The Last of Us 2 Combat Tips

The Last of Us Part 2 takes the combat from the first game and expands on the formula. So while you may have become a master of TLOU 1's combat, Ellie’s new slew of stealth options and seamless dodge during one-on-one encounters mean there's plenty to learn in this sequel. We’ve compiled a list of our best combat-related tips and tricks to help you take on the infected (and the yet to be infected) in The Last of Us Part 2.

• Stealth killing foes from behind is always the safest method but if the enemy is close enough, you can sometimes come at them from the side or even straight on, as long as you’re behind cover and close enough to quickly close the gap before they notice you.

• Crouching when shooting will increase your accuracy by quite a bit, but going full prone will increase it even further!

• Use bottles and bricks often. There’s plenty lying around and you can only carry one at a time anyway. Either throw them at your opponent for a temporary stun, or use them to lure the infected in one spot, and surprise them with a bomb or a molotov cocktail.

• When stealthily killing human NPCs, make sure to leave the room or area before their comrades show up. They’ll alarm the others and totally blow your cover. To help avoid this, don’t stealth kill someone while they’re in the middle of talking. And when first grabbing someone, use the short time you have` to drop them behind cover or into some tall grass.

• When killing infected, make sure they’re actually dead. Occasionally, their limbless bodies will drag themselves toward you and bite at your ankles.

• Oftentimes, you’ll find yourself traveling with a companion at your side. So don’t be afraid to let them do some of the dirty work. If you’re caught off guard and need to put a little distance between you and your enemy, your partner will occasionally go in for a stealthy kill, or even shoot the enemy down while they’re focused on you. Your allies will also call out nearby enemies so move slowly to give yourself time to take their tips into account.

• Experiment with strategies. Using a molotov cocktail can kill one enemy and lure clickers to the flames, ending their life. Setting up Trap Mines at entry points and then luring enemies will make quick work of anyone that approaches.

• Consider how enemies interact with each other - the screams of a Stalker will cause Clickers to run your way. And once a human enemy spots you they’ll call out your location to others.

• Running away is ok — combat areas are big enough that Ellie can run away from a fight, allowing you to catch your breath, and oftentimes re-enable your incognito status. Note that even if you’re hiding, your enemies will be on higher alert if they know you’re around here somewhere. This increases their response time.

• If there are multiple factions in an area, you can let them take one another out, either naturally, or by, say, leading a few clickers over to WLF members. It’s an effective, ammo-saving move.

• Be careful when crafting! Just like in the original, Part 2 doesn’t freeze time while in your crafting menu, so make sure you’re in a safe spot before making yourself a health pack. Luckily you can craft even when lying in the grass or hiding under a vehicle. And of course, you can still move when using a health kit.

• If you use pistol silencers, don’t ignore your silencer count. Located underneath the gun’s icon, separate from the ammo, it tells you how many silenced shots you have left. You wouldn’t want to be caught because of an accidental loud shot.

• When you’re shot and knocked down, you can shoot from that prone location instead of getting up to quickly retaliate.

• When fighting human enemies you usually have plenty of objects to hide behind and nearby buildings with several floors. If you keep dying, try approaching the scenario from a new angle or direction entirely.

• Lying under a car isn’t guaranteed invisibility — enemies will search high and low for you.

• There are a lot of collectibles to be found around the world, but be extra sure to keep an eye out for the gun holsters to make weapon swapping more efficient than ever.

source https://www.ign.com/articles/the-last-of-us-2-combat-tips-to-get-your-started