The Last of Us is a tough game, and the multiplayer isn’t any easier. I’ve been playing the multplayer for a bit now, and I won’t claim to be a crazy expert. I’m not even that many weeks into it and my clan is still relatively small. That being said, I still have read, heard, or discovered my own tips that are a huge help in coming out on top. Some may sound obvious, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t helpful. Others – well – you may not even think are really that good, but used correctly, you will see how the more daft ones actually can be the best ones. No more stalling, let’s get into it.
- Buy armor! I hate armor; I think it ruins the game, and I wish more than anything it wasn’t in it, but the fact remains that it is. So, buy it every chance you get. Don’t know if you should buy ammo, a special gun, or armor? Armor, always, always armor. Some people are worried that it will cost them valuable parts, which will be converted to supplies afterwards for your clan. It doesn’t, don’t worry. Spend all your parts; it has no effect on the outcome of your supplies.
- Find a weapon that works best for you. Some are obviously better than others, but I’m not going to tell you that you have to use one weapon. It’s smart to have a long range, short range, or something that has a quick firing rate. Don’t have two of the same type of gun basically. This is common sense stuff, and you should know what I’m talking about. Even better, diversify between members of your team. You go long-range, someone else goes close-range, and work as a team.
- There are med-kits lying all over the place. In a game where health doesn’t regenerate, these are a miracle to have. Collect any one you see and don’t be afraid to use them.
- Collect materials and craft every chance you get. The items you craft are game changers. You don’t know how many times one smoke bomb can prevent an ambush from happening. Getting cornered? Toss a nail bomb and the enemy will hesitate charging in after you. Show the other team you got some crafted items, and they’ll start worrying what else you have.
- Speaking of nail bombs, they are used better as traps. Hit R1 to lay it down and wait for some schmuck to run over it. What works best for me is right before I enter a firefight. I put it down next to me; if I happen to get downed, I crawl back over it. A lot of the time someone will be greedy and want to do an execution. They’ll blow sky-high and then you crawl away to your teammates…hopefully.
- On that note: executions. They are very cool, and nothing is better than decimating your opponent like that. However, make sure they are alone, because that is your most vulnerable time. What you should do is watch the downed person. Think about it: whenever anyone gets downed, what do they do? They crawl to their teammates. Guess who just revealed the enemy’s position? Think outside the box and you will always come out on top. A downed opponent is great bait to draw out enemies as well, so it isn’t always the best strategy to finish them off right away.
- This brings me to running. Anyone and everyone will tell you not to do it. They’re wrong! Running is brilliant. Why is it so brilliant? Because no one does it, so anyone who does instantly becomes a target. Sounds horrible, right? Unless…it’s a trap and you are the bait. I can’t tell you how many times I ran so people would all look at me only to have my friend sneaking up in a better position to flank them. Works like a charm. You can run away and see if someone is chasing you on the radar. Run back to your teammates, and that person following after you just ran into an ambush. Yes, running is bad and don’t do it frequently, but do it properly and you will help your team win.
- Moving right into my next point. Team. Let me say that again. Team! This is not about you; we all have clans to feed and supplies needed. The team that works better together will win about 90% of the time. Get a mic, because this is one of those rare games that mics are actually used for something besides trash talking and playing annoying music in the background. I usually only communicate with one friend when I play; if I was communicating with the entire team, it wouldn’t even be fair. I’ve played against people who I can tell are all working together and the team I’m on gets demolished.
- I won’t tell you to always stay in a group, because I don’t believe that. Yes, having backup certainly helps, and a majority of the time, whatever side has more people will win. But that doesn’t mean you should always be in teams; sometimes, traveling alone is for the best. Just be careful if you separate. When you are alone, move quietly, don’t shoot first, and be a scout. My friend was on the other side of the map one time, and he didn’t do anything except tell me where the enemy was. He was in a bad position to fight, but a great position to scout. 80% of this game is finding your enemy and getting the better attacking position.
- Doesn’t it suck when you are fighting someone, only to suddenly you get hit from behind? This horrible feeling sets in that you are now surrounded. You don’t know if the person behind you is even good at the game, has ammo, or even health. The only thing that matters is he or she got behind you. Do that to the other team; you don’t even have to kill them or do any serious damage. Its scare tactics; they will probably panic and try and run for it. That only makes it easier on you.
- Work well with your teammates, and don’t get mad at them. If someone finishes off your downed enemy, don’t think about it like they stole your points. What they did is make sure that enemy stays down and doesn’t get back up. This isn’t COD; let’s not be twelve-year-old boys here.
- Speaking of COD, there is no camping in this game, because the entire game is camping, so don’t be shy to sit still and not move. Don’t think staring at one doorway is a bad thing; although, admittedly, you will most likely end up dead if you’re doing that. And I’m sure as hell not saying to sit in the back of the map and wait. Moving is important so the enemy doesn’t lock in on your position, but don’t feel like sitting still too long will get you killed. Sometimes, not moving is the best move.
- Make sure you have escape routes mapped out and don’t corner yourself in one room. That being said, don’t let someone flank you through your escape route. Don’t get turned around on the map, and make sure you have a good sense of what’s going on.
- Don’t be dumb and peek your sights around the corner to check a room out. It’s a third-person game, so use the camera to check around without revealing yourself. Also, make sure you listen frequently—you’ll be surprised how often people appear on it. Inversely, always assume someone knows where you are. Even when you are crouching, you can be heard from someone else listening. So don’t think you’re sneaking unnoticed; they are probably just playing dumb to catch you off guard.
- Don’t be afraid to camp out a supply box; eventually, someone will run up to it looking to get some more crafting supplies. This is a perfect chance to wipe out an enemy, and a bonus to this, that person will be afraid to go after other supply boxes in the future. The less supplies they have to craft, the weaker they are, so go ahead and make them risk their life for those boxes.
- So what materials do you craft? Molotovs are undoubtedly the greatest. Instant kills that can get more than one person. Any melee weapons are amazing, and if you can upgrade it, do it. People always go down to fisticuffs instead of reloading, and it’s pretty shocking when you pull out a plank with nails in it. On that note, if you have bullets, shoot before you punch. It does more damage.
- The best combination is smoke bombs with shivs. Smoke bombs make the enemy choke (something I don’t like either, since it is too cheap). When that person is choking on smoke, they can take a shiv from the front. You read right: that’s an instant kill. There is a perk that allows you to spawn with a shiv every time, and smoke bombs are easiest to craft. It’s a cheap, but extremely deadly combination that it just waiting to be taken advantage of.
There you have it; some pretty basic tips that may be slightly obvious, but will still go a long way in helping your clan stay alive for those many weeks. Got any tips to add? Leave a comment below.