Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II finally came out on June 19, 2020 after seven agonizing years of waiting. The sequel improves upon its predecessor's gameplay in every way while crafting an even more emotionally charged narrative which is sure to make even the most stone-hearted gamer weep.
The stealth-action combat reaches new heights with the new maneuvers and tools the player has at their disposal. To help make the combat encounters a little easier, here are 10 surefire ways to improve one's stealth capabilities during bouts. The game is all around a little easier than the first entry, but one can always up the difficulty for a true challenge.
10 Grab Enemies From The Front
A big part of stealth is sneaking up on enemies, grabbing them, and then performing a silent takedown. Not only is this completely quiet, but it also conserves resources. While crouching behind a foe is the logical method of taking them hostage, one can also surprise them from the front. Take cover in front of them and wait for the baddie to turn a corner to surprise them this way.
9 Crawl
Taking a page out of Solid Snake's move set, Ellie can now crawl. Use this maneuver to hide beneath certain objects like cars and to better blend in with the grass. If enemies are enough far away, crawling will also prevent them from seeing the player even if Ellie is not obscured by cover. This is helpful in large combat arenas where the enemy's line of sight is typically quite far.
8 Craft Arrows
Ellie did not forget how to use a bow and arrow between the two games. In this sequel, the silent weapon is just as useful in dispatching foes without causing a ruckus. Several hours deeper into the story, some enemies start carrying extra arrows for her to pick up, encouraging Ellie to use the weapon more liberally. This, mixed with crafting the ammunition, should ensure a steady supply throughout the whole adventure.
7 Upgrade The Speed Of Stealth Kills
The 2020 title significantly expands the upgrade tree for Ellie. One of the modifications speeds up stealth kills. This is especially useful when several enemies are in close proximity. Ellie does not have the time to struggle with a combatant and use five seconds of her time to slowly kill them when another enemy could walk around the corner and spot her at any moment.
6 Pit The Infected Against Humans
Few opportunities are available for this throughout the campaign, but be sure to take advantage of the situation when it comes along. Simply throw a bottle or brick at the humans to attract the zombies to the living foes and enjoy the show. The Clickers and Runners might not dispatch every opponent, but they should thin the heard decently enough.
5 Craft Silencers
New to this game is the ability to craft silencers for the pistol. The piece of equipment can only take three shots before breaking, but this is also the potential for three silent, long-range kills.
Ellie can later upgrade this to craft more durable silencers which take more shots before needing to be replaced. Silencers may not actually work like this in real life, but the lack of realism is excusable if it means making stealth easier.
4 Swim Underwater
Joel taught Ellie how to swim in between the two games and she no longer needs help crossing rivers and bodies of water, meaning she can take advantage of her new skill in combat. By diving underwater, Ellie can swim past threats without raising an eyebrow. Her breath supply is limited, but she should have enough to swim to safety. Just be sure to know where to navigate, because it is difficult to see where one is going once submerged.
3 When Spotted, Run
The more Ellie interacts with the enemy, the more aware they become of her presence. However, even after sounding the alert, Ellie can regain stealth and lose the enemy. It is as simple as running away and hiding again and hearing the opponents wonder aloud where the player went. If they have a general idea where Ellie is, this also a good opportunity to use some trip mines and give them a nasty explosive surprise as they follow.
2 Craft Shivs
Ellie has her trusty knife, which can perform quick stealth kills and dispatch Clickers without ever breaking. However, later on the knife is no longer an option and the player must resort to using shivs, similar to the first game. Keep a ready supply of these since they are one of the few efficient ways to silently destroy Clickers.
1 Upgrade Accuracy
Bows and silenced pistols are only useful for stealth if Ellie has a steady hand. To this effect, make sure the upgrades and weapon modifications increase accuracy and alleviate weapon sway. If an enemy is hit but not killed, they will more than likely find the player, so taking them out with one bullet or arrow is essential to maintaining stealth, and these upgrades all make pulling off headshots significantly easier.