There's multiple types of infected lurking in the world of The Last of Us Part 2. One of the most unnerving types is the returning Stalker, which tracks you and almost plays mind games, lurking around corners and waiting to ambush the moment your back is turned. Here's how you can try to avoid Stalkers in The Last of Us Part 2.

How to avoid Stalkers in The Last of Us Part 2

There's some good news and bad news. The good news is, you won't encounter Stalkers as frequently as you will the Runners or Clickers. The bad news? Stalkers come at you in far greater numbers than in the original game. One particular encounter in a building actually has nearly two dozen of the monsters, which is more Stalkers than you'd fight in the entirety of The Last of Us.

Avoiding Stalkers is very difficult, as unlike the Runners and Clickers, which wander aimlessly, Stalkers actively seek you out. Then, once they've closed in, Stalkers unleash a wild of combo of flailing swipes. Combined with their increased damage resistance due to the extend of the fungal growth, don't engage in melee attacks unless you have a weapon like a machete.

Instead, try to crouch and stay low but you need to move quickly. Don't wait for them to show themselves. Instead, throw a glass bottle or brick to distract them. As they close in on the noise, either make your way to an exit or hurl a Molotov cocktail on the now-gathered infected.

If they know where you are, Stalkers will wait, circling you and approaching from multiple angles. Try to keep your back to the wall and reduce possible sightlines. If you can't get your back against the wall, place a Trap Bomb in one path and focus your guns on another. A couple of headshots from a handgun, or a single shotgun blast, will put a Stalker down.

The Last of Us Part 2 is a long, arduous story

The Last of Us Part 2 is Naughty Dog's longest game, telling a dark story of what hatred drives people to do. If you'd like to learn more about it, you can read our review from PlayStation lead Jennifer Locke. In it, she wrote that "The Last of Us Part 2 is an outstanding achievement in storytelling with believable, flawed characters, but some of the narrative decisions are sure to be divisive."