Capcom has announced that Resident Evil Village has surpassed 10 million units sold worldwide. Released in May 2021, the game has reached this milestone in just three years, making it the fastest-selling title in the Resident Evil series.

Resident Evil Village follows the success of Resident Evil 7 biohazard, offering a blend of horror and action with expansive gameplay. The game’s critical acclaim is evident through its awards from the Golden Joystick Awards 2021 and Japan Game Awards 2022. These accolades highlight its polished gameplay and emotionally engaging story, which have captivated a global audience.

The release of RE Village Gold Edition, which includes additional story content, and support for devices like the iPhone 15 Pro, has further boosted sales. Each year since its release, the game has consistently sold around 2 million units, contributing to the massive popularity of the series.

The Resident Evil franchise has sold over 157 million units since its inception in 1996. Alongside RE7 and the remake of RE2, Resident Evil Village stands out as one of the series’ top sellers.

Capcom remains dedicated to meeting player expectations by leveraging its game development capabilities to create highly entertaining gameplay experiences.

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The Keeper’s Diary: A Biohazard Story, a Resident Evil fan film adapting the famous log from both the original 1996 release and its 2002 remake, has begun its crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. The short film stars Charlie Kraslavsky, the actor who originally portrayed Chris Redfield in RE1‘s live-action scenes. Here, he plays the unfortunate Umbrella employee tasked with caring for the t-Virus-infected mutants at the Spencer Mansion.

The campaign will run until early September and is seeking $40,000 in funding. There are various tiers with a range of backer awards, from a special thanks in the credits to character posters to a one-on-one video call with Kravslasky himself. At the time of writing, 21% of the intended budget has been raised so far.

The funds will be split between location/set design, wardrobe/props, cast/transportation, catering/lodging, and post-production expenses. The crew involved with the project includes director Andrew Saullo, perhaps best known for organising last year’s Resident Evil cast reunion, producer Andy Cox of Biohazard Declassified, D.O.P. Luke De La Nougerede and A.P. J.J. Trulock, whose YouTube channel Residence of Evil will host the final film.

Perhaps most informatively, the page also links to last year’s teaser, which was filmed as an effective proof-of-concept, as well as a full-length animatic for the entire film. This should hopefully give prospective backers an idea of the finished product’s length and content.

Another exciting detail for fans is that Ward E. Sexton, the voice behind the iconic “Resident Evil” title growl, will be performing that same duty for this short film. With this, Kraslavsky’s return, and the overall reverence the team seem to have for the material, The Keeper’s Diary is shaping up to be a Resi fan’s dream. If successfully funded, the movie aims to go into production in October, and release between Q4 2023 and Q1 2024.

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Biohazard, localized as Resident Evil for overseas release, has endured throughout the years against changes in the games industry and continues to receive new content. The landmark survival horror series that defined the genre for a generation of fans eventually shifted gears towards a more action-based gameplay style to market itself to American and European audiences. Before that paradigm shift, however, an early series entry accomplished a successful blend of survival horror and action without compromising the gameplay themes that began with the mansion incident in the original Resident Evil (1996). Titled Resident Evil CODE: Veronica, the game kept important story elements and characters while introducing new ones, and brought stylishly high-stakes, over-the-top Hollywood action to consoles.

As Resident Evil’s 25th anniversary continues, it’s with fans new and old in mind that we take a look back at the legacy and influence of the fourth main entry in the series.

CODE: Veronica was released just as the old millennium became the new on February 3, 2000, for the Sega Dreamcast. It’s considered by multiple critics to be one of the greatest Dreamcast entries during the console’s limited run, selling 1.14 million copies worldwide but selling about 450,000 copies in the U.S., its target audience.

A desire to extend the game’s lifespan beyond the Dreamcast led Japanese developer Capcom to release it again a year later. Titled Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X and released for the PS2 in 2001, this enhanced version of the game included additional cutscenes and story elements not found in the Dreamcast version. Including Code Veronica: X, overall sales of the game would total 2.54 million units.

Voice-over talent led by voice director Erik Suzuki helped bring life and personality to the game’s many characters. The cast is led by Leila Johnson as a new villain, Alexia Ashford, and Richard Waugh as Albert Wesker. The protagonists include Michael Filipowich as Chris Redfield along with Alyson Court, reprising her role as Chris’s sister Claire from 1998’s Resident Evil 2. Rounding out the rest of the cast is Peter Oldring as Alexia’s twin brother, Alfred Ashford, Bill Houston as Steve Burnside, and Martin Roach as Rodrigo Raval.

CODE: Veronica’s story is set in December 1998, in the aftermath of Raccoon City’s destruction. The game begins on Rockfort Island, an isolated location in the South Pacific that houses an Umbrella Corporation-funded facility. Former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team captain Albert Wesker has mysteriously returned from the dead and is now in command of a paramilitary group called the H.C.F. (Hive/Host Capture Force). He believes the body of Alexia Ashford, a former child prodigy of Umbrella rumored to have created the powerful t-Veronica virus, is being kept on the island. Following hot on Wesker’s heels is Chris Redfield, fueled by a powerful grudge against his former leader for Wesker’s betrayal of the S.T.A.R.S. members.

Chris returns for the first time since the events of the original Resident Evil. During repeated encounters with Wesker, He makes a number of choices, includes lunging at the superpowered villain with a metal pipe before being tossed aside like a rag-doll, a moment that’s an apt metaphor for the ongoing struggle between their two diametrically opposed personalities. Thanks to the YouTube channel Resident Evil Database, you can watch one of Chris’s memorable battles with Wesker yourself.

After the events of Resident Evil 2, Claire Redfield’s search for her brother leads her to infiltrate an Umbrella facility in Paris, where she’s subsequently captured by an Umbrella paramilitary soldier named Rodrigo Raval and transported to Rockfort Island. Claire is then imprisoned on Rockfort Island and later released when Rodrigo has a change of heart as a result of Wesker’s H.C.F. attack, which has led to an outbreak of the t-Virus on the island. In a twist of fate, Claire encounters Wesker long before she can reunite with Chris. Her first encounter with her brother’s nemesis (and ongoing series antagonist) is another fan-favorite moment of the game.

Steve Burnside, another new character who serves as a foil to Claire, is introduced as a Rockfort prison inmate with a heavy past. Wielding two gold lugers (which are also keys to the Ashford residence), he assists Claire throughout her journey as they try to escape the island’s horrors together. Claire’s subsequent encounters with the disturbingly theatrical commander of the Rockfort base, Alfred Ashford and his twin sister Alexia, and Claire’s eventual reunion with Chris is a story within a story; two pairs of siblings on opposing sides of morality.

Nearing the climax of the game, Rockfort Island is revealed to be a front to conceal the true location of Alexia Ashford, who’s eventually found in the Antarctic and surprisingly, alive. There, Wesker enters the Antarctic Hall of the facility (with its gothic European architecture) and is met with the sight of the newly risen Alexia, whose t-Veronica virus was his goal. The stand-off between Wesker and Alexia on the staircase landing is the most memorable scene from CODE: Veronica according to numerous fans over the years.

Alexia’s cackle as she mutates into her monstrous form lets players know she’s not to be trifled with. Duking it out with Wesker in classic Resident Evil fashion (as shown in the famous cutscene below), the scene involves Wesker being set aflame, maniacal laughter from both sides, and an astonished Chris as he looks on. Below are both versions of the scene for comparison.

Due to an outdated control scheme and console inaccessibility for newer generations, combined with fan debate on whether the game should be properly remade, CODE: Veronica remains a popular topic among the Resident Evil fan community. Capcom’s decision to skip CODE: Veronica and go straight for a remake of Resident Evil 4 has left fans wanting. So much so that some have taken it upon themselves to do what Capcom won’t, in the form of a fan-developed remake.

Resident Evil CODE: Veronica’s blend of the survival horror and action genres, obtuse, yet beloved puzzles, and the introduction of new lore and canon, makes this entry worthy of the series’ grandiose, operatic legacy. A fitting way to wrap things up would be with Alexia’s recurring theme throughout the game, best heard in Alexia Type 2, from CODE: Veronica’s original soundtrack; the result of a collaboration between Japanese composers Takeshi Miura, Hijiri Anze, and Sanae Kasahara.

With time, maybe Capcom will listen to passionate fans and provide us with an official remake of Resident Evil CODE: Veronica. Until then, the original release will remain beloved in the hearts of Resident Evil and horror fans alike.

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The remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 have come and gone, and in so doing have brought in an entirely new generation of fans. Lots of new faces have flocked to the fan base after experiencing these retellings of the classics, asking: where should they go from here? I’ve previously written starter’s guides for playing Resident Evil 2 (1998) and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999), going over the best versions to play, some starter tips, and skimmed a few of the bonus features along the way. To follow up on those, I’ve put together a similar article going over the details of the one that started it all and codified the survival horror genre — Resident Evil (1996).

Yet again, I’ll be breaking down everything you need to know in order to outlive the original survival horror classic from so very many years ago, and covering some bonuses towards the end. I should note, this isn’t going to cover Resident Evil REmake (aka RE ’02/REmaster/REbirth), which is an entirely different game in much the same way the latest remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 are. This pertains only to the PlayStation 1 original, and its subsequent ports and re-releases.

