Game Modes

Experience The Last of Us Part I's core narrative in Story Mode. Replayability and skill refinement are key for different player preferences.

The Last of Us Part I offers several game modes designed to cater to different playstyles and challenge preferences. Beyond the core narrative, these modes provide opportunities for replayability, skill refinement, and a deeper dive into the game's world.

Story Mode

This is the primary way to experience Joel and Ellie's harrowing journey across a post-pandemic America. Story Mode is divided into distinct chapters, each progressing the main narrative. Players will encounter a mix of stealth, combat, puzzle-solving, and exploration.

• Difficulty Settings: Before starting a new game, you'll choose your preferred difficulty. This can be adjusted at any time from the pause menu, though certain trophies may require specific difficulty completions.
  • Very Easy: For players who want to focus purely on the story without significant combat challenge. Enemies are less perceptive, deal less damage, and resources are plentiful.
  • Easy: A slightly more challenging experience than Very Easy, but still forgiving. Good for first-time players getting accustomed to the mechanics.
  • Normal: The recommended default experience, offering a balanced challenge. Resources are moderately available, and combat requires tactical thinking.
  • Hard: For players seeking a more demanding experience. Enemies are more aggressive, deal increased damage, and resources are scarcer. Stealth becomes more crucial.
  • Survivor: A significant step up in difficulty. Listen Mode is disabled, HUD elements are minimal, and resources are extremely limited. Every encounter is a life-or-death situation.
  • Grounded: The ultimate test of skill and resource management. Listen Mode is disabled, HUD is completely removed, and resources are almost non-existent. Enemy AI is at its most lethal. This difficulty is not for the faint of heart and often requires meticulous planning and perfect execution.
• New Game+: After completing Story Mode on any difficulty, you unlock New Game+. This allows you to restart the story with all your previously acquired weapon upgrades, character skills, and collectible progress (Firefly Pendants, Artifacts, Training Manuals, Comic Books). This is an excellent way to tackle higher difficulties with an advantage or to find any missed collectibles.

Left Behind (DLC)

Included with The Last of Us Part I, "Left Behind" is a standalone story expansion that delves into Ellie's past before the events of the main game, as well as a pivotal moment during her journey with Joel. This mode offers a unique narrative perspective and introduces new gameplay mechanics, including environmental puzzles and combat scenarios that often blend stealth with direct confrontation.

• Accessing Left Behind: From the main menu, select "Left Behind." It functions as a separate mini-campaign.
• Key Differences:
  • Ellie as the Sole Protagonist: You play exclusively as Ellie, showcasing her resourcefulness and agility.
  • Flashback Structure: The story alternates between two timelines: Ellie's time with Riley in a deserted mall, and Ellie's efforts to find medical supplies for an injured Joel.
  • "Triple Threat" Encounters: Some combat scenarios involve both human enemies (Hunters/Fireflies) and Infected (Clickers, Stalkers, Bloaters). A common strategy is to use the environment to pit these factions against each other, conserving your own limited ammunition and resources. For example, throwing a Brick or Bottle near a group of Hunters to attract Infected can create chaos, allowing you to pick off survivors or slip past undetected.
  • Unique Collectibles: "Left Behind" features its own set of collectibles, such as Comic Books and Artifacts, separate from the main game's collection.

Permadeath Mode

Introduced in The Last of Us Part I, Permadeath Mode is an extreme challenge for veteran players. When enabled, any death results in the complete restart of your game from the very beginning. This mode is not for the faint of heart and demands absolute mastery of the game's mechanics.

• Activation: Permadeath can be activated when starting a new game. You cannot enable it mid-playthrough.
• Checkpoint Options: While the core concept is one life, you can choose checkpoint intervals to make it slightly less punishing:
  • Per Chapter: If you die, you restart at the beginning of the current chapter.
  • Per Act: If you die, you restart at the beginning of the current act (a collection of chapters).
  • Per Game: The true Permadeath experience. One death, and you restart the entire game from the very beginning.
• Strategy for Permadeath:
  • Master Stealth: Avoid combat whenever possible. Use Shivs for silent takedowns on Clickers and human enemies.
  • Resource Management: Every bullet, every Health Kit, and every crafting material is precious. Craft only what is absolutely necessary.
  • Environmental Awareness: Learn enemy patrol routes, identify choke points, and use cover effectively.
  • Scouting: Use Listen Mode (if not on Survivor/Grounded) extensively to mark enemies.
  • Practice: It's highly recommended to have multiple playthroughs under your belt on higher difficulties before attempting Permadeath.

Speedrun Mode

For players who enjoy challenging themselves against the clock, Speedrun Mode tracks your completion time for each chapter and the entire game. This mode is perfect for optimizing routes, refining combat strategies, and competing for the fastest times.

• Activation: Speedrun Mode can be enabled when starting a new game.
• Timer Display: A persistent timer will be displayed on screen, showing your current chapter time and overall game time.
• Skipping Cutscenes: Cutscenes can be skipped to save time, which is crucial for competitive speedrunning.
• Tips for Speedrunning:
  • Route Optimization: Learn the most efficient path through each area, minimizing unnecessary detours.
  • Combat Skips: Identify encounters that can be bypassed entirely through stealth or clever movement.
  • Weapon Choice: Prioritize weapons that can quickly dispatch threats or clear paths, such as the Shotgun or Flamethrower for Bloaters.
  • Resource Management (Different Focus): While still important, the goal shifts from survival to having just enough resources to clear essential obstacles quickly.
  • Practice Sections: use chapter select to practice difficult sections repeatedly.