The Last of Us Part I: Best Weapons

Much like its 2013 original, The Last of Us Part I features a wide range of melee and ranged weapons to unlock, craft, and scavenge. Also like its source, the remake comes loaded with its disappointing share of ineffective tools, a lot of which fail to make so much as a dent out on the post-apocalyptic battlefield.

As it goes, The Last of Us Part I does have enough sturdy unlockables to course you through to the bitter end. Question is, which weapons suit Joel the best, and how can you go about finding them to help you out on your quest to bring Ellie to the ever-elusive Fireflies? Here's everything you should take on board the next time you boot up Naughty Dog's award-winning poster child of survival horror.

5. Flamethrower

Who would've thought that an old bicycle brake would make for an excellent flamethrower trigger, eh? In spite of its unorthodox design, the fire-spitting ranged weapon still packs one of the hardest punches in the game, and can quite simply clear an entire room of Clickers without skipping so much as a beat. It's a darn shame, then, that it can only really be used on a few occasions during Joel and Ellie's romp through the Americas.

Fortunately, the flamethrower comes knocking right around the time where things start to take a turn for the worse. As it turns out, Joel can acquire the DIY volcano during the university level, at which point the weapon will make itself known to you as a former student's pet project. If you can upgrade it at the various workbenches scattered around the campaign, you'll come to find that the flamethrower, when fully kitted out, can bring all the power you need to take down any foe, living or dead. Zombie? Human? Burn 'em.

4. El Diablo

Ah yes, of course — the one-shot demon that bears the raw power to dismember a Bloater in mere seconds. It seems unfair that, like the flamethrower, Joel can only really make use of El Diablo for a relatively short period of time during the campaign. Max it out with all the best modifications at any available workbench, though, and your efforts to rebuild the hard-hitting hammer will definitely make it worth your while.

You have two chances to get your hands on El Diablo: near an abandoned car en route to the power station, and just outside the entrance to said power station. If you're able to grab one of them, then you'll definitely want to save it for the tougher enemies, as a single shot can whittle down health faster than just about any two ranged weapons combined. Plus, its ammunition is fairly scarce, so you'll definitely want to keep it holstered if you can help it.

3. Bow

The bow is an all-time classic out in the field, and perhaps one of the best alternatives to any fully-automatic firearm that one might stumble upon when trying to take the stealthy approach. Master it, and you can avoid confrontation with just about every horde or collective on the board, which also means preserving more ammunition for your loaded weapons stashed away in the holster.

If you're capable of pulling off a clean headshot from a faraway shadow, then you'll do well with the hunting bow, for sure. Plus, its ammunition is plentiful, and can quite easily be recovered, too, which alone makes the ranged weapon worth taking into consideration. Just be mindful that arrows aren't usually built to take down Bloaters—even if you can thread out a pretty mean headshot from point-blank range.

2. Hunting Rifle

It's no secret that the hunting rifle can bring the thunder in any combat situation—especially from a distance. And even up close, right in the face of your enemy, a single bullet can quite easily dismember and shatter their every ligament in a heartbeat. It goes without saying, then, that such a weapon would make a solid substitute for just about any other firearm in the dock.

The hunting rifle, like every other weapon in The Last of Us Part I, can be upgraded to not only improve firepower, but also its reload speed and ammo capacity. Load up on a treasure trove of armor-piercing rounds and a sturdy scope, and you'll have all the tools needed to overthrow an entire horde from the safety of a faraway shelter. Just be ready to weave together a whole bunch of clean headshots, though.

1. Pump Shotgun

For all those crooked alleyways and dust-smothered corridors, no doubt. The pump shotgun, for what it's worth, is perhaps the best close-range weapon in the entire campaign. Why? Well, mostly because of its high splash damage and armor-piercing rounds. Oh, and not to mention the fact that it can also eliminate Bloaters and other top-shelf infected in far fewer hits than any other weapon on the market. Add the additional fact that its ammunition is incredibly common and easy to come by, and you've got all the incentives you need to keep it out of the holster on a permanent basis.

Luckily for Joel, the pump shotgun can be obtained by simply reaching the “Bill's Town” chapter, at which point Bill will gift the weapon to him before setting out to scour the Lincoln High School grounds. You can also find shells for it by simply looting the bodies around both Bill's Town and every other explorable biome in the game. To make it super effective, try and modify its fire rate and reload speed at any of the available workbenches.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Are there any weapons you'd recommend? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.