Platform

Just like nearly every other game in the franchise, Resident Evil (1996) has been ported and re-released constantly, with the most recent re-release only being two years ago. This can make it difficult to figure out which version to grab when you’re just starting out with the game, as each is wildly different from one another. The core experience is still there across all versions, but each release offers a different set of bonuses and changes, some of which are major (and literal) game-changers. Again, I won’t be covering the 2002 remake, (nor will I be covering the unreleased but playable Demake on GameBoy Color), so this is restricted only to versions of the original game. I’ll be breaking them down in the following order of release:

Resident Evil (PlayStation)

This is the original 1996 version and it’s as vanilla as it gets in terms of content. Offering only the original Jill and Chris campaigns, an extra costume apiece for completing their modes, and a bonus weapon for clear time. This version also doesn’t support analog sticks, meaning you’ll be restricted to the D-pad for movement. While still a classic, you’d be getting the least bang for your buck here, with used copies ranging from $3 for the standard jewel case version to $150 for the launch, long box version. The only reason you’d want to own this version is if you’re a die-hard collector.

Resident Evil (Windows)

This version released just a short while after the original PlayStation version and offers more or less the same experience. The one major difference being that it was the only international version to showcase both the full, uncensored opening and head-turner cutscenes. This version also included a new costume apiece for Jill and Chris and a new unlockable weapon apiece as well. The other big bonus is that you can skip the door loading screens. This version can still be played on modern PCs with a little finagling, although honestly, I’m not sure it’s worth it. It’s fun to see the differences and the models are crisper, but eh. Pricing for physical copies is a bit all over the place, ranging from $60-$300 at the time of editing.

Resident Evil (Sega Saturn)

Following the Windows 95 release, the Saturn version tried to offer a little bit more than the previous two did. Adding in an all-new ‘Battle Game’, a new costume apiece for Chris and Jill, and the replacement of the Hunter enemy with reskinned creatures called Ticks. They’re literally just brown Hunters, so it’s not really a big deal. Aside from the Battle Mode, this version doesn’t stand out much from the other two.

Resident Evil: Director’s Cut (PlayStation/PlayStation Classic/PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5)

A remarkably massive upgrade, Resident Evil: Director’s Cut is arguably one of the most advanced leap-ups in the entire franchise while still being the same game. Released as an apology of sorts (if you can call something you have to pay for an apology) for the year-long delay of Resident Evil 2, Director’s Cut offered an all-new ‘Advanced’ mode, which saw a variety of small to massive changes to mix up the experience (I’ll explain these further in the Secrets and Bonus Content section). While this version still doesn’t support analog sticks (although it does add a lock-on feature when aiming) it’s a significantly better investment over the original vanilla version. While you can find original PlayStation copies for around $10-30, it was recently included in 2018’s PlayStation Classic console, which runs about $50-$80 and includes a bunch of other games.

UPDATE: Resident Evil: Director’s Cut has recently been added to PlayStation’s new PS+ Premium subscription service, and can be played on PlayStation 4 and Playstation 5). This is now arguably the best and easiest available version of the title thanks to additions such as new HD upscaling and fast forward/rewind functions and the ability to save anywhere, as well as adding in analog support.

Resident Evil: Director’s Cut — Dual Shock Ver. (PlayStation/PlayStation 3/PSP/PlayStation Vita)

Released the following year to capitalize on the release of PlayStation’s new Dual Shock controller, this version is nearly identical, save for the inclusion of the Dual Shock’s rumble feature and analog support. It also features a new, and famously much worse score composed by fraud composer Mamoru Samuragochi. Aside from the mostly awful new soundtrack (I do like a track or two), this is generally considered the best version to get on PlayStation. It’s also probably the most accessible these days as well, available across multiple PlayStation platforms thanks to being sold digitally on PlayStation Network (although that may be ending soon, as the ability to purchase PSN games is becoming more and more limited).

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (Nintendo DS)

The final full port of Resident Evil 1 and my personal preferred version. Releasing for the game’s 10th anniversary in 2006, Deadly Silence edges on almost being a remake, remastering character models and re-recording the original score, along with adding in a smorgasbord of new features and content. Starting out, the first major changes include the addition of some of Resident Evil 4’s quality of life improvements, like the knife being removed from your inventory and bound to the L button, the 180-degree quick turn from RE3 onwards, and the ability to reload manually without having to combine in your inventory.

There are also new costumes for Chris, Jill, and Rebecca, along with some other changes like touch-screen controls for the inventory and the map displaying your location in real-time on the top screen (which also displays your health based on the color of the background). Along with all of that, while it doesn’t include the Director’s Cut‘s Arrange Mode, it does include the all-new Rebirth mode that remixes gameplay to include all-new puzzles and events that utilize the DS’s touch screen and microphone.

Deadly Silence will run you about $25-$60 used, but it really is the best way to play the game in my opinion. It’s also the only other version besides the Windows 95 version that allows you to skip the door loading screens, which is rad.

Strategies 

So with your preferred version picked out, let’s move on to actually playing the game. Unlike its sequels (yes, even the original Resident Evil 2 and 3), Resident Evil ’96 is a pure survival horror experience that’s brutal to its core. Even the most minor mistakes can cause you to reset massive amounts of progress, and the experience is slow and grueling. No automatic weapons or exploding barrels here, friend — this is Resident Evil at it’s purest and most uncut. Sagacious as I am, even I get my ass handed to me sometimes if I’m not careful. As such, it’s important to know going in exactly what you’ll be dealing with.

Jill and Chris

Unlike Resident Evil’s (1996) follow-ups, the difference between Jill and Chris in the original is more than story changes — they’re actually difficulty levels. Jill acts as this game’s easy mode, often being rescued by her friends when in trouble, having access to more powerful weaponry, and possessing two extra inventory slots. Chris, on the other hand, is limited to only 6 inventory slots, is never rescued by his friends (or rather, the rescuing isn’t out of your hands the way it is for Jill), and you’re forced to carry extra keys with you that Jill “The Master of Unlocking” doesn’t need. There are also story differences like Barry and Rebecca only appearing in Jill and Chris’ stories respectively, and how things play out with other characters like Wesker.

This game also features a very mild choice system that only occurs a few times throughout the story, which affects your relationship with Rebecca/Barry and the ending you get. It’s the only time the series has ever done this, so it stands out as part of the experience here.

Prepare for a fight

The key part of the survival horror genre is the survival part. Preparing yourself is one of the key aspects of Resident Evil, and it can be incredibly nerve-wracking trying to find just the right sweet spot of preparedness vs. being able to actually acquire new items to progress. As Jill, stacking your inventory is difficult. As Chris, it can feel impossible. Your whole survival hinges on how you balance your inventory and figuring out how to do so are key. My main recommendation is to keep a firearm and ammo on you at all times, along with one healing item. If you’re able to swing it, a second firearm and its ammo is recommended the further you progress, allowing you to diversify your damage output, as the type of foe you face evolves.

Your default weapon for both characters is your Beretta M92FS Saumari Edge, a 15-round pistol that takes about 10 hits to kill the average zombie. As you can surmise, taking that many shots to kill a single zombie means that it’s practically useless against larger creatures. The shotgun is the next step up the ladder from that, a 7-shot Remmington M870 pump-action that can pop a zombie’s head off with one well-placed shot. This weapon is key for fighting off certain creatures, so using it against zombies should be considered a last resort to get out of taking unnecessary damage, rather than wasting the extremely limited ammunition. Jill also gets a special weapon, an ARWEN 37 grenade launcher, which can be loaded with several different types of rounds like Flame and Acid. This weapon is devastating against nearly every enemy in the game, but its ammo is even more limited than the shotgun, so it should be used sparingly.

There are other weapons to be found throughout the mansion, but I’ll leave those for you to discover on your own.

Another key part of surviving is picking and choosing your battles. While RE2 and 3 are more lenient with their ammo and health, Resident Evil (1996) is incredibly stingy, and both are extremely difficult to stockpile. As such, you may find that the more pragmatic approach works out better in the long run. Sure, you might have enough ammo to deal with that zombie…but will you have enough for whatever is waiting in the next room? Suffice it to say, if you don’t have to kill something, you probably shouldn’t. That line of thinking can be applied to other forms of combat as well…

Prepare to get hurt

Dishing out damage is key, but making sure you can take it right back is just as important. As I said before, you generally have about 4-5 hits (give or take based on the type of enemy you’re facing, though some have instant-kill moves) before it’s game over. Unlike its sequels, your character will not reflect your health status in the way they move, and you are forced to check your inventory menu for your diagnosis, showing your health as an Electro-Cardio-Gram (ECG), displaying five health stages:

FINE- 75%-100% health.

Yellow Caution- 50%-75% health.

Orange Caution- 25%-50% health

Danger- 1%-25% health (heal immediately!)

