In "The Last of Us" (2013), upgrading your weapons is a critical part of surviving the challenges Joel and Ellie face throughout their journey. Here's how to upgrade weapons in the game and some tips for making the process more efficient: ### Steps to Upgrade Weapons: 1. **Find a Workbench**: - Weapon upgrades can only be done at workbenches. These are scattered throughout the game and are usually found in areas that are relatively free of danger. They look like tables with tools and a vice. 2. **Gather Parts and Tools**: - To upgrade weapons, you need to collect parts that function as currency for the upgrades. These parts are found throughout the game by exploring environments, opening drawers, and looting dead enemies. Typically, they look like gears. - You also need to find tools, which are necessary to unlock higher levels of weapon upgrades. There are five levels of tools in the game, and each successive level allows access to more advanced upgrades. 3. **Select the Upgrades**: - Approach a workbench and interact with it. You'll see a menu that shows the weapons you currently have, the available upgrades for those weapons, and the cost in parts for each upgrade. - Upgrades include improvements such as increasing clip capacity, adding a scope, improving the reload speed, and more. Each upgrade will typically make a weapon more effective in combat. 4. **Apply the Upgrades**: - Select the upgrades you want and confirm them. Ensure that you have enough parts and the required level of tools for the upgrades you're choosing. After confirming, Joel will proceed to apply the upgrades to the weapons. ### Tips for Finding Upgrade Parts More Efficiently: - **Explore Thoroughly**: The most effective way to gather more parts is to explore every area thoroughly. Check every room, corner, and dead end, as parts can be hidden in less-obvious places. - **Use Listen Mode**: Listen mode can sometimes help identify moveable objects that might conceal parts or tools. - **Prioritize Shivs for Shiv Doors**: Sometimes, parts and tools are located behind doors that require a shiv to open. Make sure you always have a shiv on hand to access these rooms. - **Use Supplements for Scavenger Skills**: Invest in Joel's supplement skills that aid in scavenging, like increasing the radius of the listen mode, which can help identify items through walls. - **Don't Overlook Optional Conversations**: Some parts and tools can be found in areas that are only accessible after certain optional conversations trigger a new path or area. - **Revisit Locations**: If you happen to find tools in a particular area and you remember that a workbench was nearby, it's often worth it to backtrack and apply new upgrades immediately. - **Save Parts for Powerful Upgrades**: It can be helpful to save parts for significant upgrades on weapons you use more frequently or for when you find higher-level tools to get better upgrades. Remember that how you choose to upgrade your weapons can reflect your playstyle. Some players might prioritize stealth weapons, while others may want to improve firearms that are more effective in direct combat. Choose the upgrades that will best support how you play the game.