The Last of Us Multiplayer: 24 Survival Tips

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The Last of Us Multiplayer: 24 Survival Tips
The Last of Us Multiplayer: 24 Survival Tips

Two things. First, The Last of Us has a multiplayer mode called Supply Raid that is the freshest, most addictive mode I’ve experienced in years. Second, I apologize for not posting this guide weeks ago — I’ve been playing way, way too much TLOU!

The Last of Us differs from other multiplayer games in many ways. It’s stealthy, ammo and resources are scarce, and teamwork is absolutely vital. What’s more, your total kills take a backseat to Parts — a currency that you can spend on weapon upgrades, ammo, power weapons, and armor. All of which are capable of evening the odds in a match. You score Parts by downing and executing enemy players, but also reviving teammates, healing friends, and crafting and distributing items.

This tip guide will focus primarily on Supply Raid, which is TLOU’s answer to the venerable Team Deathmatch. Stick around for some tips we solicited from Twitter, and leave your own tips in the comments below!


  1. Upgrade melee ASAP. The upgraded two-by-four is the ultimate equalizer, and you’ll want it right away. It’s capable of downing an enemy with one hit, cuts through armor, and you even get to keep it if you die! At the start of each match, your priority should be to find and upgrade a two-by-four — you’ll usually find one in the second salvage box you open. The Brawler survival skill is also strongly recommended.
  2. Party hardly. When selecting your play mode, do yourself a favor and select the “no parties” matchmaking option. The toughest teams always roll in parties, and they’ll cut you down lickety-split. Taking them out of the equation will give you a fighting chance if you’re still learning the ropes.
  3. Slow and steady. Walking and crouchwalking (Circle) are essential because they keep you off the enemy’s radar so you can sneak in for a surprise kill. Then, when you spot an unsuspecting foe, don’t attack right away. Lull him into a false sense of security, then strike when he gets distracted or turns his back.
  4. Starter skills. Sharpshooter is a great choice for any build focusing on precision weapons like the semi-auto rifle or revolver. Brawler and Crafter are also extremely valuable, and Explosives Expert are no-brainers if you’re handy with a molotov or bomb. But be sure to experiment — the survival skills are complex and multilayered.
  5. Poison the well. Booby-trapping salvage boxes and health kits with bombs will keep enemy players off balance and paranoid. Salvage boxes make a particularly tempting target: they’re an essential resource for all players, and many players will drop their defenses when they spot one. Place your proximity mines cleverly, around key corners in inside grass clumps, and you’ll be racking up Parts in no time.
  6. Heal early, heal often. When your health dips by a third or more, stop, drop, and heal. TLOU’s cautious play style will afford you many opportunities to patch yourself up — even mid-firefight — if you’re bold. Equipping First Aid Training helps, too. And remember: you can heal and move at the same time.
  7. The Last of Us: MultiplayerThe Last of Us: Multiplayer

  8. Armor apprehension. Tapping Select and then R1 enables you to purchase armor and ammo from the in-game store. Armor is a constant temptation, but it rises in price with each purchase so it’s best saved for the final minutes of a particularly close match. Most times, it’s better to funnel your Parts towards a weapon upgrade or two early on — you’ll gain a noticeable advantage that lasts for the whole match.
  9. Smoke ‘em out. TLOU’s smoke bombs are ridiculously effective. Obviously, they produce clouds of smoke that obscure the battlefield and help route enemy movement. Better still, these stinky saviors will stun all nearby enemies. If you’ve got a Shiv, you’ll have a few seconds to score a one-hit kill from the front or the rear.
  10. Live to give. Being generous with your teammates is not only nice, it’s rewarding! Every time you revive, heal, or gift an item to a teammate, you gain Parts — and they add up fast. The Crafter 2 survival skill is especially useful, rewarding you with rapid crafting speed and the ability to stock your friends with health and munitions for bonus Parts.
  11. Lean in. Here’s a nuance many players miss: While aiming (L1), you can swap shoulders by tapping R2. With a little practice, you can use this to lean out from behind a corner to squeeze off a few shots from relative safety.
  12. Down but never out. Take too much punishment and you’ll go down, dropping to your hands and knees as you await death. But you’re not helpless: you can scuttle away to be revived by a teammate, or lead your pursuers into a nearby ambush or bomb.
  13. Pistol power. Lately, my favorite strategy has been to take the 9 millimeter or revolver and skip the larger primary weapons. This loadout brings a host of unique benefits: You’ll reclaim two Loadout Points for other use (say, a silencer); you’ll only need one type of ammo; and you’ll save buckets of Parts that you can invest elsewhere. If you go this route, fully upgrade your pistol early in the match (it’s only 800 Parts) to gain greatly increased accuracy, fire rate, clip size, and stability.