Poison – This is a status effect that slowly drains your health over time. Your actual health cannot be seen on the inventory as it’s covered up by the status effect, so cure yourself as quickly as possible. While poison will not kill you outright, it will drain you down to Danger in a matter of minutes, which will get you killed extremely fast.

Like every other RE game, the primary method of healing are Herbs, which come in a variety of colors that grant different effects.

Green – Heals about 25% of your health, good for both bumping yourself up from Yellow Caution to Fine, as well as giving you at least a little breathing room when in Danger. These can be combined with another green herb for a 50% heal, and a third for a 100% heal.

Red – Does nothing on its own (a standard for this item) but can be combined with a single green herb for a 100% heal effect.

Blue –Cures poison, but doesn’t heal the player at all. Can be combined with a green herb to get the best of both worlds, or a red and green herb combo for a full-heal and poison neutralizing mixture.

It’s good to keep at the very least a green herb on you at all times, if not a green herb for minor damage and a red+green mix for major damage. Herbs are one of the most scarce consumables in the entire game, but keeping a sharp eye out and using only when absolutely necessary, you can end up with a plentiful stock by the final sections of the game.

There’s also the First Aid Spray, an item almost as ubiquitous with the series as the herbs, which will instantly heal you 100% on use. That said, it is extremely rare to find, and you should try to limit its use to when you absolutely need it.

Saving

Saving, like every other element of the game, is based around resource management. Saving is limited to Ink Ribbons, a rare item typically found in sets of three in front of a typewriter (which is used to save), although that isn’t always a guaranteed location. This means that saving itself is literally finite, just like ammo and health. There are only about 25 in one entire playthrough and about half of those are hidden outside of safe areas. You can easily run out of ink ribbons and be forced to play without saving until finding another one. Resident Evil (like all classic REs) has no auto-save feature of any kind, and death will reset the player back to the game’s boot-up screen. Saving often but smartly is key. Use your better judgment to decide when the best time to save would be.

In general, a good rule of thumb with saving is to do so once after every “major” event. The completion of a puzzle, after a boss fight, or after opening up a new area for exploration, for example. If you think you can go a little farther, then, by all means, do so. However, it’s your risk vs your reward, of course.

Exploration

Beyond combat, puzzles, or any other major element of a classic RE experience, exploration remains the centerpiece that all other aspects revolve around. Exploring every nook and cranny is a must for keeping yourself well-stocked, as items can be hidden in devilishly out-of-the-way places. There’s so much to find if you look hard enough, including ammo for nearly all your weapons, health items, and ink ribbons. While some items “sparkle” to indicate there’s something small that you can pick up, this isn’t always the case. Not only can items be hidden in the darkness or beneath other objects, but they can also be found in drawers, cabinets, and behind things.

Check everything, friends. Back in the day, fans would joke that the best way to play classic RE was to walk against the wall and mash the interact button, and it still holds true today. If someplace looks like it might have something hidden there, check it.

Secrets and Bonus Content

While the original Resident Evil doesn’t have quite the avalanche of bonuses its sequels would come with, it did end up getting quite a bit of extra content across its various re-releases. Unlike things like The 4th Survivor (Resident Evil 2) or The Mercenaries (Resident Evil 3: Nemesis), the extra content in Resident Evil (1996) is actually locked to specific versions of the game, and almost none of them cross over between releases (not counting the two releases of Director’s Cut).

Bonus Modes

Battle Game (Saturn)

This bonus mode was included in the Sega Saturn release and is essentially the precursor to what would become The Mercenaries. This minigame sees you playing as either Chris or Jill in a race against time across several stages, from the beginning of the game all the way to the end. You’re only playing for score here, as there are no special rewards for completion other than a sense of pride and accomplishment. You do get to face off against a super zombie version of Wesker, as well as a special golden version of the game’s final boss, so that’s neat.

Advanced Mode (Director’s Cut/Dual Shock Version)

The main selling point of Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Advanced Mode (as previously stated) offers a remixed version of the main campaign, which includes a number of changes ranging from small to massive. The most obvious changes are a large number of completely new camera angles as well as new costumes for Chris, Jill, and Rebecca that you start the mode wearing, rather than having to unlock them. There are also a handful of new cutscenes as well, which are interesting as they inspired several sequences that appear in REmake 1 (especially involving Rebecca). Item placement and enemy spawning has also been swapped around in some areas, and it can seriously trip up players who are familiar with Normal Mode. It essentially becomes an entirely new game, a middle-ground between Resident Evil Classic and REmake 1. It’s worth the experience, but I recommend it more so to anyone who’s already played the non-Adavanced Mode version of the game, as it’s deliberately designed to be confusing for returning players.

Rebirth Mode (Deadly Silence)

While Arrange Mode is what made Director’s Cut special, Rebirth Mode is what makes Deadly Silence special. Living up to the D and S in the game’s title, Rebirth Mode remixes the main game to include all-new features centered around the unique functionality of the DS – the touch screen, and the microphone. From puzzles where you have to blow out a candle, to playing five finger fillet with your stylus, there’s well over a dozen completely new and unique puzzles and events that supersede most of the original puzzles. In some cases, the puzzles are entirely brand new and not replacing anything. Rebirth Mode also includes a few secret touch screen functions that you’ll have to discover on your own.

Along with this, there’s some item and enemy rearrangement, a new boss-fight with a classic enemy, and semi-random ‘First Person Knifer’ challenges upon entering certain areas. These ‘Knifer’ challenges see you combatting enemies from throughout the game in first-person mode, slashing at them with your knife via the stylus. This mode only unlocks after completing the normal version of the game, but it’s worth a full playthrough just on its own.

Multi-Card Play (Deadly Silence)

One of the wildest oddities about the Deadly Silence version of Resident Evil is the inclusion of a multiplayer mode, both co-op and versus. This was Resident Evil‘s third outing with any sort of multiplayer experience, following the two Outbreak games on PlayStation 2. It operates similarly to the Saturn’s Battle Game, in that you race against the clock to escape, only now in co-op and featuring several of Rebirth Mode’s extra DS mechanics.

The most remarkable thing about Multi-Cart Play is that it features almost the entirety of S.T.A.R.S. as playable characters, the majority of which aren’t playable in anything else (nor have they even been animated before, in some cases). Everyone is here, save for Edward Dewey from Resident Evil 0, and Brad Vickers (neither of which had models in RE1, and Dewey is arguably not even canon to this game). It’s pretty bitchin’ if you’re a fan of the team, and lots of fans have wished that the mode was playable offline because of it. While the game supports up to four players, sadly yours is the only character actually present on screen, while the other three are represented by floating stars. I’ve never known what the exact reason for this is, but my best guess is that it was a limitation of the engine. It’s a shame, but still fun to play if you have a friend(s) that also own a copy, as it’s LAN only.

Master of Knifing (Deadly Silence)

After completing Rebirth Mode, you unlock Master of Knifing, which is the ‘First Person Knifer’ events expanded into a fully-featured mini-game, In it, you slash your way through several stages, starting in the mansion and going through until about the game’s middle-point. Speaking from personal experience, it’s incredibly addictive and there are lots of little tricks you can discover to maximize your points and reach a better score. Clearing the game with a B rank or higher with Chris and Jill will unlock characters for Multi-Cart Play, which is pretty cool (it starts with just Chris and Jill unlocked). Honestly, this’d make a pretty great mobile game, and I’m surprised Capcom hasn’t returned to the concept.

Unlockables Weapons

Infinite Rocket Launcher – Resident Evil‘s classic unlockable weapon, this is the endgame’s M202 FLASH rocket launcher equipped with an infinite supply of rockets. You get this for clearing the main game on any mode as either character in three hours or less, although it stays locked to that save for repeat playthroughs. If you unlock it as Jill, you can only use it as Jill on that save until you unlock it as Chris on his own save. Once you’ve got it though, it’s in your inventory from the word go and can kill literally everything in the game in one shot. This can be unlocked in all versions.

Infinite Colt Python – available only in Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Barry’s best friend is unlocked by beating the game on Advanced Mode, which can also be stacked with getting the Infinite Rocket Launcher for beating Advanced Mode in 3 hours or less.

Ingram (Windows Only) – This weapon, a specialized M-10 machine pistol with infinite ammo, is unlocked by completing the game as Jill in four hours or less. Like the Infinite Rocket Launcher, the Ingram remains exclusive to that save slot, but unlike the launcher, it can only be unlocked as Jill.

Minimi (Windows Only) – This weapon, a specialized FN Minimi full-auto machine gun with infinite ammo, is unlocked by completing the game as Chris in four hours or less. Just like the Ingram, it’s exclusive to that save slot and can only be unlocked as Chris.

Unlockable Costumes

Costumes are a staple of this franchise, however, they come with an odd catch. Just like Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, this game does not give you the ability to start the game wearing your costume of choice. Instead, you are forced to hunt down one of the game’s safe rooms (after clearing the game and getting the best possible ending), and acquire the Closet Key from the Inventory Box. This key is then used to unlock a special room located in the mansion that you previously couldn’t access, enabling you to change into a new costume. Weirdly complicated, if I’m being perfectly honest, and hacks off about the first 20 minutes of play in the new costume.

