The Last of Us Part 1 is not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. There's a reason why this game prioritizes stealth so much — a single misstep is all it takes for gangs of hostile humans and Infected to swarm Joel and Ellie, tearing them apart in no time flat. What makes the gameplay of this title even more harrowing is if players decide to try out permadeath mode.
Checkpoint systems are a fundamental part of most modern games, as dying and losing a ton of progress is so frustrating that most people might just put down the experience instead of powering through. However, this is a double-edged sword since frequent checkpoints make death less consequential and terrifying than it has any right to be. With permadeath mode, players will think twice before taking a particularly risky move. Here are some tips for players willing to risk a permadeath playthrough in The Last of Us Part 1.
8 Loot As Often As Possible
The Last of Us Part 1 has an emphasis on survival horror, which means that supplies are pretty scarce. This is especially true in higher difficulties where a full-on firefight can spell a player's doom since their supplies will be so dwindled by the end of this exchange that later encounters will become extremely challenging.
So, it's important to roam levels and check each and every corner for any kind of loot that Joel and Ellie can use. With enough materials, players should be able to brave dangerous situations in permadeath mode without putting themselves at risk for too long.
7 Stealth Minimizes The Damage Players Will Take
Stealth is a critical component of The Last of Us Part 1, and players should definitely sneak around as much as possible in permadeath mode. After all, death arrives quicker if enemies know where Joel is, with the improved AI of The Last of Us leading to these foes flanking the player instead of rushing at them.
With stealth, players can worry less about losing their health to enemy attacks, with an odd shiv or two being the only weapon that is used up. Instead, being wary of enemy movement and taking on enemies one at a time is the biggest headache players will have to go through.
6 Keep A Ton Of Shivs Handy
Shivs are one of the most valuable resources that players can have in The Last of Us. It's important to collect as many crafting materials as possible to make a ton of shivs, allowing players to kill enemies in stealth easily and thwart Clicker attacks with ease.
Along with this, many special doors can only be opened by using a shiv, allowing players to access a truckload of goodies that will definitely help them out during a permadeath run. Basically, any person struggling with a permadeath run should make it a point to keep a shiv or two in handy whenever an emergency or opportunity arises.
5 Don't Take Too Many Risks
There's no denying that taking risks and beating up enemies to a living pulp by closing the distance may seem pretty action-packed and interesting, but this strategy is only viable on lower difficulties. Trying to do the same on Grounded will lead to Joel and Ellie biting the dust sooner rather than later.
This makes it important to play it safe during combat, especially in permadeath mode. Players will be beating themselves up if they get too overzealous during a combat sequence and end up losing a ton of progress.
4 Upgrade Joel's Weapons Whenever The Opportunity Arises
Joel has an array of weapons he can rely on when the going gets tough, which happens more often than not. This makes it important to upgrade these weapons whenever the opportunity arises to make them more viable and effective in combat.
These upgrades range from higher damage to more bullets in a single clip, all of which can be extremely helpful during permadeath mode. Players who want to be more deadly in The Last of Us Part 1 should scrounge up as many upgrade parts as possible.
3 Always Stay Behind Cover During A Firefight
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Popping in and out of cover to land some good shots on an enemy is always a great strategy in any cover shooter, and The Last of UsPart 1 is no exception here. However, in permadeath mode, players should always be mindful of the time they spend out of cover.
Staying out of cover for too long will lead to players being shot at from all directions, ending their run in no time at all. This makes it important to pick and choose the best moments to deal damage without leaving Joel or Ellie wide open to be shot at without any consequences.
2 Use Explosives Efficiently To Deal With Multiple Enemies
The Last of Us Part 1loves to pit the odds against Joel and Ellie. Dealing with a single enemy may be simple, but it's when a group of foes gang up on the player that things get really challenging.
Many times, players will have to deal with multiple enemies clustered around a space. Throwing an explosive on a group of enemies will save valuable ammunition and eliminate a substantial portion of the threat with one well-placed throw, which is invaluable in higher difficulties where ammo is scarce, and health is limited.
1 Rescuing Ellie Is Always A Priority
For the most part, Ellie doesn't really get in the way of the player and manages to help Joel out at times. However, she's still a child who has to learn a lot about the world, which means that she can be mobbed and killed by an enemy if the player doesn't come to her rescue in time.
This makes it a priority to rescue Ellie whenever she's in harm's way. After all, nothing is more frustrating than a permadeath run being ruined because the player forgot about saving their partner.