The Last of Us: Multiplayer

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77 Comments

4 Author Replies

  • @neuropunk STOP TROLLINGGGGG!!!!

  • Check out my Youtube channel WHISKERSTARS for some multiplayer videos from The Last of Us! So far I have the maps High School, Checkpoint and The Dam. =)

  • @wareagle – you don’t like my opinions? Well, you can shove them up your bum.

    Just because you may not agree with me doesn’t make me a troll. On the contrary, if you ruin video games for others, that makes you the troll.

    You supporting interactive movies and crappy shooters like The Last of Us, you are influencing more of the same crap to be made. If you help support video games being ruined (Final Fantasy XIII, Resident Evil, Splinter Cell), and the death of franchises such as Legacy of Kain, Breath of Fire, Onimusha, etc. and the death of the turn based JRPG genre, you are the troll.

    wareagle, you bought The Last of Us which is NOT a game for real gamers, so you are part of the problem and a huge troll. All of you that support this crap are trolls.

  • Agreed this game is amazing so if you don’t like it trade it in and shut the hell up go play animal crossing or something

  • I Redboxed this piece of trash for $4. Waste of money and not 1/8th as good as anyone said it was. Just more modern video game trash.

    I started playing video games in the late 1980s and modern video games would make classic video games roll in their graves. Modern video games are an embarrassment to video games as a whole.

    You young kids are far too young to remember the greats, otherwise you wouldn’t overrate/overhype garbage like The Last of Us. Since when did mediocrity begin being praised so much? It’s very sickening.

  • Neuropunk’s fanboy tears are DELICIOUS.

  • @neuropunk. i know you said you played the game but from what you’re saying it doesn’t seem that you did.

    1. by interactive movie, i assume you mean that the game plays itself , well thats just not true.

    2. there’s barely any QTE in the game, except for the seldom square when an enemy grabs you. but i wouldnt even count it since it flows with the combat so well.

    3. its def not your run of the mill shooter, nothing like COD or even uncharted for that matter (which i love btw) if you run and gun you will die a lot. you have to know when to lay low and when to be aggressive, nice mix of stealth and action.

    4. it’s not as casual as you’re saying it is. playing the game on the hardest difficulty or even on hard felt sometimes as unforgiving as the souls series (if you are as “hardcore” as you claim to be i’m sure you’ve played those games)

  • lastly who cares if you started gaming in the 80’s. do you want a price or something?? my dad started playing chess, go, dominoes, checkers etc before i was born, does that make him more of a gamer than you then? I started gaming on the ps1 and i’ve been gaming since. i love old school game like the dragon quest series but i’ve got to say those games didnt age well and if it wasnt for the nostalgia i wouldnt have gone back to it. gaming is a generational thing, some people started gaming this generation and still considers themselves “hardcore”.

    sidenote: does every game needs a map now??? you sir are a moron

  • I’m on my 4th play through now. Time for me to jump into the multi player. Greet tips here.
    Oh… and just to chime in… I started gaming in the late 70’s and The Last of Us is my all time favorite. Someone please call me a nooblet. :-}

  • neuropunk is really living up to his name on here huh? Punky punk. Leaving 2 comments crying about the game he hates so much, yet can’t help himself from coming here and talking about for some reason…. If you don’t like the game then don’t come on the blog post crying about it over and over, you sound pathetic. Waa waa waa I’m an oldschool gamer that doesn’t understand new games are DIFFERENT / more cinematic than old games so I have to cryyyyyyyy about it….

    Redbox it all you want, it doesn’t stop the game from being one of the best rated games ever and the best selling PS3 games ever too ;) Buzz off.

    Offline AND online this is THE best PS3 game for sure in my book. Journey, Red Dead Redemption and Metal Gear Solid 4 (and 5) will be the runners up for me, and maybe The Walking Dead and GTA 5 right after that :)

  • OMG that ryoumau guy is a big troll but this neuropunk guy is probably the greatest troll ever…ha someone that call TLoU bad…there are only 2 reasons:Or dont understand sh** about games or its brain dont works properly.

    Anyway ND…why didn’t you guys added characters from TLoU to the MP?…you know what I mean?….Joel,Tess,Bill and etc….come on we need them.And also an Uncharted characters DLC ASAP.And one more thing…a co-op mode like survival on UC2 but with waves of infected….you guys know that would be really awesome.Make it happen.

  • I didn’t want to respond to neuropunk but I feel compelled to.

    We get it, you’ve been gaming since the late 80s. I’ve been gaming since 1990. Beat Super Mario Bros when I was four. I’ve played NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, Playstation, Dreamcast, Playstation 2, Xbox, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 extensively. I’ve beaten hundreds of games, and The Last of Us is one of the greats.

