The Last of Us Part II is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective featuring elements of the survival horror genre.[1][2] The player traverses post-apocalyptic environments such as buildings and forests to advance the story. The player can use firearms, improvised weapons, and stealthto defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordycepsfungus.[3] Control intermittently switches between Ellie and Abby;[1] the player also briefly controls Joel in the opening sequence.[4] The nimble nature of the player character introduces platforming elements to the game, allowing the player to jump and climb to traverse environments and gain advantages during combat.[5] The player can break glass objects such as windows to access certain areas or obtain supplies.[6] Some areas in the game are navigated by horse or boat.[3][7]
In combat, the player can use long-range weapons such as rifles and bows,[3][8] and short-range weapons such as pistols and revolvers.[5] The player is able to scavenge limited-use melee weapons such as machetes and hammers,[9] and throw bricks and bottles to distract or attack enemies.[10] Collected items can be used to upgrade weapons at workbenches[11] or craft equipment such as health kits, Molotov cocktails, and makeshift silencers.[1] The player can collect supplements to upgrade skills in a skill tree; training manuals found throughout the environment unlock additional skill tree branches, allowing upgrades to attributes such as the health meter, crafting speed, and ammunition types.[12]
Though the player can attack enemies directly, they can also use stealth to attack undetected or sneak past them.[1] "Listen Mode" allows the player to locate enemies through a heightened sense of hearing and spatial awareness, indicated as outlines visible through walls and objects.[10] In the cover system, the player can crouch behind obstacles to gain advantages in combat, and can also crawl in a prone position to evade enemies.[13] Hostile enemies use artificial intelligence; they may take cover or call for assistance, and can take advantage when the player is distracted, out of ammunition, or in a fight.[14] The player may be impaled by an arrow, which will progressively decrease their health meter and disables Listen Mode until removed when in cover.[15] Player companions, such as Dina, assist in combat by killing enemies or announcing their location.[16] The game also introduces guard dogs that track the player's scent, which can be visualized in Listen Mode.[1]
