by Reece Merryweather-Brown
Factions is The Last of Us’ take on multiplayer. However, instead of feeling shoe-horned in because practically EVERY game has a multiplayer component nowadays, the mode feels fresh and exciting, even when it sticks to only three modes, two of which are takes on your classic Team Deathmatch and Search and Destroy. For the most part, these tips mainly apply to the Team Deathmatch mode, however most can be applied to all modes. Happy hunting.
Factions is The Last of Us’ take on multiplayer. However, instead of feeling shoe-horned in because practically EVERY game has a multiplayer component nowadays, the mode feels fresh and exciting, even when it sticks to only three modes, two of which are takes on your classic Team Deathmatch and Search and Destroy. For the most part, these tips mainly apply to the Team Deathmatch mode, however most can be applied to all modes. Happy hunting.
Surprise your Enemy!
At the beginning of a match the two teams will spawn on opposite ends of the map. For the most part, the loot boxes scattered around each map will dictate where your team goes. First off, you’re going to want to get that first loot box. It will often contain some explosive and some blades, so you're only one component away from being able to craft most things in the game, and sometimes you may even get the components to create a nail or smoke bomb from the off. Usually what will then happen is that your teammates will decide to either take the left route or the right route, where they’ll usually make enemy contact and if they win, get more loot box items. What you do next depends largely on how you play and what kind of skills you have. If you want to surprise your enemy, take neither route and cut straight down the middle. This is especially good if the centre path has good cover. If your team does make contact with enemies they may be slightly disadvantaged as the numbers will most likely be 3 on 4. However, once the shooting starts, you’ll know which path your enemies chose, allowing you to flank them and come up from behind them. This is especially true for those who equip the Covert Training perk, as users will be able to shiv an enemy from behind. Nothing’s more satisfying than taking out a whole team almost single-handedly when they’re not expecting it.
Alternatively - If you’re not one of the sneakiest guys on the team then...
Alternatively - If you’re not one of the sneakiest guys on the team then...
Stick. Together.
If you don’t plan on attempting to flank then stick close to your teammates. This, unlike the previous tip, is true for all stages of the game; not just the start. If you go one way and your team goes another, there’s a 50/50 chance that you’ll be facing 4 of them with backup all the way on the other side of the map. Even if this weren’t to happen and you and another enemy player both went the same way, the chance you’ll lose the subsequent firefight and endanger your teammates trying to revive you isn’t worth the risk. So stick together. Four guns are better than one and ALWAYS check your rear. If you’ve only spotted three of the enemy’s team then there might just be a shiv inches away from being buried in your back. In later stages, the urge to stick together is still strong but never stay too close. Always have a moderate amount of distance between you. Not only does this mean that generally speaking at least one person will be able to see what’s behind a particular piece of cover even if others can’t, a well thrown Molotov can potentially kill an entire team if they’re bunched together close enough.
...And Don't be Rambo.
This should come to no surprise for most, but as an avid fan of the multiplayer, a lot of people can be huge dicks about playing as a team. I’m not talking about battle formations shouted over headsets and such,
I’m simply talking about survival etiquette. When a player is downed, said player has a limited time where they can crawl on hands and knees to another teammate for revival. Of course, revival takes a bit of time, and a couple of shots, kicks or even a single press of the triangle button could mean it’s all over for Mr. Injured-Man. So one would think that reviving a player would be the utmost priority. For many, it isn’t. And for this reason I feel it a good reason to advise on your actions the next time a player is downed. First off, clear the area if you can. If you know that your teammate got a few good shots at the enemy, your best bet is to try and take him out, especially if you’re both in cover and the teammate is between you. If you successfully manage to take him out, deal with the fallen comrade first; his time alive is significantly shorter than the enemy’s. Revive first, then execute.
In another scenario, it may be that you and your teammate are both in cover. In this instance DO NOT attempt to take out the enemy. There is still a good chance you could be downed too, and then who’s going to revive you? Make sure you’re both in good cover, or move until you are, and then begin reviving. Even a friend with low health is better in a firefight than a downed friend. Also, don’t make the downed friend come to you if the area’s clear, no matter how much your Spidey Sense is tingling. Make the journey to them and get behind cover to revive them. Last point on reviving: if there are two downed friendlies, revive the guy with the least time left. Chances are you can potentially revive them both, however if you go for the recently downed it’s possible the first guy will die before you get to him.
I’m simply talking about survival etiquette. When a player is downed, said player has a limited time where they can crawl on hands and knees to another teammate for revival. Of course, revival takes a bit of time, and a couple of shots, kicks or even a single press of the triangle button could mean it’s all over for Mr. Injured-Man. So one would think that reviving a player would be the utmost priority. For many, it isn’t. And for this reason I feel it a good reason to advise on your actions the next time a player is downed. First off, clear the area if you can. If you know that your teammate got a few good shots at the enemy, your best bet is to try and take him out, especially if you’re both in cover and the teammate is between you. If you successfully manage to take him out, deal with the fallen comrade first; his time alive is significantly shorter than the enemy’s. Revive first, then execute.
