How Long to Beat The Last of Us Part II? Hours Explained

The Last of Us Part II takes about 23 hours to beat if you focus on the story, according to players on IGDB. If you search every house and corner of Seattle, expect around 31 hours, and about 43 hours for 100%. It's much longer than the first game, and it's one to take slowly. Here's how those hours break down.

Story only: about 23 hours

Following the story without lingering, you'll see the credits after roughly 23 hours. That's generous for such a linear game. The story picks up five years after the first game and switches between Ellie and Abby, giving you two big halves, each with its own pace.

Even on a straight run, you spend a lot of time hiding, scavenging for materials and handling tense fights. It's not a game you can really rush, and on harder difficulties that number climbs fast.

With exploration: about 31 hours

There are no side quests in the usual sense, but there are lots of optional areas. The open section of downtown Seattle in particular hides buildings, safes with codes and letters telling small stories on the side. Exploring them adds about 8 hours and gets you parts to upgrade your weapons. That's often where the most memorable moments are.

100%: about 43 hours

To complete everything you need every collectible (trading cards, coins, notes, journal entries), every weapon upgrade and every skill. Expect about 43 hours in total. New Game+ helps a lot, since you keep your upgrades.

How many evenings to plan

At 2 hours an evening, the story fits into about a dozen evenings, so around three weeks if you play four nights a week. With full exploration, plan on about fifteen evenings. The game is split into days and chapters, so it's easy to stop at a good moment.

One tip: don't binge it too fast. The story is heavy and some scenes deserve a bit of time to sink in before you carry on.

Tips for your playthrough

Don't skip exploring Seattle on Day 1: it's the richest area and the upgrades you find make the rest of the game easier. Grab everything that sparkles, resources are scarce on normal difficulty.

If you want to go faster, lower the difficulty and favour stealth over fighting. The accessibility options are very complete and let you tweak almost everything. If you haven't played the first game, start there: see how long The Last of Us takes.

Verdict

About 23 hours for the story is the right size for something this intense: long enough to get attached, short enough not to run out of steam. Plan extra time if you like to explore, it's well worth it. For similar adventures, check games like The Last of Us.

FAQ

Is The Last of Us Part II longer than the first game?

Yes, by a lot. The story of Part II takes about 23 hours according to players on IGDB, and exploring can push it to 31 hours. The game switches between two characters, which makes the story much longer than the first one.

Do I need to play the first The Last of Us before Part II?

Yes, it's strongly recommended. Part II starts five years after the first game and its whole story builds on what happened before. Without the first game, you lose a big part of the emotional impact.

Does The Last of Us Part II have New Game+?

Yes. It lets you start over while keeping your upgrades and skills, which makes it much easier to pick up missed collectibles and aim for 100%, about 43 hours in total.