Tips for Grounded Mode

[LewyWilko93]

I have to say everyone, I am an average gamer on my finest day. Grounded on this game is actually NOT that hard if you learn it. Uncharted 4 on crushing is much much harder in my opinion. 

 

My tips are as follows: 

 

1. Watch and play along to speed run of the game. There is some people who are complete masters of this game and can finish it on grounded in less than 3 hours. Now I am in no way as good as them however, it shows you the best way to deal with each encounter, I would say a good 30-35% of the game can be avoided through tactics. 50% of the game is fine when you know where the enemies are and how to deal with them. Then there is the 15-20% of the game which is difficult where you need a bit of luck and a bit of kit to survive. It is doable! 

 

2. Molotovs are more important than medkits. 

 

3. use the shiv glitch to have 3 shivs at all times for opening doors and dealing with clickers 

 

4. in the sewers try and have at least one nail bomb and molotov for the final part of the chapter 

 

5. Shotgun is very effective up close and can one shot everything except for bloaters. Do not waste your ammo, wait until they are very close to you before firing 

 

6. do not be afraid to use ammo, it will drop. 

 

7. Run through Tommy's Dam, it is super easy if you know what you're doing 

 

8. do not fight any bloaters apart from the one in the school which is easy if you just keep moving and have at least 1 nail bomb or molotov. 

 

9. bricks are your best friend. If you have a melee weapon, hitting an enemy with a brick first means you can one shot kill them with a melee weapon afterwards. or 2-3 hit with fists but this only best applied in an emergency or against 1 enemy 

 

10. There is parts of the game where when you finish the chapter, time will pass and Joel will regain all health, learn when these are so you do not take a medkit for no reason. Some examples are: after pushing the truck/high school (you can complete pushing the truck without getting hit once so do not take a medkit after the bloater fight) and after finding Ellie in in the house with Tommy. 

 

11.  The hardest part of the game for me was the part in with Ellie and David where you have to "survive" all the waves. I managed it with literally 2 arrows and 2 rifle bullets and that is all.

   A - Stay close to David when low on ammo, he knocks them back so you can kill them with your knife (this applies to clickers and runners) 

   B - The bloater can be one shotted with the rifle if you shoot his knee as he drops from the elevator to the floor (pretty impressive right?) 

   C - If you do not want to try and kill the bloater this way, you need to save your nail bomb and molotov for the bloater

 

12. The suburb sniper encounter can be ran and completed in around 60 seconds if you watch a guide and understand where enemies spawn, same with the final encounter in the hospital

 

Good Luck! 

Edited July 13, 2019 by LewyWilko93

[HaserPL]

When you don't pick up ammo drops, the game will drop you more ammo.

[Only1Tommo1]

The biggest advice I can give is to play the chapters backwards. Allows you to use ammo a lot more freely. 

[Fr_0zt]

GIT GUD.  No seriously, that's what got me through it.

[Charizarzar]

This is good advice. I don’t think it’s all that hard either, it’s mainly just about knowing what parts are best stealthed and what parts to rush through. 

 

To add on what you said about shotguns, I always saved them for the infected because their movements are more erratic so it’s just easier to do it when they’re rushing you. The humans are easy enough to take out with pistols. 

 

You missed the bloater in the cabin, but in that part there’s a glitch you can do where Ellie can stand on a platform in the left corner (think it’s a box or shelf) and avoid being hit. 

 

 

[LewyWilko93]

9 hours ago, Charizarzar said:

This is good advice. I don’t think it’s all that hard either, it’s mainly just about knowing what parts are best stealthed and what parts to rush through. 

 

To add on what you said about shotguns, I always saved them for the infected because their movements are more erratic so it’s just easier to do it when they’re rushing you. The humans are easy enough to take out with pistols. 

 

You missed the bloater in the cabin, but in that part there’s a glitch you can do where Ellie can stand on a platform in the left corner (think it’s a box or shelf) and avoid being hit. 

 

 

 

 

I agree, some parts handled the wrong way can seem close to impossible. 

 

Same with the shotgun, I actually saved most of my ammo for the infected, there is only a few human encounters where you actually need to use firearms. 

 

I completely forgot about that bloater! 

 

I was actually surprised how much I love playing this game on grounded. It is the best way to play the game. Although I would not recommend without at least one play through first! 

[wackt1]

stealth is key.

[damon8r351]

Clickers will throw a little stomping fit occasionally. If you're in front of them when they do this then they can see you, even if you're behind an obstacle in stealth.

[BlazzingWind]

Playing through Grounded now for my second playthrough. These tips are awesome and have helped a lot.

 

Playing through on Normal it was never clear that Clickers in the unaware state could be killed with bricks or defensive planks. I didn't find out until the High School entrance area that you could, and that was after 30+ failed attempts at sneaking.