    You keep bringing up your age and retro video games as a sticking point. Let me ask you: who do you think reviewed this game? The majority of game website and magazine writers are older gamers. People who have been playing for decades (like us). People like Adam Sessler and Jeff Gerstmann have given the game lots of praise, and they’re in their late 30s. And The Last of Us is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. So when you say that only young gamers like the game, that’s just not accurate.

    It’s fine that you didn’t enjoy the game, but don’t act like you’re better than people. It’s bad form, and it doesn’t help your argument. If you want a discussion on the game, do it in a respectful manner. You’re an adult, you’re better than that.

  • Western video game reviewers give every hugely marketed game near perfect scores. They are very biased and corrupt.

    How the hell else do you think these awful games could have been scored so highly?

    GTA4 – worst GTA, yet it’s listed in the top 5 games of all time, according to review average
    MGS4 – story is freaking horrendous and the gameplay is clunky
    GoW3 – mess of a story, linear, and Kratos is angry, and the puzzles are so easy a kindergardener can do them.

    Western reviewers are biased corrupt bribed POS that get paid in Doritos and Mountain Dew. F western reviewers. They tend to rate western games near perfect, while marking down Japanese games for being Japanesey.

  • A lot of people say not to run. But I run constintly and I’m amazed in how good I do. Just sucks when you run into the whole team but ie still killed them all with in 10 seconds with my guns and a 2*4 with a blade.
    And I don’t like the revive before execution rule like i do but the player that gets up shouldn’t execute them then.

  • Nice tips to help us when playing online. Myself I really enjoyed the single player but the multiplayer seemed so fast paced to me. Hopefully after seeing this tips I can get back into it and get better at the game.

  • Neuropunk is getting more and more butthurt with every response. It’s hilarious!

  • Tip #25: The Semi-Auto Rifle isn’t the only weapon in the game ;)

  • 1. I don’t like competitive MP. This game desperately needs a coop MP mode.

    2. Do you have any “survival tip” against glitchers and cheaters?

  • the last of us is the only horror zombies video game i love after resident evil dissapointed me so many time now.the multiplayer experience is totally great which i loved playing with my friends.

  • My recommendations for stealth Survivor gameplay:

    1. Combo covert training L3 & sharp ears L1; keeps you in the shadows while enabling you to “see” the enemy more often giving you a chance to plan your stealth attack on one or two members of the enemy team. Spawning with a shiv gives you that one silent insta-kill on the enemy’s team lone wolf or sniper.

    2. Carry the silenced Semi-auto rifle and silenced 9mm pistol, they’ll make the enemy panic because they won’t instantly know where the shots are coming from if ever.

    3. Upgrade semi-auto rifle at some point, preferably by the second match; use the semi-auto rifle to take down targets and the 9mm to finish them off.

    4. Never-ever special execute, and only execute if and when it makes sense. Use common sense when it comes to executions; your number one priority when playing stealth is to remain hidden. Taking one enemy down and rushing in or exposing yourself to execute him/her when three other enemy members are up gives your position away. Most of the time you’ll be able to take down the enemy and execute them from afar if you’re playing true to stealth because they won’t know where you are.

  • continued….

    5. Only run as a last resort or at the beginning to get to the first box, always crouch when moving to avoid the enemy’s listening mode and lightly jog only when necessary (e.g. to aid a team member or help a team member in a firefight).

    6. Craft a smoke bomb to get you out a jam allowing you to either turn the tides on a gun battle your losing with a smoke bomb/shiv insta-kill or to disappear like a ninja into the shadows.

    7. Article says to avoid armor, I say buy it. When you’re spotted and you don’t know, it will allow you to get away once the enemy begins to unleash their firepower on you. Plus when you get into the inevitable “do or die” gunfight, armor greatly enhances your chances to walk away the winner.

    8. Keep stock of your rounds, buy as needed. Find a box if you’re low on parts and need rounds.

    9. Never chase, but instead stalk your prey… patience –

    10. Be water my friends –

  • Tip #1 here on the blog… Does it say “you get to keep it if you die”?? You mean the upgraded two by four?? Cause that would be incorrect. xD

  • @ neuropunk

    just stop man… for your own sake… it’s just sad. I don’t have anything against you. Just let us have our fun please. We’re not raining on your parade so please… just stop…

  • Cheers for all the advice you guys have posted. I tried a few of these items last night and my game improved dramatically. Now I tend to favor a Revolver, Reviver (level 3), Brawler (level 2) & Collector as my main set up.

  • Is wittle neuropunk angwy cuz he couldn’t finish the pwologue??? Awwwwwww, poor wittle neuropunk. Why don’t you waddle back to your Xbox360 and play some CoD like a good widdle twoll!!

  • The FIRST thing you should do is always upgrade your secondary weapon just in case if your primary weapon out of ammo #TLOUMP

  • SOMEBODY add me AVG_Boy19
    Just in case if somebody want to playing Last Of Us Together ^^

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