While all versions include the original unlockable vanilla release costumes for Jill and Chris, all subsequent versions only offered one more apiece. Interestingly, two versions give Rebecca a new costume as well.

Chris

Vanilla – A brown leather jacket emblazoned with an angel dropping a bomb and the phrase “Made in Heaven” scrawled across the top, and tan slacks (this is the same jacket seen hanging next to Chris’ desk in the R.P.D. S.T.A.R.S. office, and the brother to Claire’s classic vest with the same embroidery).

Windows – A dark blue motorcycle jacket with a shield symbol on the breast, collared blue shirt and yellow tie, and black pants.

Saturn – A black kevlar vest overtop of a navy blue uniform. Vaguely reminiscent of Leon’s REmake 2 uniform, actually.

Director’s Cut – Essentially a ‘dude version’ of Jill’s S.T.A.R.S. uniform. White t-shirt with oversized black shoulder pads and buckles, with dark green pants. This is the default costume for Arrange Mode.

Deadly Silence – A grey and black Halloween-store tier ninja costume, complete with face cover and gold fringe.

Jill

Vanilla – A black, low-cut crop top and black jeans, complete with a necklace and a short haircut, similar to that of Mokoto Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell (Jill actually has long hair under her hat in this game, so this is actually an alternate haircut, although it clearly became her default look later).

Windows – Basically a reskin of her Vanilla costume. A red, low-cut crop top and blue short shorts, with black leggings and red sneakers. The necklace and hair remain from the previous costume.

Saturn – Basically a recolor of Jill’s default S.T.A.R.S. uniform, changing the shoulder pads, pants, and hat to forest green and her shirt to a light blue crop top. Someone at Capcom really likes crop tops.

Director’s Cut – A white vest with a blue collar and the S.T.AR.S. logo on the back, with light blue pants and the same short hair from all the other costumes. This is the default costume for Arrange Mode.

Deadly Silence – I don’t know how else to say it really: a Halloween-store slutty cop uniform with a tight button-down shirt tied off in the middle, a black police officer cap, and black booty shorts. It’s kinda hard to tell, but it kinda looks like she might be wearing lipstick as well, her lips are a brighter red than in her default look.

Rebecca

Rebecca got new digs as well, but only in two versions, and they change out as per the costume Chris is wearing. Uniquely, these are the only bonus costumes from Resident Evil 1 to appear elsewhere, recreated as DLC costumes for the 2016 remaster of Resident Evil Zero.

Director’s Cut – A red and white version of her default costume, however, her vest and shirt are cropped to bare her midriff and her pants have been changed out for red short shorts.

Deadly Silence – A white, yellow, and blue cheerleader outfit complete with a mini skirt. Across the chest is the Capcom logo.

That about does it for the original Resident Evil, friends! While it doesn’t carry the same masterpiece status as that of its remake (which I’ll admit is absolutely the better game), this title is a legend in its own right and deserves to be played along with any of its sequels. Its unique atmosphere, clunky voice acting, and tight as a drum survival horror gameplay loop is what we owe literally the entire genre to, and it’s worth checking out. I hope I was able to help you get started on this classic, or rekindle your nostalgia for an old favorite.

We’ll see you next time when I ramble on for almost 5K words about some other Resident Evil game. Probably Resident Evil 4. See you then!

The post Survival Horror Beginner’s Guide: The Best Way to Play Resident Evil 1 appeared first on Rely on Horror.

After we had originally suggested this might be the case way back in March of this year, when the data of Resident Evil 3 remake was being mined by fans and examined, it looks like the game should be heading to Nintendo Switch sometime in the near future. However, there’s a bit of a “gotcha” packed into this info here.

It seems the game will be playable on Switch only through the new cloud service that Nintendo has partnered with, called Ubitus GameCloud, which lets you stream games to your Switch instead of playing it natively on the hardware itself.

The official image below, which is found on the website used by the Ubitus service, shows that the game is already being tested or prepared for the service under the name Resident Evil 3 Cloud Version. The image was found in the site data by users on the Resetera forums, and has since been deleted from the Ubitus website since the leak occurred. Ubitus has already brought Resident Evil 7, Control, Hitman 3, and Assassin’s Creed to the Switch using this method, and it seems RE3 may be next in line.

There’s a few major caveats that go along with this service, which includes having to literally wait in a queue in order to play games on the service if too many concurrent users are also playing the game at the same time.

Besides the queue part, you’re also required to pay the price of a full-price game just to attempt to play a game on this service (Control is $40,) instead of paying a subscription fee to have access to multiple games or a discounted price. Also, if previous cloud releases from Capcom are any indication, “buying” the game on this service might only entitle you to a certain number of days you can play, as the cloud version of Resident Evil 7 on Switch only gave access to the game for six months after purchasing it.

Besides those issues, these streaming services naturally require a constant internet connection in order to play, and you can lose progress when disconnected. Depending on your internet connection, there’s also laggy controls to fear. There’s also a partial loss of on-the-go portability of the game on Switch when you don’t have a strong Wi-Fi connection nearby. The fact that the Switch hardware only natively supports Wi-Fi internet, even in docked mode, also makes a service like this a real gamble and a hard sell for most users.

The release of Resident Evil 3 Cloud Version has not been officially confirmed by Capcom or Nintendo at this time, but the image is on the official site of the service and had been found and confirmed by several users and sites, even if it has now been deleted.

Stay tuned for any official confirmations, which may come sooner than we think.

The post Resident Evil 3 Remake On Nintendo Switch Is Real, But There’s A Catch appeared first on Rely on Horror.

Welcome, dear survivor, to Resident Evil 2‘s ultimate test of strength. For generations, The 4th Survivor has been one of the greatest challenges in the entire series, focusing not on combat, but on the dexterity of your reflexes and planning. Stepping into the boots of USS Soldier HUNK, we are tasked with escaping to the RPD’s front gate while wading through a sea of the undead and worse. With Resident Evil 2 Remake, that challenge has grown tenfold with its new and improved 4th Survivor Mode. Challenging, frustrating, and exhilarating to beat, it quickly became one of my favorite aspects of RE2 Remake. As it is so challenging,  I’ve seen many other players say they’ve simply given up on it. No more! This is war, and survival may be your responsibility, but that doesn’t mean that the Grim Reaper can’t make do with a little help to make it through this! Here, I’ve laid out my strategies for completing this gauntlet of the dead, with some added notes on your second run as the ultimate meat substitute, Tofu. I hope you find it useful!

Right off the bat, you’re thrust into the thick of battle. Well, not battle per se, as there are only a few instances where I would recommend fighting. This mode is built around evasion and strategic use of weapons over trying to take out enemies. If you try to kill every enemy, you will die. Here I’ve made some (crude, but what can you do) maps on how best to evade zombies and other enemies. Some of the enemies have slightly unpredictable timing, so be sharp and stay ready to make corrections to your path on the fly. By and large, though, this pathway has reliably led me to the finish multiple times across both PC and PS4. That said, if you have any stratagies that have helped you, feel free to share them below!

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A “NO DAMAGE GUIDE” OR A “SPEEDRUN” GUIDE. I AM NOT A WIZARD, THIS IS JUST FOR COMPLETING THE MODE.

Just after your slide down from your spawn point (and the “My extraction!” conversation), HUNK will be dropped into this hallway, with heaps of garbage on either side of him. While there is a door to your left, it is sealed, so don’t bother. Charge straight ahead and don’t stop moving, even as zombies rise. Keep to the right, hugging the garbage (but not so tight that you’re actively running against the trash, slowing you down). There are three zombies in your immediate path, but you can outmaneuver them if you keep moving. One of them may do that ‘double lunge’ thing they sometimes do as you pass, but if you keep running forward they won’t get you; don’t be alarmed if they do, it most likely means you bumped into something along the way and lost a second of your head start. If you do get injured, don’t heal yet.

The zombie at the far end of the hall, right before you step up onto the ledge, is the first zombie worth killing. Take out your shotgun and pop his dome. It’s just a little too hard to avoid damage (he can even bite onto your leg after you mantle the ledge) and you do not want to waste a defense item this early on. Once you’re up on the ledge, make your way up the stairs.

TOFU STRATS: Charge directly into the arms of the zombie you capped as HUNK. It’s better to be grabbed from the front and use a knife to get out of it than to be grabbed from behind while trying to get up the ledge and take an avoidable hit.

Keep going up the stairs, and then up the ladder (you can see the Umbrella tram from here). The room beyond has zombie dogs inside, which can be tricky but not impossible. Hang a right just as you enter and then move to the left, around the dog next to the empty lift shaft. He will go charging past you, and the zombie dog that was to the left of the entrance will leap past as well. Once the second dog lands/is otherwise out of the way, charge forward and down the lift shaft. Immediately turn around and drop down to the next level.

