How "Auto Pick-Up Enabled" Changes the No Damage Run in The Last of Us Part II Remastered

The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PlayStation 5 is a game I have played more times than I care to count. Each run teaches me something new about its systems, its pacing, and the quiet trade-offs Naughty Dog built into every encounter. Recently, I committed to a no damage run on Grounded+ difficulty with chronological mode and maximum upgrades. It sounds almost contradictory, chasing a perfect hitless playthrough while also collecting every artifact and note scattered across Seattle, Jackson, and Santa Barbara. One setting I initially dismissed made that whole experience possible: auto pick-up enabled.

Let me back up a little. Grounded+ difficulty strips away the safety nets. One bullet can end a run. The Listen Mode is disabled, resources are scarce, and enemies flank with ruthless intelligence. In that environment, every second you spend staring at the ground looting drawers or rifling through desks is a second you are not watching for patrols. That is where the accessibility settings come in. Naughty Dog packed an incredible range of options into this Remastered edition, and I have cycled through most of them. But auto pick-up enabled is the one that quietly changed how I move through the world.

Why Picking Things Up Matters More Than You Think

In a standard playthrough, you walk up to a collectible item, press Triangle, and watch Ellie or Abby pocket it. That animation takes about a second and a half. Over the course of a full all collectibles run, those seconds add up to minutes of downtime. On Grounded+ difficulty, downtime is dangerous. Enemies respawn, patrol routes shift, and the game never pauses while you are looting. With auto pick-up enabled, you simply walk near the item and it is collected automatically. There is no button prompt, no animation lock, no vulnerability window.

For a no damage run, that is enormous. I cannot afford to take a single hit. If an infected bursts through a door while I am bent over a workbench, I am dead. With auto pick-up enabled, I can keep my camera facing the threat, keep my weapon ready, and still vacuum up every supplement manual, every artifact, every piece of lore hidden in the environment. It lets me stay in a combat-ready posture at all times. That is the kind of practical benefit that does not show up in a patch note but completely changes how you approach the game.

The All Collectibles Challenge on Grounded+

Chasing all collectibles on Grounded+ is a specific kind of masochism. The game has over a hundred collectible items scattered across the campaign, from trading cards and coins to journal entries and hidden safes. In the standard mode, you can backtrack through a cleared area to sweep for missed items. But on Grounded+, cleared areas are not always safe. Enemies can respawn if you leave and return, and the open sections of Seattle often have wandering Scars or WLF patrols that do not despawn. Chronological mode, which lets you replay chapters in story order without losing your upgrades, helps a little, but you still have to survive every encounter.

I found that my movement patterns changed dramatically once I turned on auto pick-up enabled. Instead of zigzagging across a room to manually grab each item, I could plan a path that passed near every collectible while keeping cover between me and sightlines. In the downtown Seattle section, for example, there is a bank with a safe combination and a trading card on a counter. Without auto pick-up, I would have to expose myself twice. With it, I can sweep past both points in one fluid movement and never break my line of sight on the door. Small adjustments like that add up across a six-hour run.

Maximum Upgrades and the Skill Tree Synergy

Maximum upgrades are available from the start in this Remastered mode, which sounds like it would trivialize the challenge. It does not. Enemies hit just as hard, and you still have to manage your resources carefully. But it does change which upgrades you prioritize. With auto pick-up enabled, I leaned heavily into mobility skills in the skill tree. Faster sprint recovery, quieter movement, and the dodge ability became my core investments. I did not need to invest as much in weapon sway reduction or crafting speed because I was spending less time in menus and more time moving.

The weapon upgrades themselves also benefit from the auto loot behavior. When you pick up a new firearm, auto pick-up enabled does not automatically swap your equipped weapon, but it does collect ammo and parts from enemies without you needing to manually search each body. In the heat of combat, that is a lifesaver. I can kill an enemy, sprint past their body, and keep moving while the game quietly adds a few rounds of pistol ammo or a suppressor to my inventory. It keeps the flow state intact.

Accessibility Settings as a Gameplay Tool

I used to think of accessibility settings as something for players who needed them, not as tools I could use to refine my own experience. The Last of Us Part II Remastered changed that perspective. The game includes dozens of toggles for subtitles, navigation assists, traversal hints, and combat modifications. Auto pick-up enabled sits in that menu alongside options like auto weapon swap and auto center camera. It was designed to reduce friction for players with motor or cognitive disabilities, but it also serves as a legitimate optimization for high-skill play.

This is not a controversial take in the speedrunning community. Many runners use similar tricks in other games, like auto loot in Diablo or vacuum pick-up in Metroidvanias. But in a narrative-driven game where immersion matters, there is a concern that removing the manual interaction with the world might break the sense of presence. I found the opposite. Because I am not constantly jamming Triangle to pick up a rag or a bolt, I stay more connected to Ellie and Abby's movement through the space. I notice more environmental detail. I read the notes I pick up because I am not in a hurry to move on. The automation frees my attention for the things that actually matter.

Practical Tips for Your Own Run

If you are considering an all collectibles run on Grounded+ difficulty, here are a few things I learned the hard way:

• Turn on auto pick-up enabled in the accessibility menu before you start Chapter 1. It applies retroactively to any items you missed, but it is better to have it from the beginning so you do not have to double back.
• Use chronological mode to replay earlier chapters after you have maximum upgrades. Some collectibles are only accessible with specific tools, like the bolt cutters or the workbench. Chronological mode preserves your full inventory.
• Pair auto pick-up with the high-contrast display setting for collectibles. The game highlights interactive objects with a subtle glow, making it easier to spot them while moving at speed.
• Do not rely on auto pick-up for crafting materials. It only collects items that are flagged as unique pick-ups, not generic resources like rags or alcohol. You still have to manually search drawers for those.

The last point is important. Auto pick-up enabled does not turn the game into a vacuum cleaner for every loose item. It specifically targets narrative collectibles, artifacts, training manuals, and safes. That makes it perfect for a completionist run, but you still need to understand the loot economy. On Grounded+, every bandage and sugar cube matters, so you will be opening a lot of cabinets by hand anyway.

Why This Matters for No Damage Runs

The no damage run is the ultimate expression of mastery in The Last of Us Part II Remastered. You cannot afford a single mistake. Every fight must be perfect. Every resource must be used efficiently. In that context, auto pick-up enabled is not a crutch. It is a tool that removes one more source of unnecessary risk. It lets you keep your hands on the sticks, your eyes on the threat, and your mind on the strategy. That is exactly what you need when you are trying to thread the needle through the Rat King fight or the descent into the hospital in Santa Barbara.

I have completed the run now, with no damage and every collectible in my inventory. The 4K ultra gameplay recording sits on my hard drive as a testament to hours of practice and a few key settings that made the impossible feel manageable. If you are chasing that same achievement, do not overlook the small toggles. Auto pick-up enabled might be the difference between a frustrating afternoon and a clean, satisfying victory.