The original Resident Evil 4 single-handedly changed the course for the iconic horror series when it first came out in 2005. Injecting just enough of a new action element while still keeping very much to its established roots of horror and tongue-in-cheek comedic moments, the game essentially set a new standard and attracted a fresh demographic of players that avoided the infamous “tank-style” gameplay of the first three entries. For those who still never got the chance to play the original version of RE4 though and are now looking to try out the remake, here are 10 Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Conserve Your Ammo and Shoot Wisely
Many horror games that feature gun weaponry often keep ammo in shorter supply to up the challenge and amplify the tension, and Resident Evil has always been no exception. This means that you definitely want to conserve the ammo you find throughout the game, and decide the best situations to use it in to increase your odds of survival.
That means you don’t want to waste a whole clip of bullets on one single enemy rather than an entire mob you may need to kill to progress. Should you run out of ammo at any point, you’ll be left pretty helpless and likely forced to start a chapter or get a game over.
Luckily, just like in the original version, Resident Evil 4 employs a handy way to use ammo in the most efficient way possible. As Leon, you can shoot an enemy in a weak spot such as the face or leg with one bullet that stuns and opens them to a follow-up melee/knife attack. Classic headshots also down an enemy much quicker in general. We highly recommend practicing this method of combat, as you’ll find yourself using it quite a lot in the game.
Keep Distance Between Yourself and the Enemy
While Resident Evil 4 employs a grand mix of ranged and close-up combat, when it comes to fighting certain enemies in the game, distance is always your friend first and foremost. It allows you to better line up your shots — especially when it counts — and keeps you from taking unnecessary damage. Many enemies in the game approach you at a slow pace, so that only makes it easier. Every time you enter a new area, do your best to become familiar with it as soon as possible, so you know where to retreat to or how to use certain obstacles to your advantage.
Have a Weapon For Every Situation
Just as conserving ammo is important in the game, so is having a well-rounded assortment of weapons for every kind of fight situation. While a handgun is good against regular, weaker enemies, we don’t necessarily recommend using it in difficult boss fights. You want to have powerful guns suited for close range, medium range, as well as at least one for long range.
We recommend implementing a handgun for reliable, close-range headshots and those melee combo attacks mentioned earlier. A shotgun specializes in close-range power and crowd control, and therefore is especially important for containing mobs of enemies. A rifle is best suited for long range confrontations, and is your best way to keep distance from powerful enemies.
Lastly, a super powerful magnum-style gun, which is a classic weapon in most Resident Evil games, is especially good for boss fights, or for mini-bosses that you need to take down quickly. Note that ammo for this type of gun is exceptionally rare, and should be used as conservatively as possible.
Having this array of weapons at your disposal along with your knife will ensure that you stay on top of almost any dangerous situation in the game.
Don’t Bother Much With Weapon Upgrades
Just as in the original game, while weapon upgrades from the Merchant may seem appealing and a good investment, the truth is they’re not always the economical choice. You also want to spend the currency you accrue in the game wisely, and put it towards the best tools and weapons possible.
Thankfully, the Merchant is always bringing the latest in zombie-killing artillery, and in fact you want to put your money into buying newer base weapons that come along rather than upgrades for older ones.
The newer ones will naturally have better damage-dealing stats, so focus on investing in those. At the end of the game, once you have the strongest weapons, you can then start upgrading them as you see fit.
Check In With the Merchant Regularly and Sell Your Treasures
On the subject of wise purchases, we also recommend checking in with the Merchant as often as possible. While he’ll always have most of the regular gear in stock, he’ll have new items that become available during certain points of the game, and they differ in general depending on the area you’re in. You won’t be able to double back after the end of a chapter should you accidentally skip by him.
Also, don’t forget to sell any treasures you find along the way. They’re often the best way to accrue large sums of currency quickly that you need for bigger purchases. However, some treasures in the game are combinable with one another and then worth far more money, so be sure to CHECK BEFORE YOU SELL.
The Merchant’s shooting range mini-game is also another means of earning money and potentially other rare prizes. The game won’t be available at every single location he’s at, but always check whenever it is.