This is where things start to get tricky. You can (and should) just charge past the group of zombies chowing down, and head to the left, out of the room. The Treatment Pool Room becomes difficult due to the number of zombie dogs that spawn here. You have a couple of options, but first things first, pull out your magnum and blow the zombie next to the bridge’s head off as soon as you see it. It’s easier than wasting health or a defense item. Be aware that the dogs will start charging in one by one across the bridge. Swap to your machine gun, and kill them as they come. They’re simply too unpredictable compared to zombies, and there’s too great a chance of getting mauled and losing a ton of health here. Try to take them down one at a time, and don’t spray and pray; you can’t get more ammo so each bullet is sacred. Pick your targets and put them down like… well, like dogs. You might still take a bite or two, but don’t panic. Don’t heal either, as the optimal point for healing is still a little ways off. If you get down into Danger, it’s honestly worth completely restarting. Even getting into Caution is kind of pushing it, so try your best to take down the puppers before they get a bite in. If you dip down into that sort of murky-colored Fine, don’t worry about it. At the other end of the bridge, there’s a lone zombie with his back turned to you. Charge past him to the right, not the left, and he’ll swing around to try and grab you, but he’ll be too late. Turn to the right and then enter the door to the left and head down the stairs.

TOFU STRATS: This one is even trickier as our favorite protein brick. Since you don’t have any real weapons, charge straight into the zombie you shot with Magnum, and use a knife. The dogs are the really tough part of this equation, though, since you have no way of actually fighting them without immediately taking damage. Do your best to charge forward across the bridge, hugging the right so you can avoid the zombie at the end the same way you did as HUNK. You will more than likely take one or two hits regardless though, so try not to panic. Worst case scenario you get down into Danger, at which point I’d recommend you just restart.

This next part might seem daunting, but don’t worry. 90% of these zombies can be entirely avoided. Head down the stairs and run straight forward and then hang a left. There’s a crawling zombie on the floor that you’ll want to avoid. Now there should be a second set of stairs directly ahead, run down them. A zombie staggers to its feet in the center of them, but ignore him. If you keep moving, he won’t have the time to grab you by the nature of how long the “getting up” animation takes. When you reach the bottom of the stairs, run straight forward into the crowd of zombies that are all getting up, do not stop because there is a zombie hiding just to the left of the doorway at the bottom of the stairs and you’ll take damage you can’t avoid otherwise. When you charge into the zombies, hang a left to cross the bridge — one will probably still get a grab on you (in my experience, probably the zed that’s already standing up, on the bridge). This is fine as long as they grab you from the front. Use a knife to get out of their grip, and keep moving. Cross the bridge, turn left, and head forward and up the stairs.

Get ready to heal friends! When you reach the top of the stairs, turn left and hop off the ledge and into the water. Turn right, and run forward. You’ll come to a fork in the road, take the path on the right. A G-Adult will be waiting for you, but he isn’t your problem — a second, swooping in unseen from the left, is. Doing that charging under the surface thing, he’ll run straight for you. Hug the wall to your right, but don’t worry, either him or the G-Adult you could already see will grab you, and believe it or not — take the puke. That’s right, let that sucker chunder all over your face and poison you. Not sure how HUNK is still getting poisoned through a mask designed specifically to keep out toxins, but I guess it is an air filter, not a liquid one. Anyway, once the G-Adult is done barfing on you, reorient yourself (don’t let yourself get turned around, make sure you’re still heading down the right fork in the path) and start going. While poisoned, your movement is extremely hampered, so open your inventory and use that Blue+Green Herb combo that’s been sitting there conspicuously. This will cure your poison, and heal you a tiny bit. If you managed to get to this point unhurt, that’s the best case scenario, but if you did take a few hits, you’ll more than likely be in Caution after using the combo. This isn’t a huge issue, so don’t worry that much about it, but it does mean you’ll have to be a little more on your toes. Keep running, and turn right to mantle the ledge.

TOFU STRATS: Same deal, but this time combine the Red and Blue herbs and take it before even running into the G-Adults. While this can’t heal you, it’ll both completely nullify any poison damage taken from the G-Adult puke and give you a damage resistance boost for the next few minutes.

This part shouldn’t be too hard, but don’t take it lightly. Once you’re up on the ledge, head up the short set of stairs and hang a right, ignoring the zombie (even though he’s a member of HUNK’s USS team, very sad indeed) that’s getting up directly at the top of the stairs. Head right again, up the stairs, then left up the next set of stairs — but hugging the right a little bit. Charge straight forward and then curve around to the right, avoiding the zombie just to the right of the top of the stairs. Swing around into the first doorway on your right, and into the Worker’s Break Room, and into the elevator. Hit the button, and listen to the bitchin’ music while you get this brief moment to rest.

Again, this area looks daunting, but it’s a cinch. Make a left as you exit the elevator, then turn right and up the stairs. Turn left and enter the room. Several zombies will start getting up in the darkness, but keep a cool head and charge straight forward and hang a left as you get slightly past the middle point of the room, keep turning left, and you’ll go up the stairs and out of this shitshow.

Now it’s getting serious. Sorta. At the top of the stairs, make a right, then another right, and run down the hall. You’ll see a Licker at the far end, and once he senses you, he’ll come scuttling. Don’t mess around with him, pull out the magnum and pop him right then and there. It takes 3-4 shots in my experience, but put that sucker down. While you can avoid him at first, he’ll turn around and chase you and it’s way harder to avoid him from behind, so I’d recommend killing him outright. Why go through the extra stress, you know? Once you’re past the Licker, turn right and head for the doorway. A zombie is getting to its feet right in the middle of the platform but ignore him. Once in the doorway, turn left and keep running. There’s a zombie getting up right in front of the exit to this small room as well, but again, ignore him and run around, moving forward and to the left, up the stairs.

Keep moving through the room at the top of the stairs, and don’t stop. Neither zombie in this room (to the right of the entrance and to the right of the exit) will have enough time to even notice you if you keep moving. Turn left and run across the bridge, turning right and making your way to the Operator’s Room. This room is filled with zombies and zombie dogs, but swing to the left and towards the ladder, and none of them should have time to attack. One of the dogs might nip at you, but it should be fine unless you were already in Caution, which could send you into Danger — bad news, and it’s up to you if you want to use the First Aid Spray here or just restart (both are valid in my experience, depends on how much you think you can afford one healing item less). Head up the ladder after you’ve made your choice.

TOFU STRATS: This is almost impossible to get out of without taking damage. The Licker will always swipe out with his right hand, so stay to his left (your right) to run past him. However, be aware that he’ll immediately be on your tail and more than likely get a hit in as you’re trying to run away. If you’ve been keeping the pace up, though, that Red+Blue mix defense should still be in effect, and should keep you from getting too hurt. Be aware though, if you were already in Caution it’s very likely that this will put you in danger, which is not the health you want to be in right now.

Now we’re getting into some jukes. This area has a lot of zombies, but they’re placed very deliberately. Rush past the two zombies on your left, and curve around the zombie standing up on your right, and then move to the right. There are two zombies standing directly in your path. Move close enough to get their attention, but not get grabbed, and then move back a step or two (stay aware that there are still zombies behind you of course), and then run to the left and around both of the zombies, now that they’ve moved out of your way. Run between the two cars, and turn left at the pillar. There’s a zombie here, but just use a defense item to get out of his grip. Run to the door directly ahead. Inside you’ll see a crawling zombie, and down the hall, a Licker waiting for you on the ceiling. Now there are two ways around this: blow him off the ceiling with a Magnum shot or two, or run forward past the crawling zombie and let him pounce on you. If he pounces, you can just use a defense item to get out of it — but you’ll be less a defense item (which are going to start to become extremely important very soon). Whichever one you decide, once the Licker is dealt with run to the left, through the door, and up the stairs.

TOFU STRATS: You can’t shoot the Licker of course, so just let him eat a knife.

You’ve almost reached the middle point of The 4th Survivor, don’t give up! Do equip the Magnum though. Turning right at the top of the stairs and running down the hall, you’ll find yourself greeted by none other than Mr. X, and he’s here to pound your face in. Hang back slightly so you’re out of arm’s reach of him, and pop him one in his wrinkly face with the Magnum. This should stagger him for a moment, so rush past to the right, turn left, and get out of the Watchmen’s Room. Go right, and there will be a zombie blocking the door to the East Office. Blow his head off with a shotgun, and enter the room. Run around the left side of the room, where the windows are, and cap each zombie in your way to the exit door with the shotgun. Don’t worry about the ammo, you’re getting to the final stretch here (and the two sets of Gunpowder and High-Grade Gunpowder can be mix and matched into either more shotgun shells or more handgun ammo and more magnum ammo; you decide). Another reason for this sudden bloodthirst is it gives Mr. X time to catch up to you. I know that sounds nuts, but there’s a very good reason for wanting Mr. X on your tail. You don’t want him to actually get the chance to hurt you of course, but you also don’t want him to get too far behind.

Exit the room, and immediately turn left, running around the zombies as they stagger to life, and then to the right into the RPD main hall. The exit is blocked, so don’t even check it. Just keep running, ignoring the zombies around you, toward the shuttered gate that leads to the western side of the building, then turn right and head up the ramp. At the top of the ramp, there will be a zombie to the right, Kill him as a precaution to keep him from sucking up health or wasting a defense item. Enter the room to the left.

