of Us also has controller support. So, if you want to play the game like it was originally meant to be played, a controller is the only option.

Don’t Rush

Take your time if this is your first playthrough of this great game. There are a few sections in the game where you must rush to survive, but apart from those situations, please enjoy what the game’s world has to offer. Of course, you can go from story point A to B, but you’ll miss out on additional dialogues, interesting little discoveries, and some hidden extras.

Enjoy the Views

This ties in with tip 2. While The Last of Us was initially released in 2013, the game is still gorgeous. Look around, and don’t forget to look up now and then. Some awe-inspiring sights add another level of awesome to the game.

Take Advantage of Photo Mode

If you love taking screenshots, you should learn how to use the photo mode of The Last of Us. You can access it by bringing up the menu (Press ESC on PC). There’s a menu option called “Photo Mode”. You can change the perspective, lighten dark environments, and play around with interesting settings.

Just remember if you play the game via Steam, screenshots taken with photo mode are not stored in the same folder as the Steam screenshots you take by pressing F12.

Pick up Everything

Depending on the difficulty you play the game on, resources are scarce. Even on the easiest setting, you can run out of stuff regularly. So pick up whatever you can. 

Initially, you may not know what the item you picked up is useful for. Take it anyway; you’ll likely need it to craft or upgrade your weapons or skills. There are also some collectibles and valuable items like manuals that level up some of your skills. They are easy to miss if you rush through the story.

There is a limit to how much you can carry of each resource. The game displays “Full” above the item you want to pick up. You’ll then have to leave it where it is or do some crafting to make space in your inventory. This takes us to the next point.

Start Crafting ASAP

The further you get into the game, the more you can craft. You should start crafting asap, even if you can “Only” craft health kits and shivs. Crafting transforms the resources you pick up into valuable items and allows you to pick up more new resources. Press the “Tab” button (On PC), and the crafting menu opens for you.

Upgrade Your Holster First

Upgrading weapons is different from crafting. You’ll need a workbench to upgrade stuff. Each chapter has a workbench, and they’re usually hard to miss. Upgrade your holster as soon as you find your first tool and have enough parts. 

While this upgrade doesn’t do anything to your weapons, it’s beneficial. It allows you to switch between two equipped weapons a lot faster. This can be a lifesaver in some sticky situations.

Learn to Love Bricks

Bricks can often be seen lying around on the ground. They’re not just decor. Especially in difficult settings, they can be the difference between life and death. You can use bricks to distract clickers, as they use sound to find their targets or to stagger enemies. In some sections, you can throw bricks to disable traps that otherwise make YOU go “Boom”. Use bottles for tactical gameplay as well since it’s usually unwise to run into a group of clickers unprepared.

Don’t Waste Shivs

Shivs are valuable. Try to keep at least one in your inventory at all times. Craft them whenever you can. These are more important than weapon upgrades. Don’t use them on regular enemies unless you see no other option. You can stealth kill without using a shiv unless it’s a clicker. Save shivs for killing clickers and opening locked doors.

Sometimes You Need to Run

There’s no shame in running away if you are in a situation you can’t handle. The nice thing about this game is that you can run, hide from your enemies, and try a different approach. Remember that the AI will try to find you, especially if you leave dead bodies in your wake.

Adjust Difficulty Level for Certain Encounters

If nothing seems to work and you can’t get past a particular encounter, there’s one solution: Change the difficulty. Yes, you can do that in the middle of the game. You’re not stuck with whatever difficulty you chose at the start. You can change the difficulty to a level below what you chose initially or even use the easiest setting to get past a challenging encounter. 

Follow Us for More

These tips will make your time in The Last of Us easier, but if you want an in-depth guide on the nitty-gritty of the game, be sure to stay tuned to player.me for the remaining editions of The Last of Us Part 1 Walkthrough and Guide!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Chapters Does the Last of Us Part 1 Have?

The Last of Us is divided into 12 chapters of varying lengths. Chapter 1, for example, is pretty short as its aim is to be a tutorial. Other chapters take a lot longer as they cover a wider area and more plot points.

How Long Does It Take to Beat the Last of Us Part 1?

Unlike some other modern titles, The Last of Us Part 1 can easily be finished within a week even if you only play a couple of hours a day. If you only focus on the story, you could finish the story in about 15 hours. Gamers who want to find all collectibles and finish all achievements will need around 22-23 hours.

Is the Game Like the TV Series?

If you’re starting the game because you’ve seen the series, you might be a little confused as there are some differences right from the start. While there are some changes, like Tess’ story, and how the whole story gets rolling, the TV series is quite true to the game’s story. The changes that were made to the story for TV make sense. After all, there’s a big difference between playing something and watching something on the screen.