 

I will add a few of my own tips though:

1. Sewers - When you are trapped in the large room with a bunch of Clickers and Runners I was spotted after taking out the first runner all the way to the right of the starting area. Killed her and booked it to the ladder. It might have just been luck, but got up the ladder with seconds to spare and avoiding that nightmare of a fight.

 

2. Sewers - At the end of the chapter when you are waiting for the door to unlock. Right before the Runners/Clickers appear throw a smoke bomb at the open doorway you came from. I dont know if it is a glitch or not, but the enemies won't charge through the cloud. If done correctly, the cloud will just be disappearing when the door opens. I honestly dont remember where I saw this tidbit so if anyone knows I'll edit this as appropriate.

 

3. Suburbs - I lost count of how many times I died trying to even make it a few feet. It seems luck plays a huge part on this portion but it IS possible to sneak through the entire section without killing anyone.

 

From the start point go up the stairs to your left and around the house to the stack of wood in front of you. Move left and down the stairs to your right. Follow the low wall in front of you forward around a small bend to a blue trash can. Run forward to a small blue mailbox thing. Aim for the sideways bus in front of you and to the left. From the bus you want to aim for the alley almost directly across from you. Follow the alley around the  back and go under the porch. From this area you want to follow the gate on your right down toward the soldiers and slip into the backyard to your right. Skip the first house and enter the second. Stay behind the center island in the kitchen and let the enemy that will enter from the living room leave out the back door. Make your way to the third floor and done.

[patrickogorman19]

Last of us on grounded is way easier than uncharted on brutal.

 

Another tip is to use bow/arrows that way once you have killed a zombie or enemy you can collect them, therefore using no ammo.

[SHADOW-KILLER-S2]

On 7/7/2019 at 2:06 PM, Charizarzar said:

This is good advice. I don’t think it’s all that hard either, it’s mainly just about knowing what parts are best stealthed and what parts to rush through. 

 

To add on what you said about shotguns, I always saved them for the infected because their movements are more erratic so it’s just easier to do it when they’re rushing you. The humans are easy enough to take out with pistols. 

 

You missed the bloater in the cabin, but in that part there’s a glitch you can do where Ellie can stand on a platform in the left corner (think it’s a box or shelf) and avoid being hit. 

 

 

I did the Cabin part on Grounded last November normally and it took like 200 of tries, only to discover there is a glitch to make it very easy. Wish i knew it before, would have saved me alot of grief.

 

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmtKK5aK1e4

[sephiroth4424]

Regarding Training Manuals, if you got them all in your first playthrough, do the bonuses apply in NG+? For example, i remember that each shiv could be used three times before break. So 3 shivs would be enough to stealth kill 9 clickers. Since i can't see the HUD in grounded, i don't know if i have to collect them again

[Spacey_Dweeb]

1 hour ago, sephiroth4424 said:

Regarding Training Manuals, if you got them all in your first playthrough, do the bonuses apply in NG+? For example, i remember that each shiv could be used three times before break. So 3 shivs would be enough to stealth kill 9 clickers. Since i can't see the HUD in grounded, i don't know if i have to collect them again

Yes, you retain those benefits. I'm playing through on grounded currently and know this to be true. The manuals won't appear in the game, as you've already collected them. You will also retain weapon upgrades, and the perks from pills/medication that Joel can take. The exception to that is improvements to listen mode distance as grounded has listen mode disabled. 

[Quink666]

On 2019-07-07 at 10:06 AM, LewyWilko93 said:

 

4. in the sewers try and have at least one nail bomb and molotov for the final part of the chapter 

 

 

Or just stealth it and use just one single smokebomb for the final part and wait for door to open, no kills even needed. Saving that molotov and nailbomb for later.

Edited October 10, 2019 by Quink666

[Johny-B1976]

So guys, Is Grounded easier that Survivor...? Reason why I'm asking is I'm going for the Platinum trophy before the Multi-player trophies...! 

[Quink666]

9 minutes ago, jonyb1976 said:

So guys, Is Grounded easier that Survivor...? Reason why I'm asking is I'm going for the Platinum trophy before the Multi-player trophies...! 

 

No it harder, less of everything. You need to play MP to get platinum btw.

[Johny-B1976]

21 hours ago, Quink666 said:

 

No it harder, less of everything. You need to play MP to get platinum btw.

Yeah, there's 4 MP trophies in the main game which will be a real grind but I'm willing to push for them... and thanks for the info...

[LewyWilko93]

On 10/10/2019 at 2:29 AM, Quink666 said:

 

Or just stealth it and use just one single smokebomb for the final part and wait for door to open, no kills even needed. Saving that molotov and nailbomb for later.

dam if this is true it's impressive and makes a hard part of the game easy as FFFF***CKKKKK

[Juzota]

Bricks and bottles are your best friends. Also the glitch to get infinite shiv parts is really helpful.