TOFU STRATS: Mr. X is pretty hard to avoid here, but there’s a chance you can juke him into whiffing a punch. Move forward a bit and then back up immediately, so he throws a punch and misses. Take the opportunity to run around him now and away. You’ll need to use your knives as defense items a bunch here unless you can get the zombies to mill around into a more readily avoidable path. You should still have like two and a half rows of them by this point though, so it isn’t that big a deal. As long as you have at least 6 by the time you reach the second floor, you should be good.

Run down the stairs and turn completely around, facing the zombie to the right of the desk. Shoot him in the head with your shotty, then run around the right side of the desk and out the door. There’s a Licker here, but if you time this right you can stop running just as you get to the door from the West Office and walk quietly forward, without catching the Licker’s attention. Manage this and charge down the hall to the right and up the stairs. Make sure not to get turned around and head left from the West Office, though. A Plant 43 (or Ivy, whatever you wanna call them) is hanging out over there and is an instant kill if you don’t use a defense item, which would be a waste here. Again, if you’ve been doing this right, Mr. X should only be a little ways behind you — this is critical to getting out of some damage soon.

Now here is why I was telling you to keep Mr. X tagging along. We’ve officially crossed the halfway point, and shit’s just going to get harder from here. Now, Mr. X is supposed to spawn here, at the top of the stairs with all the zombies, and will deliver an almost unavoidable whallop. The best case scenario is you still have a Magnum round you can spend on his face, but with everything going on there’s a good chance you’ll miss, or lose your chance thanks to a zombie grabbing you while you line up the shot. However, if Mr. X has been trailing you since you first encountered him back on the first floor, he will not spawn here, giving you some much-needed breathing room. If you’ve pulled this off successfully, pop the handful of zombies with the shotgun and duck into the Locker Room to the right.

Now if you’ve taken enough damage to get into Caution (or Danger, which is most likely if Mr. X spawned up here), and you didn’t use it already, it’d be a good idea to use the First Aid spray burning a hole in your inventory here. Gives you a fresh start before plowing ahead into what waits ahead of you. I don’t recommend using the Red+Green+Blue mix if that’s all you have left, though. You’ll need the defense boost later, so if that’s all you’ve got hopefully you’ve made it this far without getting hurt too badly.

Past the Shower Room, take a left and head out the door, and you’ll see two Plant 43s guarding the hallway. While they’re honestly the scariest creature in the whole game (at least in my opinion), brave them and run directly into their waiting arms. Once they have a hold of you, use a defense item to rock their world, and get outta there asap. The defense item should stagger both of them, as one collides into the other, so they shouldn’t be a problem anymore. Hang left and run into the Lounge. The door to your left will be getting pounded on from the other side, indicating a zombie wants in. Run up to the door’s right side, so when the door bursts open, you won’t get stun-locked by it hitting you in the face. Time this right, and you can rush inside and past the two zombies (one that just burst through, and one getting up just inside the Library). Run to the door to the main hall, ignoring the bodies that fall from the third floor (they’re more of a jumpscare and won’t be a problem unless you decide to hang around for some reason). Out on the second-floor balcony, turn left, then right, running past the Lion Statue. There’s a dog chowing down on a zombie’s foot here, but if you keep moving the time it takes them to get out of their animations will give you more than enough room to stay out of harm’s way. Turn right, and make your way down to the first door on your left and go through.

TOFU STRATS: Hopefully you won’t be too messed up, because you need the extra breathing room that Red+Green mix can give you later.

Inside the Waiting Room, you’ll see that the door on the opposite side is rattling with that telling zombie-wants-in shudder. The best option is to wait for the door to burst open, then kill each zombie one by one with either the shotgun or the magnum, and run out. I have managed to simply run around all of them, but it was kind of a crap shoot and I had trouble replicating it, so you’ll probably want to just kill them if you don’t want to risk the damage. If you used the First Aid spray back in the shower room, you can probably survive a bite or two here, though, so feel free to risk it.

Once you’re away from the zombies (dead or avoided), turn left, then right, then left again. A Licker waits for you next to the stairs and will come charging at you as soon as it sees you. Hug the right side wall, where the red fire hose (or whatever it is) box is, and the Licker should completely miss you with its swipe. Run for the stairs, and the Licker won’t be a problem anymore.

TOFU STRATS: Let the first zombie grab you, and defense item your way outta there.

We’re getting there, friends! Can you feel that tension!? At the top of the stairs, a single zombie waits for you. Pop his dome, and head out onto the Balcony. There’s a G-Adult to your left, so run forward towards the zombie dog, then hang left, running around the G-Adult and down the ladder. Easy-peasy-lemon-oh god there are Lickers at the bottom of this ladder.

TOFU STRATS: You can’t defend against the zombie at the top of the stairs while he’s on the stairs. Aggro him and lead him down the stairs to the landing between levels. Now let him grab you, and sink a knife into his stupid rotting chest.

Once at the bottom of the ladder, stop running; you don’t want to catch the attention of the Lickers to your left. Move forward towards the door, but be cautious of the two crawling zombies guarding it. Once you reach the door, start running again. It’ll take the Lickers too long to catch up, and they can’t open doors. Follow the hallway to the first door on the left, and outside to the stairs.

It’s the final stretch! Be ready to go into all-out war mode as there are a ton of enemies out here. Your blood should be pumping by now, but fearful is no word for it. When you reach the bottom of the stairs, you’re greeted by a fence leading out towards the RPD Entrance, with a zombie standing next to the gate. If you still have it by now, use that Red+Green+Blue mix you’ve been holding on to this whole time. This will completely heal whatever wounds you’ve got and give you a defense boost before you go charging out into the sea of undead. Obciously, it’s now time to go charging out into that sea of undead. Make your way to the G-Adult that comes from the right, and try to run around him (if not, just take his puke- it won’t hurt you anyway). Past him, there’s a group of zombies and Plant 43s together; run directly into the heart of them. Whether you get grabbed from behind by a zombie (which won’t hurt that much with the defense boost active) or from the front by either a zombie or a Plant 43 (in which case you should use a defense item) this shouldn’t be a huge problem. Hell, if you wanna play it risky, toss a grenade or flash grenade into the center of them, and then go running through while they either rain down around you or try to reorient themselves from the flash. Race to the stairs, and pop the zombie standing at the top with whatever you have that happens to be the most powerful, with the most ammo left.

TOFU STRATS: Ahhh! This is actually kind of insane as Tofu, but do basically the same thing here. Use that Green+Red mix you’ve been holding on to (if you still have it) immediately after taking any damage once you go past the fence (or right before, if you’re already in Danger). Use those last few defense knives to get through this!

You’re almost there, rushing through the path below the RPD front entrance. A few zombies populate here, but a shotgun/magnum shot to each will remove them from the equation. Run up the stairs, turn left, turn left again, and rush for the front gate. Hit your interact button and you’ve made it!

TOFU STRATS: This is really pushing it. Try to run past the zombies in the underpass, keeping on their backside to force them to have to turn to attack. Run up the stairs, turn left, turn left again, and rush for the front gate. Hit your interact button and you’ve made it!

Congratulations, Mr. Reaper. You’ve pressed through Resident Evil 2‘s greatest challenge and lived to tell the tale. While HUNK’s mission is over (and his dark cargo delivered into the hands of the Umbrella Corporation), Tofu may have some added reasons to return once complete. Take home your trophy or achievement, and know that you’ve mastered The 4th Survivor, friend. Remember:

DEATH CANNOT DIE

The post Resident Evil 2 Guide: How to Beat The 4th Survivor (plus Tofu) appeared first on Rely on Horror.

While we’ve been sent numerous cool things in that past, it’s never actually been me who got them — No longer! Capcom was gracious enough to send me a copy of RE2 Remake‘s Collector’s Edition, and I got the chance to do an unboxing video. Including RE2 Remake itself (and all it’s Deluxe Edition content), an art book designed to look like Ben Bertolucci’s notes, a poster/map of the RPD, a digital soundtrack, and a beautiful 12″ statue of Leon S. Kennedy. Oh, and the packaging is designed to look like the in-game item boxes. It’s gorgeous, to say the least.

You can check out my video and some glamor shots (thanks to my lovely wife) below, and of course, if you haven’t gotten the chance you can read my RE2 Remake review here. I liked it. A lot.

The post RE2 Remake: Collector’s Edition Unboxing! appeared first on Rely on Horror.

Perhaps one of Resident Evil 2‘s most famous (and weird) easter eggs is the ‘Recruit’ photo. Featuring an… uncomfortably photoshopped image of the RE1 actress for Rebecca holding a basketball, it required searching the desk of S.T.A.R.S. captain Albert Wesker fifty times. I don’t even know how anyone figured that out, but it’s been RE legend ever since. They even included a recreation of the uniform from the photo for Resident Evil 0 HD, which was pretty cool for fans. Well, RE2 Remake is no different — the Rebecca photo has indeed made the cut, and the methods on how to find it are slightly different now. If you don’t want to miss out, or have just tried looking everywhere for it, this guide will help you on the path to seeing the 2nd cutest person in the game (after Leon, of course).

