You’re crouched in a basement. It’s dark. The only sound is the rhythmic, wet clicking of a monster that used to be a person. Your heart is thumping against your ribs because you have exactly two bullets and a broken brick. This is the reality of playing Naughty Dog’s polarizing masterpiece. A lot of people treat a the last of us part 2 walkthrough like a simple GPS, but if you're just following a line from A to B, you are fundamentally playing the game wrong. You're missing the environmental storytelling that makes the misery feel worth it.
Honestly, the game is a beast. It’s a massive, sprawling journey through a ruined Seattle that feels suffocatingly real.
Most guides will tell you to just "go to the courthouse." They won't tell you that if you don't check the desk in the back corner of the lobby first, you're going to be under-geared for the next three hours. Survival in this game isn't just about good aim. It’s about being a digital scavenger.
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The Early Game Scramble: Jackson and Downtown Seattle
Jackson is basically a tutorial, but it sets the emotional stakes. Once you hit Seattle Day 1 with Dina, the game opens up into this "semi-open world" hub. It's the biggest area in the game. Most players get overwhelmed here. They see the map and just want to finish the main objectives. Don't do that.
You need to hit the music shop. Not just for the "Take On Me" Easter egg—which is genuinely moving—but because the verticality of that building hides supplies that the main path ignores. The the last of us part 2 walkthrough experience changes entirely once you realize that glass is your best friend and your worst enemy. Breaking a window gets you into a locked shop, but it also alerts every Runner within two blocks.
The Courthouse and the Bank
The Vault in the Westmere Bank is a must. You’ll find the "Engraved Ring" there, which is a neat Uncharted reference, but more importantly, you get the Pump Shotgun. If you miss this, you’re stuck with the pistol and rifle for way longer than necessary. The safe code is 60-23-06. Write it down. Or don't, and hunt for the note yourself if you want the "authentic" struggle.
The Courthouse is a different vibe. It’s tighter. More claustrophobic. You're introduced to the concept of "check the drawers." Every single one. Naughty Dog developers like Anthony Newman have talked extensively about how they balanced the economy of the game. If you’re playing on Survivor or Grounded difficulty, the game tracks what you have. If you’re rich in ammo, the drops dry up. If you’re desperate, the game might throw you a bone, but don't count on it.
Mastering the Combat Loop
Combat in Part 2 is "visceral." That's the word everyone uses, but what it actually means is that it's gross and stressful. You aren't a superhero. Ellie is small. She gets tossed around.
One thing a solid the last of us part 2 walkthrough needs to emphasize is the dodge mechanic. L1 is your lifeline. You can't just spam it, though. You have to time it to the swing of a machete or the lunging bite of a Stalker. Stalkers are the worst. They don't click. They hide. They wait for you to look at your map and then they ruin your day.
- Prone is OP: You can crawl through tall grass. If the yellow detection bar starts filling up, go prone immediately.
- Bottle/Brick Combo: Throw a brick to stun, then sprint in for a melee kill. It saves ammo. It’s a classic move from the first game that still works perfectly here.
- Human Shields: You can grab enemies and use them as shields. This is especially useful against the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) who love to use "flanking maneuvers."
The Mid-Game Shift: Playing as Abby
This is where the game loses some people and wins over others. Switching to Abby changes the gameplay dynamic. Where Ellie is a scalpel, Abby is a sledgehammer. Her sections are much more action-heavy. You’re going through the Forest, the Coast, and the terrifying descent through the Hospital.
The "Rat King" in the hospital basement is the stuff of nightmares. It’s a boss fight that requires a very specific the last of us part 2 walkthrough strategy: run. Do not try to stand your ground. Use the pipe bombs you’ve been hoarding. If you haven't been hoarding them, well, good luck. You'll need to use the flamethrower to peel off the layers of the beast. It’s a multi-stage fight that tests your ability to navigate in tight spaces while being chased by a literal wall of flesh.
The Seraphites and the Scars
Fighting the Seraphites is a different beast entirely. They whistle. It’s eerie. It’s also a gameplay mechanic. Different whistles mean different things: "I found her," "Spread out," or "I need help." If you listen closely, you can actually predict their AI movements. It’s a level of detail that honestly makes other stealth games feel a bit shallow.
Advanced Scavenging and Tool Upgrades
You have to find the Training Manuals. If you miss a manual, you lock yourself out of entire skill trees. This is the biggest pitfall in any the last of us part 2 walkthrough.
For example, the Stealth manual is usually found in the bookstore near the gas station in Seattle Day 1. If you miss it there, the game will try to "spawn" it later in a different location, but there's no guarantee. These manuals allow you to craft silencers, improve your healing speed, and eventually, craft explosive arrows. Explosive arrows are basically the "win button" for the later Seraphite encounters where they start bringing dogs.
Dogs suck. I love dogs, but in this game, they are a nightmare. They can smell you through walls. The only way to lose a scent trail is to keep moving or use a bottle to distract them.
Technical Tips for the Best Experience
If you're playing on a PS5 or a high-end PC (now that the remake/remaster cycle is in full swing), turn on the "Enhanced Listen Mode" in the accessibility settings if you're struggling to find loot. It’s not cheating; it’s a tool. It sends out a sonar pulse that highlights items.
Also, pay attention to the "Gore" settings. This game is intense. If it's too much, you can actually dial back some of the visual trauma in the menus without affecting the gameplay difficulty.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough
Don't treat this like a sprint. It’s a marathon of misery, but a beautiful one. To get the most out of your time in Seattle, follow these specific steps:
- Manual Save Often: The autosave is decent, but if you realize you wasted all your ammo in a room you could have sneaked through, you’ll want a manual save to go back to.
- Read Every Note: Notes often contain safe codes. More importantly, they give you the backstory of the people who died in the rooms you're looting. It makes the world feel lived-in.
- Upgrade your Holsters first: Being able to swap between a shotgun and a rifle without opening your backpack is a literal lifesaver. It’s the first thing you should spend your parts on at any workbench.
- Watch the Trees: In the Seraphite sections, they hide in the canopy. Look up.
- Use the Environment: Lead Infected into WLF soldiers. Throw a bottle at a human to make them scream, drawing the Clickers toward them. Let your enemies do the work for you.
The story is going to hurt. It’s designed to. But if you follow the rhythm of the world—scavenge, stealth, strike, and move—you’ll at least survive long enough to see how it ends. Most people rush and find themselves stuck at the end with no resources. Take it slow. Look in every corner. Every cupboard might have the one binding you need to make the Molotov that saves your life.
Explore the flooded city with care. The boat is loud. It draws attention. When you get to the arcade, prepare for a fight. There’s a Bloater there that doesn't play nice. Use your high-damage rounds early and keep your distance. Once you're through that, the final stretch in Santa Barbara will test everything you've learned. The enemies there have body armor. Aim for the legs or use armor-piercing rounds if you've upgraded the hunting pistol.
Survival isn't about being the best shot; it's about being the most prepared.