Upgrade Your Attache Case
While we don’t recommend upgrading weaker weapons in the game, we highly suggest upgrading your attache case as much as possible when you have the funds to do so. This acts as your storage for all of your usable items, from ammo to weapons to grenades and healing items.
Rather than a numerical storage limit, you’re given a certain amount of physical space inside the case to organize your inventory. Stronger weapons in the game require more space, and you’ll want to bulk up on ammo and healing items as much as possible for later in the game.
In the remake, there will actually be the option of different attache cases as well that each have their own perks. One can boost the ammo drop rate in the game, while another boosts resource drops. So be sure to put your money and effort into maxmizing your arsenal.
The Knife is Stronger in the Remake, So Use It Often
The knife is one of the most essential weapons in Resident Evil, but it’s not always been the most practical one. It could technically inflict endless damage, but while that damage is substantial especially if you’re low on ammo, in the original Resident Evil 4 game you were rendered immobile while using it, leaving Leon rather vulnerable to attack.
Thankfully, the knife has since gotten much needed gameplay upgrades in the remake that make it far more appealing to use. Players will now be able to move around and parry a multitude of attacks with the knife, be it thrown items like hachets or molotovs, or physical attacks from mutated Plagas. This all makes the otherwise basic weapon far more valuable.
The knife is also now more realistically subject to degrading and can break from overuse, but it can be repaired by the Merchant and even upgraded like any other weapon.
It’s Game Over if Ashley Dies or is Taken Away
Given that the premise of the entire game is about rescuing Ashley from the cluches of the Las Plagas cult, there is an ever-present threat of her coming to harm while she’s with you. You can’t allow her to be killed during a fight, or successfully taken away by the enemy. She is also vulnerable to friendly fire, so make sure not to shoot her by accident. If any of the above happens, you will receive a Game Over sceen and have to start the checkpoint over.
Thankfully, Ashley is now more reliable than she was in the original game, and some of her partner mechanics have changed. While you can beckon her or tell her to spread out in a given area, you can no longer leave her anywhere you wish while you go to take care of a horde of Plagas enemies.
She also no longer has a health bar. She simply goes into a downed state where you must revive her before she takes any more damage, similar to the partner assist mechanics of Resident Evil 5. Melee attacks can now also stop a Plaga from carting her off to a Game Over.
Finally, there is a bigger incorporation of co-op mechanics for Leon and Ashley in the game that help her be a far more dependable character overall than simply a bystander waiting for the fight to end. Along with finally being able to climb down ladders herself, she can help Leon overcome a variety of obstacles such as locked doors by using handy crawlspaces.
There Are Sidequests Now, So Don’t Forget to Do Them
While there were hidden nooks and crannies to find in certain places in the original game, there never was any actual sidequest content to do. That’s something that’s now changed as well in the remake. Sidequests will be available throughout the game, and identifiable on the map by blue flyers. They’ll involve a variety of tasks such as puzzles, delivering snake corpses, and putting an infected dog out of its misery. Yikes.
Save Those Herbs!
Herbs are the classic healing item found in every Resident Evil game, including the remake. They come in three basic colors: green, red, and yellow. While first aid sprays simply heal you back to full, herbs are in fact far more versatile and you don’t necessarily want to use one as soon as you pick it up. They can be used in a variety of combinations for different purposes.
The green herb is the basic healing herb. One will restore part of your health, while two or three combined will restore either most of your health or all of it.
The red herb is meant to be combined with one green herb to create a full-heal item similar to the first aid spray. It’s far more convenient than using up three green herbs to create the same thing.
The yellow herb is meant to be combined with a green herb in order increase your overall health bar. You can also combine one green herb, one red herb, and one yellow herb to both increase your heath bar and heal you to full at the same time. Very handy, so make efficient use of your herbs to maximize your healing resources.
That concludes our guide to 10 Tips and Trips for Beginners in Resident Evil 4 Remake. We hope you find this useful as you embark on the new, remastered adventure as Leon Kennedy. Let us know what else you would suggest for anyone just getting into the Resident Evil series.
Also be sure to check out our official review and all of our other guides for everything in the new Resident Evil 4 Remake, including a list of changes and features you should be aware of before taking that fated trip to rural Spain.
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