Crafting Recipes & Upgrades — The Last of Us Part II Guide

Master crafting recipes and workbench upgrades in The Last of Us Part II to survive. Find resources and optimize your arsenal for the fight.

Mastering crafting and weapon upgrades is paramount to surviving the brutal world of The Last of Us Part II. This section will guide you through acquiring essential recipes, locating valuable resources, and optimizing your arsenal at workbenches. Remember, every bullet and every bandage counts.

Understanding Crafting & Resources

Crafting allows you to create vital items on the fly, from health kits to specialized ammunition. Each crafted item requires specific resources, found throughout the environment. Keep an eye out for these common components:

• Alcohol & Rags: Essential for crafting Health Kits and Molotovs.
• Explosives & Blades: Used for creating Trip Mines and Shivs.
• Sugar & Canisters: Key ingredients for Smoke Bombs and Explosive Arrows (for the Bow).
• Binding & Scraps: Crucial for crafting Silencers and various arrow types.

Resources are often found in drawers, cabinets, abandoned vehicles, and within the bodies of defeated enemies. Thorough exploration, especially in optional areas, will significantly boost your resource reserves.

Weapon Upgrades & Workbenches

Workbenches are your sanctuary for weapon upgrades. Here, you can improve weapon stats like fire rate, stability, reload speed, and capacity, or even unlock entirely new functionalities like scopes or silencers. Upgrades require Scrap and sometimes Parts, which are rarer and typically found in larger stashes or as rewards for solving environmental puzzles.

Finding Workbenches: Key Locations

Workbenches are scattered throughout the game, often in safe houses or secure areas. Here are some critical workbench locations you won't want to miss:

• Jackson - Patrol:
  • Chapter: Waking Up
  • Location: Inside the garage at the back of the patrol route, after clearing the initial infected.
• Seattle Day 1 - Downtown:
  • Chapter: The Gate
  • Location: In the auto shop near the gate, after solving the puzzle to open it.
  • Location: Inside the FEDRA gate, after climbing over the wall.
  • Chapter: Downtown
  • Location: In the back room of the "Barkos" pet store, accessible after clearing the area.
  • Location: Inside the bank vault, after acquiring the keycard from the safe deposit boxes.
  • Location: In the music store, after defeating the WLF patrol.
• Seattle Day 1 - Capitol Hill:
  • Chapter: The TV Station
  • Location: In the back room of the TV station, after navigating through the infected.
• Seattle Day 2 - Hillcrest:
  • Chapter: Hillcrest
  • Location: Inside the auto repair shop, after a tense encounter with WLF.

Strategic Upgrade Prioritization

While all upgrades are beneficial, prioritize based on your playstyle and the challenges ahead. Here are some general recommendations:

• Pistol: Focus on Stability and Reload Speed early on. The Pistol is your reliable sidearm for quick headshots.
• Rifle: Scope upgrades are invaluable for stealth and long-range engagements. Increased Fire Rate and Stability also significantly improve its combat effectiveness.
• Shotgun: Prioritize Capacity and Reload Speed. This weapon is a lifesaver in close-quarters combat against multiple enemies.
• Bow: Unlocking Explosive Arrows and Draw Speed upgrades can turn the tide in tough encounters.
• Revolver: Focus on Damage and Reload Speed to make each shot count against tougher enemies.

Acquiring Crafting Recipes

New crafting recipes are not automatically unlocked. You'll discover them by finding specific Training Manuals throughout your journey. These manuals are often hidden in optional areas or behind environmental puzzles. Always fully explore every accessible building and area to maximize your chances of finding them.

For example, the Crafting Training Manual (which unlocks the ability to craft Molotovs and Health Kits) is typically found early in the game, often within the first few hours of gameplay. The Explosives Training Manual (unlocking Trip Mines) is usually found in Seattle Day 1, often in a secured building or after a specific encounter.

A good rule of thumb: if you find a locked door or a seemingly inaccessible area, there's likely a valuable collectible, including a Training Manual, waiting to be discovered.