The Last of Us Part 1 offers many upgrade paths to make Joel a stronger, more capable survivor against the deadly threats that plague the fungus-ravaged world of the game. Allowing players to upgrade their weapons and abilities through training manuals and weapon workbenches, The Last of Us Part 1 encourages players to make use of all the supplies in their surroundings to beat the game.
One resource available to players from the get-go is supplements. The Last of Us' little pills are frequently found by bathroom sinks and hidden away in rooms, and they act as a way to improve Joel’s base-kit abilities from his backpack. This guide will walk players through the best supplement upgrades they can get in order of priority.
Weapon Sway
Unlike in The Last of Us Part 2, where this upgrade must be unlocked on individual weapons, the Weapon Sway supplement upgrade in The Last of Us Part 1 steadies Joel’s aim with all weapons across the board.
Costing 50 pills for one level and 100 for the next, this incredibly useful upgrade will help all players aiming for those powerful headshots.
Shiv Master
At level one, costing 75 supplements, this upgrade will give players a second chance if they are caught by the instant-killing Clickers, allowing them to use a shiv to kill the creature. At the second level, performing this action will only expend one shiv durability instead of the full item.
The effectiveness of this upgrade will vary a lot depending on the skill level and playstyle of the player, as those who are proficient at taking Clickers out quickly or those who haven’t found the upgraded durability manuals will get little from this perk.
Maximum Health
This is another upgrade that will have varying levels of effectiveness depending on player skill, as newer players may find they need more health to survive The Last of Us’ tougher encounters, while more seasoned players can likely go without it.
Costing 50 and 100 pills for each level, respectively, this upgrade can take Joel’s health to a 140% maximum.
Listen Mode Distance
Certainly a skill more useful to the stealthier players in The Last of Us, this supplement upgrade extends the radius of Listen Mode, allowing players to see more clearly through walls from greater distances.
This is especially useful for players without knowledge of enemy spawn locations who like to scout out their position before engaging in combat.
Healing Speed
This skill is the arguably better of the two speed increase perks, as it allows the player to quickly heal themselves in the heat of a fight before enemies can close in on their position.
With three tiers costing 30, 40, and 50 pills, respectively, this one is handy for players who need to heal in a pinch.
Crafting Speed
Perhaps the most useless of the supplement upgrades, this one reduces the crafting time required to make items like Health Kits, Molotovs, and Bombs. As this process doesn’t take an inordinately long time without upgrades, it’s unlikely that players will be caught off guard while trying to craft.
Moreover, players will likely be well-stocked before a fight should they be managing their resources correctly. Nevertheless, this upgrade - costing 25, 30, and 50 pills per level - is useful for players who need an item mid-combat.
The Last of Us Part 1 is currently available for PS5, and is in development for PC.