There are some minor spoilers here, so beware

So your journey to find the photo starts way later in the game than you’d think. Again, in the original RE2, all you had to do was search Wesker’s desk fifty times to get the ‘Film D’ item. Now you won’t be able to retrieve the film roll necessary until you’ve made it all the way to the sewers! You can do this regardless of which character or scenario you’re playing.

While you’re on the Upper Lever of the Sewers, go to the WorkRoom, shown here. On the desk in the center of the room, there will be a roll of film titled “Hiding Place”, pick that up.

After acquiring the Sewers Key, there will be two rooms you can open with it, one at the other end of the platform you can raise or lower by inserting/removing a plug from the socket box beside it, and a second room that’s near the area with the dead USS soldiers called the Worker’s Break Room on the map. Unlock this second room, and there will be a set of lockers with the “I do something!” yellow tape on it. Walk to the right side of it, and hold down whatever your platform’s interact key is, moving it aside to reveal a secret room.

You now have access to an elevator that takes you right back up to the R.P.D. basement, and you can navigate back up into the secret room below the Lady statue in the front hall. While this area sealed itself before, you can now open it with the new T-Bar Valve Handle you should have acquired by now. Now that we’re back in R.P.D. proper, head over to the West side safe room with the darkroom photo development studio and dunk the Hiding Places film in solution.

You’ll actually get two photos out of this, showing two different hiding places. One is pretty clearly in the Press Room on the first floor, east side, but the other… would appear to be Wesker’s desk. Yep, head on up to the second floor again, and the desk in the S.T.A.R.S. office will now be interactive from the chair side. Pop the drawer open, and take out the Weapons Parts container.

That’s cool and all, but where’s our photo? Check again, despite there being no prompt, to find a roll of film tucked away in a corner of the drawer you just opened. Labeled ‘Rising Rookie’, there’s only one thing it could be!

Head back on down to the safe room and develop that sucker. You’ve now acquired RE2 Remake‘s version of the classic Rebecca photo, showing a modern (and more evocative?) side to the RE0 heroine we’ve never seen before. If you’d like a peek at the photo, scroll down more past me blathering on about whatever I decide to make the next paragraph about.

As I said in my review — RE2 Remake creates an incredible balance of classic and modern, and this is a great example of it. Maybe a smidge more complicated than it used to be, but nevertheless the same gist. It’s a cute touch, and one of many that you’ll find as you play through RE2 Remake. Of course, if you’re having other problems, like not being able to figure out the codes to the safes and lockers strewn throughout the game, or (like poor CJ) just can’t get a handle on the new and more deadly Mr. X, look no further. We’ve got you covered, friends and true survivors. Oh, and without further ado, my childhood crush:

Yeah, it is just photoshopped RE0 HD artwork, but hey. Gotta keep it ‘shopped somehow — it’s a tradition!

The post Resident Evil 2 Guide: Where to Find New Rebecca Photo appeared first on Rely on Horror.

Oh baby, does RE2 Remake look amazing. I honestly don’t think I’ve been this hyped for a game since Resident Evil 5‘s earlier trailers (regardless of how anyone feels about the final product, the lead up was great). I can’t wait to get my hands on RE2 Remake… as soon as it launches next January. That’s a pretty long wait, so I’ve been plowing through the original 1998 Resident Evil 2 in anticipation and thought maybe some of you were thinking of doing the same. To help you out, I’ve compiled everything I could think of to get the best RE2 Classic experience before the REmake releases — including some guides to get you started towards becoming a master at it and even unlocking all the hidden goodies! I hope you find it useful!

Platform

So, like most of Capcom’s library, RE2 Classic has released on just about everything you can think of. There have even been a few demakes, porting the game to systems like the GameCom, a Tiger 99x version (essentially RE2 for Tomogachi), as well as a canceled version for GameBoy Advance. We won’t be talking about those today, because this isn’t a humor editorial. No, instead, let’s look at the home console release versions and compare each for an educated decision on which is the best way to play. While I have detailed all the differences, if you’d like to see video from each version, this guy shows each being played.

Launch Version (PlayStation)

This is the original Resident Evil 2 as it launched in 1998, and was only ever available on PS1. This is probably the most bare-bones version, missing analog support, the EX Battle Mode minigame, and lacks various improvements future versions would include. It does still come with The 4th Survivor and Tofu minigames, but I’d honestly only recommend it if you have no other option.

DualShock Ver. (PlayStation/PlayStation 3)

The following year, RE2 was re-released (as Resident Evil Director’s Cut was before it) to support the PlayStation’s new “DualShock” controller, which featured analog sticks for better control (the PS originally shipped with only a D-Pad for movement input). Along with the analog support and all content from the launch version, it also included an extra mini-game, Extreme Battle Mode. This features new enemy and item placement, as well as the ability to play as Chris from the first RE. This version also introduced Arrange Game, which swapped around item placement while also giving the player access to the most powerful weapons (with infinite ammo) from the word go. This is the most easily accessible version by modern standards, as it’s available in the PS3 Store as a digital download for $9.99.

Nintendo 64

Despite the limitations of the hardware (not to mention being two PlayStation CDs crammed down into one N64 cartridge), this version managed to include all four scenarios. In the process, it lost all the other bonuses (like EX Battle and Arrange Game – replacing it with a “randomizer” mode). It does, however, add a handful of “EX” files that expanded on the story and even connects to future games (like Resident Evil 0 and Outbreak). It also is the only version that features a secret invincibility code, optional “3D” controls (as opposed to the classic “tank”) and settings for the level of violence and color of blood (cuz, you know, Nintendo). That said, this version is largely just an interesting curio, and suffers from the conversion to cartridge in a number of ways. Most notably, it has horribly compressed audio, fuzzier backgrounds, and simply awful looking cinematics. While it is neat that it exists, and is in many ways a marvel of technical ingenuity, there are too many sacrifices for the handful of exclusive files (that can easily be found and read online). I don’t really recommend it if you want anything close to a “perfect” experience with RE2.

Platinum Edition (Windows 98)

This version is probably the most difficult of all of them to work with, mostly because of how outdated it is. This Windows 98 port boasts fairly sharp character models, though they can occasionally look a little jarring in front of the grainy pre-rendered backdrops. This version has everything from the DualShock release, and also adds a gallery with concept art, CG promotional art, and even a viewable 3D model viewer. This also contains a Hard difficulty, which is brutal compared to the standard Normal mode. It’s the only version where the door loading screens can be skipped. There’s also a pretty neat gimmick to the keybinding screen, showing the character you’re playing as acting out each action in front of a mirror. Beyond those few bonuses, though, the Platinum Edition is a pain in the ass to run properly on modern hardware, with audio issues, crashing, and other weird problems. PC games age like bread.

GameCube

This is my personally preferred version. Released just after Resident Evil REmake, it boasts the best looking visuals of any home console release, as well as being the only version that has both Leon and Claire’s scenarios on one disk (discounting them both being on one cartridge for N64). This version is also the only one where you can skip the in-game cutscenes (but why would you want to?). It includes all the content from the DualShock Version but admittedly has little else to offer beyond this and using the GameCube’s wonderful controller for input (if you’ve never played an RE on GameCube, the controller’s button placement is amazingly well suited to the classic entries). The other caveat is that it was pretty rare to begin with, and today is one of the more expensive GameCube games, even if you buy it used.

DreamCast

This version is almost identical to the Windows 98 port, even containing the gallery and customization controls (as opposed to working with presets). If there was one fun exclusive feature, it’s the small HUD displayed on the VMU screen in the controller’s memory card. Few games ever really seemed to know what to do with this little screen (I still remember Spider-Man just putting a little picture of Spidey’s face and that was it), but it’s used here to display both the character’s health (Fine/Caution/Danger) as well as an ammo counter, meaning you just have to glance down to check on these things, rather than being forced to open up the menu. It’s a pretty cool little addition and makes this version feel special in its own way.

Strategies

So with your preferred version picked out, let’s move on to actually playing the game. While RE was already starting to blend action into its fold by this point (pacing the slow, unnerving style of the first game to ramp up slowly to run and gun survival towards the end), RE2 is still very much a classic survival horror experience; planning carelessly will get you killed fast. Unlike RE1, Leon and Claire have comparable health and typically die in 4 or 5 hits from most enemies, and getting ganged up on by zombies (or especially Cerberus) will result in death in seconds. Enemies don’t re-spawn once put down, but that doesn’t mean that an area is necessarily permanently cleared out. Windows can be compromised on either side of the RPD building, new, more dangerous enemies can spawn in unexpected places, and there will almost always be more than 3 or 4 enemies in any given area.

Preparing yourself for a fight is a must 

While your inventory is small (you have eight inventory slots, and two extra available with an expansion that can be found) you can still work with its limitations. For any given instance, keep your handgun and handgun ammo on you at all times, as well as a more powerful weapon and its ammo on backup (the Shotgun for Leon, the Grenade Launcher for Claire). This takes up four slots total, but it’s good to keep both for the variety of encounters you can run into.

