One thing I love about The Last of Us, however, is that even if one's stealthy approach fails, there are still options. Joel is equipped with enough weaponry to generally hold his own in a fight, and can even run away and hide until enemies lose him. Unlike too many stealth games to name, enemies don't all magically know where the player is the moment Joel's spotted, and sometimes allowing bandits to spot you and give chase can be a valid strategy. There are one or two moments where I monumentally screwed up, but was able to claw myself out of trouble alive. It took quick thinking, and I survived by the skin of my teeth, but a level head and an awareness of one's surroundings can get you through an encounter still breathing. There's nothing lost in taking a long time to prepare and scout the environment before engaging a group of opponents, and a backup plan is a requirement.