Master Bill’s custom shotgun strategy to efficiently unlock the Biology Lesson trophy in No Return mode
Understanding the Biology Lesson Trophy Requirements


Biology Lesson represents one of the newest achievement additions within The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered: No Return roguelike experience. This challenging trophy demands specific conditions: you must successfully complete an entire campaign run while controlling Bill and secure the final elimination of a Bloater enemy type exclusively using his signature customized pump-action shotgun. While this objective appears straightforward, the execution presents multiple strategic hurdles that require careful planning.
Unlike most playable characters who begin with their specialized weapons readily available, Bill’s distinctive shotgun remains inaccessible during initial stages. You’ll need to locate and complete specific dead drop missions scattered throughout your run, then retrieve the weapon from your safehouse arsenal. Be aware that dead drop contents generate randomly each attempt, creating significant variability in acquisition timing.
Also read: How to unlock Bill and Marlene in The Last of Us Part 2 No Return
Although Bill’s modified shotgun delivers enhanced stopping power compared to standard variants, it fundamentally operates as an upgraded version of the same weapon class rather than a completely unique armament. Exercise extreme ammunition discipline since resources remain consistently scarce throughout No Return campaigns. Once you successfully obtain this firearm, your primary objective shifts toward ensuring your current run culminates in one of the two designated Bloater boss confrontations.
Strategic Preparation: Setting Up for Success
The No Return mode’s customizable nature provides crucial advantages for trophy hunters. You can meticulously tailor your campaign parameters by selecting preferred enemy factions, activating specific gameplay modifiers, and eliminating undesirable mission types. For optimal Biology Lesson completion rates, we strongly recommend disabling all boss encounters except the garage or arcade Bloater variations to guarantee your desired confrontation.
While the customized shotgun’s appearance rate remains relatively low across standard difficulty settings, engaging Grounded mode—the game’s most challenging difficulty tier—slightly improves early acquisition probabilities. Dead drop missions exclusively appear within these specific challenge categories: Assault, Holdout, and Hunted scenarios. Strategic mission selection significantly impacts your weapon procurement opportunities.
Eliminate Capture objectives from your available mission pool to substantially increase dead drop encounter frequency. Crucially, remember that activating any cheat codes or gameplay alteration modifiers automatically invalidates trophy eligibility. The game systems will not register any accomplishments achieved while these assists remain active, regardless of performance.
Pro Tip: Track your dead drop completion rate by maintaining a mental tally of mission types attempted versus completed. This awareness helps you recognize patterns and optimize future run configurations for faster shotgun acquisition.
Combat Execution: Taking Down the Bloater
Should your targeting precision require refinement, consider adjusting aim assistance sensitivity settings or enabling the target lock feature for improved shot consistency. While accuracy fundamentally outweighs rapid firing for this particular challenge, the Bloater’s substantial size provides a reasonably forgiving target profile for well-placed shots.
Also read: The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered: How to get the Queen Firefly trophy in No Return
Although the challenge explicitly mandates securing the final elimination with Bill’s customized shotgun, you can freely employ supplementary weaponry to degrade the Bloater’s extensive health reservoir. Systematically reduce its vitality using thrown explosives like pipe bombs, strategically positioned trap mines, and sustained sidearm fire before transitioning to your shotgun for the coup de grâce.
Ammunition conservation becomes critically important since the pump shotgun typically accommodates maximum eight shells total, with six rounds chamber-ready. Should you acquire a FEDRA flamethrower through dead drop rewards, deploy it aggressively as incendiary damage represents a primary vulnerability for all infected enemy types. Bloaters specifically possess extensively mutated physiology featuring protective fungal armor developed through prolonged transformation.
Advanced Technique: Create distance during reload sequences by utilizing environmental obstacles. Bloaters exhibit slower movement patterns that allow strategic repositioning between shotgun volleys.
Advanced Tactics and Common Pitfalls
You’ll rapidly exhaust your shotgun ammunition if attempting to defeat the Bloater exclusively through direct firearm engagement. Meticulously pace your discharges and actively incorporate complementary equipment without hesitation. The most efficient strategy involves whittling down approximately 80-90% of the Bloater’s health using alternative damage sources before committing your precious shotgun rounds.
Once the enemy’s health indicator approaches critical depletion, unleash your remaining customized shotgun shells to secure the elimination. The Biology Lesson trophy notification will immediately appear following the Bloater’s defeat, allowing you to efficiently dispatch any remaining infected adversaries to successfully conclude your run.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Wasting shotgun ammunition on non-Bloater enemies during your run
- Attempting the trophy with gameplay modifiers active
- Engaging the Bloater without first weakening it significantly
- Neglecting to customize run settings for guaranteed Bloater encounters
- Failing to utilize environmental hazards and trap resources
The Last of Us Part 2 is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. For more related articles, check these out:
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