In another scenario, it may be that you and your teammate are both in cover. In this instance DO NOT attempt to take out the enemy. There is still a good chance you could be downed too, and then who’s going to revive you? Make sure you’re both in good cover, or move until you are, and then begin reviving. Even a friend with low health is better in a firefight than a downed friend. Also, don’t make the downed friend come to you if the area’s clear, no matter how much your Spidey Sense is tingling. Make the journey to them and get behind cover to revive them. Last point on reviving: if there are two downed friendlies, revive the guy with the least time left. Chances are you can potentially revive them both, however if you go for the recently downed it’s possible the first guy will die before you get to him.
Brawl!
Brawler is the perk which gives a player +10 Health with every melee hit. This can be a life-saver in most circumstances. If an enemy gets the first hit in, with Brawler, there’s still a good chance you can win the fight, as long as they don’t have it too.
If you’ve been in a tough firefight and now need to engage in a fist fight, you stand a higher chance of winning. Plus, melee hits count as kicks to downed enemies. So every execution you perform can yield a further 20+ health boost. Not only that, but you can’t afford to not have it. While it’s true that sidearms can be very useful in fistfights as they do more damage, the skill required to stay on target while an enemy flails his fists is very high indeed. If you’re feeling particularly advanced, attempt to bob and weave. Most of the time, fist fights and are just a string of punches, one player mashing the square button, hoping you’ll fall first. To counter-act this, what you can do is move out of range of the player’s punches. This will surprise them, and if they’re slow off the mark allow you to get a shot in while they’re still confused by the fact they’re not hitting you anymore. In addition, there’s no lock on feature to the melee combat. Skilled players will be able to throw and punch, circle around the player and begin punching them from behind. Most players will be startled and continue punching in the same direction; away from you and unable to do damage, while you rain blows on them from behind.
If you’ve been in a tough firefight and now need to engage in a fist fight, you stand a higher chance of winning. Plus, melee hits count as kicks to downed enemies. So every execution you perform can yield a further 20+ health boost. Not only that, but you can’t afford to not have it. While it’s true that sidearms can be very useful in fistfights as they do more damage, the skill required to stay on target while an enemy flails his fists is very high indeed. If you’re feeling particularly advanced, attempt to bob and weave. Most of the time, fist fights and are just a string of punches, one player mashing the square button, hoping you’ll fall first. To counter-act this, what you can do is move out of range of the player’s punches. This will surprise them, and if they’re slow off the mark allow you to get a shot in while they’re still confused by the fact they’re not hitting you anymore. In addition, there’s no lock on feature to the melee combat. Skilled players will be able to throw and punch, circle around the player and begin punching them from behind. Most players will be startled and continue punching in the same direction; away from you and unable to do damage, while you rain blows on them from behind.
Revolver or 9mm?
The balance between the two is much more, well, balanced in the multiplayer than in the single player. The revolver still has more power, and stable accuracy, and so players with a less accurate/ purchasable firearm should consider this their best choice. However, players with a more accurate sidearm, such as the hunting rifle, should consider the 9mm their best friend. When players are overrun the hunting rifle is often unwieldy. Quick shots are possible, but a miss at that range spells certain doom. The revolver’s slower firing rate means the same thing, a miss means you’ll have to wait a while, maybe too long, before you can try again. The 9mm’s faster fire rate means that players can put much more holes in their enemy first, and also allows them to move away from the attacker without sacrificing too much accuracy. This way players can find a balance between a powerful firearm and a versatile sidearm or vice versa.
Listen and Utilise
Listen mode is available to utilise by simply pressing and holding the R2 button on the controller. When pressed, the camera will zoom on your character and the background will lose focus, in order to show how your character is focusing on his hearing rather than vision. While in this vision players will be able to see enemies moving around, unless said enemy has a high level of covert training and are crouching. For anyone else, even if they’re crouching, they will show up, giving you the advantage as you’ll be able to see where they are before being in their line of fire. Of course, they can do the same to you, so be very wary. If you “see” an enemy suddenly stop moving, this could be because they’re in listen mode, so you too should emulate them and freeze. With any luck, they won’t have heard you, allowing you to surprise them. This is particularly useful when entering an area of the map which has lots of cover and zero friendly faces in. Enemies will only spawn in areas practically devoid of your friends; which is completely fair. So, it stands to reason, if your friends are all crowded in one part of the map, enemies are going to spawn far away from that. Similarly, if you spawn far away from your friends, this most likely means a large group of enemies is congregated close to your friends, and you should head over there pronto to add numbers and get the drop on them.
'Endure and Survive...'
We hoped you enjoyed our little survival guide to The Last of Us, and be sure to refer back to our earlier articles on the subject over the last month. Maybe, once Uncharted 4 is off their schedule, Naughty Dog will makes towards that sequel we all want?
The Last of Us: Remastered is available now, exclusive to PlayStation 4.
The Last of Us: Remastered is available now, exclusive to PlayStation 4.
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