In “The Last of Us,” upgrading Joel’s skills such as Maximum Health, Listen Mode Distance, and Weapon Sway is crucial for enhancing his survivability and effectiveness in combat. To perform these upgrades, you need to collect Supplements, which are scattered throughout the game world in the form of plants and medicines. These Supplements can be converted into upgrade points that you can use to enhance various aspects of Joel’s abilities found in the upgrades section of his inventory.

Upgrading Skills

Here’s how you can specifically upgrade each skill:

1. Maximum Health:
– Purpose: Increases Joel’s total health, allowing him to withstand more damage from enemies.
– Upgrade Levels:
– Level 1: Costs 50 Supplements to enhance health by a significant amount.
– Level 2: Costs an additional 100 Supplements to further increase health capacity.
– Recommendation: Prioritize this upgrade early on to improve your survivability during encounters.

2. Listen Mode Distance:
– Purpose: Expands the area around Joel where he can hear and detect nearby enemies, enhancing tactical gameplay.
– Upgrade Levels:
– Level 1: Costs 20 Supplements.
– Level 2: Costs 30 Supplements.
– Level 3: Costs 50 Supplements.
– Important Note: Listen Mode is disabled when playing on Grounded difficulty, so consider your difficulty setting when investing in this skill.

3. Weapon Sway:
– Purpose: Decreases the swaying of weapons when aiming, improving accuracy for long-range shots.
– Upgrade Levels:
– Level 1: Costs 50 Supplements.
– Level 2: Costs an additional 100 Supplements.
– Recommendation: This upgrade is beneficial for players who prefer a stealthy or sharpshooting playstyle.

How to Perform Upgrades

To carry out the upgrades, follow these steps:

1. Collect Supplements: Look for white pill icons in the environment. They can be found through exploration, scavenging locations, and defeating certain enemies.

2. Access Joel’s Inventory: Pause the game and navigate to Joel’s inventory.

3. Go to the Upgrades Tab: Locate the section dedicated to skill upgrades.

4. Select Skill for Upgrade: Choose the skill that you want to enhance from the list provided.

5. Confirm Upgrade: Hold the upgrade button (e.g., X on PlayStation) to confirm the upgrade, spending the necessary Supplements to complete the enhancement.

Strategy for Prioritizing Upgrades

When considering how to allocate your collected Supplements, it’s generally advisable to prioritize upgrades that will provide the most immediate benefits. Start with Maximum Health to ensure you can survive longer against hostile forces. Following that, invest in Listen Mode Distance to gain tactical advantages in stealth situations, and finally, enhance Weapon Sway for improved weapon handling during combat scenarios.

By following this guide, you’ll not only enhance Joel’s capabilities but also improve your overall experience and success in navigating the challenges of “The Last of Us.”