Surviving the post-apocalyptic landscape of The Last Of Us 2 means having the right weapons at your disposal. However, that's just where things begin. In order to utilize each weapon with optimal effectiveness, players will have to apply upgrades in order to draw out their potential.
When it comes to gun mods, it pays to know which ones to go after first. Here's 10 of the best gun mods in The Last Of Us 2, and we've ranked them in order of impact.
10 Hunting Pistol Damage
This weapon fires very slow but packs quite a punch, which means increasing its damage should be the first upgrade on the list. By keeping the Hunting Pistol relegated to close quarter fights, players can make every shot count while reducing the amount of ammo spent to take down enemies.
After gaining some practice with the Pistol, players can then opt to buff its stability as a second upgrade, thereby extending its effectiveness in mid-range combat.
9 Semi-Auto Rifle Scope
The Semi-Auto Rifle is similar to the Bolt-Action Rifle in that both weapons are best suited for long-range attacks. While the Bolt-Action Rifle is more precise, the Semi-Auto Rifle is better for taking out multiple foes who may have spotted the player.
Adding a 4x Scope to the Rifle will duplicate the same effect as the 6x Scope on the Bolt-Action Rifle. Some players may wish to upgrade stability first, but they may wish to make this a secondary upgrade instead.
8 Double Barrel Shotgun Damage
Ignore reload speed on this weapon, at least at the start. The Double Barrel Shotgun is designed to make giblets out of enemies, and its spread is enough to compensate for a lack of stability, as well.
Enhancing the damage of the Double Barrel Shotgun means far greater effectiveness when it comes to close encounters. If need be, players can switch to another weapon if things get too hairy, thereby reducing the need to make reload speed a priority.
7 Semi-Auto Pistol Fire Rate
The pistol won't get players far against tougher enemies, but it's a good keep-away tool while planning a strategic retreat. When all else fails, this is one of the weapons many are sure to fall back on, so it's best to have it upgraded.
Increasing the fire rate means having more shots ready to exit the chamber in case of a surprise attack, or a swarm. Every split-second counts, and can make the difference between surviving an attack or dying right there in the dirt.
6 Pump Shotgun Capacity
While it could be argued that increasing the fire rate of the Pump Shotgun is preferable, it might make more sense to go with increasing its capacity instead. Having more shots ready to go is far more important than squeezing them off in faster succession.
Consider the time required to reload the Shotgun after it's been spent, and the logic of extending its capacity. Those extra few shells might be all that's needed to finish a fight or whittle down a swarm long enough to book it out of there.
5 Revolver Damage
Revolvers are meant to split heads open like melons, so it makes sense to buff the damage up even more with an upgrade. There is a reload speed upgrade available, but it won't do much good in comparison to greater overall stopping power.
A good tactic is to rely on the Revolver for heavies that soak up large amounts of damage, as opposed to blowing through pistol ammo or similarly underpowered weapon. Upgrading the damage of the Revolver means less of these already-scarce rounds required to put dangerous foes down.
4 Bow Stability
Many players might opt to upgrade the Bow's draw speed at the first chance, but it makes more sense to focus on stability. It will take time for many players to get used to the Bow, and hitting your target accurately is far more important than courting one's inner Oliver Queen.
Increasing stability can actually help players grow to love the Bow if they are hitting their targets more of the time. Once practice has led to perfection, draw speed can enhance its effectiveness.
3 Military Pistol Stability
Once more, precision is far more important than fire rate or capacity when it comes to the Military Pistol, which isn't the most accurate weapon out of the box. Every missed shot increases the risk of being overwhelmed.
By enhancing this single feature, the Pistol is better for mid-range headshots, allowing players to gain the upper hand, or at least deal enough accurate damage to set up an escape plan.
2 Bolt-Action Rifle Scope
Two upgrades are available for the Bolt-Action Rifle, but it's best to go with the 6x Scope option, as opposed to an increase in damage. Bolt-Action Rifles are not well-suited for close combat, which means they should be relegated to distance duties.
Tacking an extended scope onto the Rifle means more foes dispatched from a safe distance without having to get too close for comfort. If this tactic fails, the player can easily swap to a more appropriate weapon, such as the Shotgun.
1 Crossbow Stability
Just like the regular Bow, stability should be the primary upgrade for the Crossbow. Missing a shot or hitting a non-critical part of the body can be disastrous, which is why it's important to get it right on the first shot.
Once stability has been implemented, players can chase the 4x scope option to make silent takedowns all the sweeter, and prevent any unnecessary firefights.