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Guns
Melee Weapons
Crafted Weapons
If players hope to complete the arduous journey across states and into hostile territories in The Last of Us Part 1, they will need to use every means necessary to survive. Throughout the game, players will have the opportunity to use various weapons as Joel and Ellie gain additional gear and draw nearer to their goal.
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Guns are the most commonly used weapon, of which there are several to find in The Last of Us Part 1, but players are not limited to them. Utilizing a wide array of equipment encourages players to strategize and plan encounters stealthily, choose their play style in a firefight, and effectively react when caught off guard in a high-stakes scenario.
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Guns
Players will gain access to a variety of firearms during The Last of Us Part 1, each of which are effective in different scenarios and key to Joel and Ellie’s survival as they trek across the United States in search of the Fireflies.
Weapons can be upgraded at workbenches, so long as players have enough parts and the relevant Tools required, and are divided into two categories: pistols and long guns. After obtaining Tools level 1, players can craft secondary holsters at a workbench for their short and long arms to speed up equipping a weapon.
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9mm pistol
This is the first weapon that will become available to players and cannot be missed. After Tess explains to Joel that she wants to pay Robert an unfriendly visit, she will lead the player through the Boston Quarantine Zone.
Upon arrival at their hideout, players can collect Joel’s backpack and the 9mm pistol. After workbenches have been unlocked, available upgrades for the 9mm pistol include reload speed, fire rate, and clip capacity.
Revolver
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Players can collect the revolver after precariously walking over construction equipment to get into a building in the downtown area; players will need to follow Tess and Ellie down a set of stairs. In this next room, a body will be leaning against a desk, and the revolver is on the floor next to them. Upgrades for the revolver include reload speed and fire rate.
Hunting Rifle
After parting ways with Tess in the Capitol Building, players must head up the stairs and follow the path around to progress. Players will need to jump across a small gap into the next area where there will be a body of a Firefly and their hunting rifle, making this the first long gun players can obtain.
It is possible to upgrade the reload speed, clip capacity, and power, but most importantly, a scope and armor piercing rounds can be added to the hunting rifle. Armor is not limited to human enemies, as Infected such as Clickers and Bloaters are also considered armored due to their thick fungal plating.
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Bow
Considered a “long gun” in-game, the bow can be found in Bill’s Town behind the store where the Clicker sets off one of Bill’s traps. There is a truck near the wall that reads ‘No Trespassers’ that can be climbed using a ladder.
Players will see the bow propped up against the back of a comfy chair, along with an arrow and other resources. Ellie can also pick up a bow during Left Behind in the Colorado Mountain Plaza after a cutscene.
Pump Shotgun
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Provided to Joel by Bill before the group heads out to find an operational car battery, the shotgun is devastating at close to mid-range. Players will often find that a single shot is enough to take down certain human and Infected enemies, and the spread makes accuracy a little less of a priority. Upgrades for the shotgun include reload speed, fire rate, clip capacity, recoil, and range.
Shorty
This one-handed shotgun becomes available in the sewers during the sixth chapter, the Suburbs, and players will have two opportunities to collect it. After setting off the first sound trap, players can find a bench to the left, next to a blue garden chair, where the Shorty can be picked up.
Alternatively, after Joel has been separated from the group, players will be able to find the Shorty on the body of an Infected.
When at a workbench, players can upgrade the reload speed, fire rate, clip capacity, recoil, and spread of the Shorty.
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Military Sniper
During the second half of the Suburbs chapter, Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam will be pinned down by a Hunter attempting to pick them off with a sniper. Players will need to stealth around the various buildings to enter the house where the sharpshooter is holed up.
After taking them out, players must assume control of the sniper to defend the group from Hunters and Infected. Unfortunately, as this gun is mounted in a set position, it is not possible to take it with them, but players can momentarily enjoy having unlimited ammunition.
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El Diablo
One of the strongest weapons in the game, players will have three opportunities to collect the El Diablo, each of which are in Tommy’s dam.
Along the path leading to the dam, players will see an abandoned car by a patch of purple flowers with the El Diablo and a few resources on the ground.
The second location is in a shack outside the entrance to the dam, where players can also collect the Power Plant Map artifact. The final location is inside the dam by the workbench.
Upgrades for the El Diablo include reload speed, fire rate, clip capacity, and armor piercing.
Flamethrower
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The flamethrower is an effective weapon for thinning out hordes of enemies, especially non-infected, and creates distance between the player and hostiles. When at a workbench, players can upgrade the reload speed, range, and power of the flamethrower.
Players will have two chances to pick up the flamethrower in the University; the first of which is in the loading dock, where players will also find a workbench. However, if players miss it here, the flamethrower will also be available to collect from a nearby building on the lower floor, but players will need to be careful as there are several Infected here.
Assault Rifle
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While this is a staple weapon for the military and Fireflies, players will be unable to access one until the end of the game during Joel’s attack on those inside Saint Mary’s Hospital. It can be collected from almost any felled Firefly enemy, but there are no workbench upgrades for the assault rifle, and ammunition for it becomes scarce when playing on higher difficulties.
Melee Weapons
Throughout The Last of Us Part I, players will be able to equip different types of melee weapons. These weapons are useful in close quarters, especially when players are conserving ammo. Only one can be equipped at a time, and each has varying levels of durability, indicated by a segmented bar to show how many hits players can get out of it before it breaks.
After a melee weapon has been spent, players will return to bare-fisted combat when playing as Joel, and Ellie will use her switchblade.
The available melee weapons are:
- 2x4
- Baseball bat
- Hatchet
- Machete
- Pipe
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While initially introduced as throwable objects to either stun or distract enemies, bottles and bricks can also be used as improvised melee weapons. Bottles will break after the first hit when thrown or used in melee, whereas bricks will either break on impact after being thrown or after three melee strikes.
Crafted Weapons
As players progress through the story, additional resources become available, and new crafting recipes are unlocked. Players can craft explosive weapons, such as Molotov cocktails, nail bombs, and smoke bombs.
Shivs are another crafted weapon players can utilize, but they can only be used in stealth or as a last line of defense when grappled. While playing as Ellie, players will notice that shivs cannot be crafted as she has her switchblade, which can be used in stealth and as a melee weapon.
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Furthermore, players can even craft temporary upgrades for their melee weapons. By doing so, melee weapons will gain crude blade attachments that will extend their durability and deal extra damage.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available on PlayStation 5, and a PC version is in development.
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