The Last of Us Part 2 tells a personal tale of two characters who never lose aim on their respective objects of obsession. Incidentally, the act of playing this game requires that we copy that intense focus and dedication, and apply it prudently along with the many, many combat trials that await us. Thankfully, in the robust list of options, we’ll find easily applicable tweaks and changes for the default aiming settings, which allows us to make them completely our own. 

What follows is a short explanatory list of the available possibilities to tailor this most important of gameplay aspects (the pursuit for consistent headshots). Keep in mind that it all comes down to personal preference - we’ll just nudge your attention towards the right sections in the options menu with a few recommendations, in no particular order.

5. Correctly adjust the Aiming Sensitivity for the X and Y-axis

For those uninitiated, this refers to the horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) axis of the screen. So, assuming that you’re using a modern TV with a 16:9 display ratio, what you should take into account is the fact that the X-axis is way longer than the vertical one. 

What this means in essence, is that you’ll need a longer period to move the aiming reticle horizontally across the screen (from left to right), then the time required to move it from top to bottom. Therefore, the aiming sensitivity for this two axis should not be the same – because they are simply not equal.

Logically, the best course of action here is to set the sensitivity to be at least 1 number higher for the lengthier of the axis (example: set the X – horizontal axis at 7, and the Y - vertical axis at 6), which will mitigate the difference. In that case, you won’t notice a “slowing down” sensation in the switch between left to right aiming vs. top to down aiming.

Of course, practicing with different ratios will prove beneficial to you specifically.

How correctly adjusting the Aiming Sensitivity for the X and Y axis fixes the problem:

• Makes all movements with the reticle seem more natural
• Immediately noticeable change that improves the on-screen translation of all movements done with the R3 stick

How to apply this setting: 

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose Options > Controls > under “Camera Sensitivity” > Adjust the Aiming Sensitivity X and Y sliders

4. Choose the style of aim reticle you’re most comfortable with

There are three paths to opt for here: playing with no reticle whatsoever; choosing a simple white dot as an indicator; or the default setting, which is a white circle with different widths, depending on the currently held weapon.

Those looking for a more immersive experience will surely look for ways to minimize the HUD as much as possible, and playing without a reticle is no doubt the most “realistic” option. Those who don’t like to guess where exactly the center of the screen is can decide between a small but precise white dot, or a bigger circle, which only approximately indicates where a bullet will land.  Important to note is that with the default option, the “fall off” trajectory of a bullet (or arrow), can be more easily deduced as well.

How choosing the right style of the reticle for you, fixes the problem:

• A reticle is a persistent “screen decoration” in TLoU 2, so having it stylized according to the player’s merits is important
• A key factor in adjusting the overall difficulty/realism of the game 

How to apply this setting: 

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose Options > HUD > select the desired style of Aim Reticle

3. Tone down the Aiming Acceleration scale

A scale with somewhat deceptively hidden importance, it decides how fast the reticle can uninterruptedly travel from one corner of the screen towards the opposite. In practice, this refers to the speed our reticle we’ll follow a moving target with, across a distance of 10-15 meters or more.

Setting a higher value to the slider (as is by default), means that the acceleration speed of our aim will be quite slow at first, but will hasten dramatically even in the next second. As a result, it can feel “chaotic” and imprecise in that default state.

How toning down the Aiming Acceleration scale fixes the problem:

• Slower acceleration more authentically imitates aiming in real life and feels way more dependable in combat
• Corrects an unnecessarily high significance of an obviously “video-gamey” element 

How to apply this setting: 

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose Options > Controls > Under “Camera Sensitivity” > adjust the Aiming Acceleration scale

2. Adjust the Aiming Ramp Power scale to your personal preference

This option sets the responsiveness of the reticle in relation to the force you apply to the aiming stick. For instance, setting a higher number for this scale will result in lesser reticle movements done with very little pushing of the R3 stick. Or vice versa – lowering the scale will prompt faster aim travel speed, done with that same amount of force.

This is kind of a “sister” setting to the Aiming Acceleration scale, and fiddling with this one will also prove consequential to the overall “feel” of the combat.

How adjusting the Aiming Ramp Power scale to your personal preference, fixes the problem:

• Players can find the default setting strange if previously used to games with a different setting for this aiming option

How to apply this setting: 

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose Options > Controls > Under “Camera Sensitivity” > adjust the Aiming Ramp Power scale

1. Set the Aim Assist scale to your personal preference

Abby is ready to apply some good aiming

This is a double-edged sword of an option and a real game-changer at that. What it does is, visibly impeding with your control over the aiming reticle, whenever it approaches a target. In other words, the closer you bring the aim to an enemy, the slower the aiming movement will be. Hence, it will be harder to miss a shot with a “sticking” reticle, but at the same time, it’s much more cumbersome to switch to a different target that way. 

Needless to say, purists wouldn’t go near this option, but that doesn’t make it any less viable or practical. After all, TLoU 2 is a video game, and the ability to fine-tune it to your desired experience is always complementary to its quality as a product.   

How setting the Aim Assist scale to your personal preference, fixes the problem:

• Aiming with a controller isn’t as precise as aiming with a mouse, so enabling “aim assist” in a console game, never feels like cheating
• It doesn’t make the game easier, only more accessible. It won’t “dumb down” the enemy AI, nor will it help with playing stealthily

How to apply this setting: 

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose Options > Controls > under “Assistance” > adjust the Aim Assist scale

As one can see, it takes just a few minutes of experimentation with this group of options, to stop feeling aimless in Seattle. What set of preferences will you apply in your play-trough?

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