The handgun is slow and doesn’t deal much damage, but it’s great for picking off individual enemies from a distance and clearing a path. Leon’s VP70 holds 18 rounds, but Claire’s only holds 13, so keep track of how many shots you’ve fired (or check the inventory often) to make sure you don’t get caught in the reload animation, which opens you up to attack. Ammo for it is more plentiful than any other weapon, so don’t worry too much about using it to take down the arrant zombie or two. While it does have the ability to stagger a zombie after about 3 or 4 shots (and an additional shot or two will knock the zombie down to the floor where you can hopefully get off enough shots to kill it before it gets back up), it is nearly useless in close quarters, and trying to fight off a horde of enemies with it is suicide. There are also larger enemies that barely even flinch when hit by the handgun, like Lickers and Ivies. This is why we have our backup weapon.

The shotgun (exclusive to Leon) holds only five rounds but packs a powerful punch. It’s capable of decapitating a zombie when aimed upwards at close range and is ideal for fighting off Lickers, as it can knock them onto their back for a few seconds giving you an opening. The shotgun has one of the slowest reload animations in the game, though, so make sure you keep track of your shots and reload manually by combining the Shotgun with its ammo in your inventory, rather than being forced into it in the middle of a fight. Be careful when fighting zombies with it, as it has the ability to literally blow them in half if you’re close enough. This sounds (and honestly looks) cool, but it ultimately means that the top half will split off and crawl towards you, potentially forcing you to take unnecessary damage as they sink their teeth into your leg.

The Grenade Launcher (exclusive to Claire) is a great, all-purpose cleaner weapon that can instantly decimate a crowd of zombies and can be loaded with ammo indefinitely (it has no ammo cap). You have access to three different types of ammo for it: “Grenade,” which splits apart into small explosions, good for crowd control), “Flame,” essential against the late game enemies, Ivies, as they’re made of plant matter, and “Acid,” which can kill a standard Licker in just one shot, and is generally extremely powerful against single enemies in general, although unreliable against a crowd.

There is also the bow-gun, another exclusive for Claire. While it does a lot of damage, firing three arrows at a time, it has a vague attack window (with arrows occasionally missing their intended target if not dead-on) and eats through ammo extremely quickly. I personally just leave this weapon alone; it’s only really useful if you run out of ammo for the handgun.

Other weapons include the Magnum, which is one of the most powerful weapons in the game killing almost everything in one or two shots with scarce ammo, the Flamethrower, a late-game Leon weapon to make up for the lack of flame-based attacks against Ivies that cannot be reloaded, the knife (put it in your item box as soon as you can and forget about it) and the Sub-Machine Gun.

The Sub-Machine Gun is extremely powerful and has a lot of ammo (displaying as a percent value rather than individual rounds), but ammo is almost non-existent and it requires two inventory slots to hold. It’s also exclusive to either Claire or Leon depending on a Zapping System decision. We’ll get to that in a bit. This is a good weapon against bosses, and I strongly recommend not wasting it against normal enemies.

On top of normal weapons, Leon also has an exclusive ability to upgrade his weapons. Weapon parts for the handgun turn it into the Matilda, a three burst automatic handgun. The shotgun turns into an uber powerful boomstick, increasing the capacity to 7 shots each capable of literally blasting apart the upper half of a zombie, and killing most enemies in one or two shots. The magnum becomes an almost comically overpowered super magnum, killing pretty much everything but bosses in one shot. These weapons parts are hidden, but finding them grants you power unlike any other weapon in the classic RE days.

Prepare to get hurt

Dishing out damage is key, but making sure you can take it right back is just as important. As said before, you generally have about 4-5 hits (give or take based on the type of enemy you’re facing, though some have instant-kill moves) before it’s game over. This is displayed in two ways, both immediately apparent in your character’s stance: holding their side when hurt, or holding their side while limping when hurt badly. You can check your inventory menu for a more descriptive (if still vague) diagnosis, showing your health as an Electro-Cardio-Gram (ECG), displaying five health stages:

FINE- 75%-100% health.

Yellow Caution- 50%-75% health.

Orange Caution- 25%-50% health

Danger- 1%-25% health (heal immediately!)

Poison– This is a status effect that slowly drains your health over time, acquired from either the Giant Spiders or Ivies. Your actual health cannot be seen on the inventory as it’s covered up by the status effect, but you’ll still get the same stance changes. While poison will not kill you outright, it will drain you down to Danger in a matter of minutes, which will get you killed extremely fast.

Like every other RE game, the primary method of healing are Herbs, which come in a variety of colors that grant different effects.

Green– Heals about 25% of your health, good for both bumping yourself up from Yellow Caution to Fine, as well as giving you at least a little breathing room when in Danger. Can be combined with another green herb for a 50% heal, and a third for a 100% heal.

Red– Does nothing on its own (a standard for this item) but can be combined with a single green herb for a 100% heal effect.

Blue– Cures poison, but doesn’t heal the player at all. Can be combined with a green herb to get the best of both worlds, or a red and green herb combo for a full-heal and poison neutralizing mixture.

It’s good to keep at the very least a green herb on you at all times, if not a green herb for minor damage and a red+green mix for major damage. Herbs are one of the most scarce consumables in the entire game, but keeping a sharp eye out and using only when absolutely necessary, you can end up with a plentiful stock by the final sections of the game.

There is of also the First Aid Spray, an item almost as ubiquitous with the series as the herbs, which will instantly heal you 100% on use. That said, they are even rarer than herbs, and using even one will instantly knock your rank down to a maximum of B rank.

Saving

Saving, like every other element of the game, is based around resource management. Saving is limited to Ink Ribbons, a rare item typically found in sets of two in front of a typewriter, which is used to save. This means that saving itself is literally finite. There are only about 30 in one entire playthrough and about half of those are hidden outside of safe areas. You can easily run out of ink ribbons and be forced to play without saving until finding another one. RE2 (like all classic REs) has no auto-save feature of any kind, and death will reset the player back to the game’s boot up screen. Saving often but smartly is key. Don’t save after every single success or even when first finding a safe room. While you might not have to backtrack as much on death, you can quickly eat through your ink ribbons and end up being worse off for it. You also don’t want to save too infrequently, and potentially have to repeat an hour or more of gameplay.

In general, a good rule of thumb with saving is to do so once after every “major” event. The completion of a puzzle, after a boss fight, and opening up a new area for exploration. All this said, however, ink ribbons can be found in unexpected places, so keep your search button finger poised and be on the lookout for ribbons in the dark corners of the police station and beyond.

Exploration

Beyond combat, puzzles, or any other major element of a classic RE experience, exploration remains the key centerpiece that all other aspects revolve around. Exploring every nook and cranny is a must for keeping yourself well stocked, as items can be hidden in devilishly out-of-the-way places. Ammo for nearly all of your weapons, health items, ink ribbons- there’s so much to find if you look hard enough. While some items “sparkle” to indicate that there’s something small that you can pick up, this isn’t always the case. Not only can items be hidden in the darkness, or beneath other objects, they can also be found in drawers, cabinets, and behind things.

Check everything, friends. Back in the day, fans would joke that the best way to play classic RE was to walk against the wall and mash the interact button, and it still holds true today. If someplace looks like it might have something hidden there, then it probably does.

Zapping

One of the most unique features of RE2 Classic (that we already have confirmation won’t be returning for the remake) was its special “zapping” system. What this means is that when completing the game for the first time (as either Leon or Claire), you unlock a second playthrough called the “B” scenario where you play as whoever you didn’t play as the first go round. The B scenario is an entirely new story that features new puzzles, characters, bosses, and the two scenarios crossover in a number of ways, and can even help explain how certain things happen in one scenario by showing what’s going on in the other. The main draw was that the B scenario can be affected by player decisions made in the first playthrough, or the “A” scenario. While there were only a few instances of it, it was still a pretty neat feature for the time. The interactions possible are as follows:

Weapons Storage Room– This area can be unlocked after turning the RPD basement power back on and using the red keycard taken from the morgue. At the back of the room, there’s a locker that contains both a Sub-machine gun and a side pack (which expands inventory slots by two). Either or both can be equipped by the player, but choosing to do so will remove either or both entirely from the B scenario. The character in scenario A will even remark that they ought to leave the second item for the other character, but the item can still be taken. However, if the player takes the SMG, the SMG can still be accessed elsewhere in scenario B through a second Zapping interaction.

Anti-BOW Sprinkling System– This can be operated in the Umbrella lab complex at the end of the game, in the room with the gas spill and ivy tentacles exposed from the vent. It can be triggered in scenario A to make all enemies in scenario A weaker (as well as ad a green tint to the screen), but won’t be operable in scenario B and even give Ivies a poisonous attack. The system can, however, be left alone in scenario A and activated in scenario B for all the benefits and none of the drawbacks (aside from making scenario A slightly harder in terms of damage output.

Print-Locked Lab– on the opposite side of the lab from the sprinkling system, there’s a locked lab that requires two fingerprints to open. To access, (while playing the A scenario) enter the lab (the one with eggs and webbing outside of it) across from William Birkin’s on the bottom floor of the Umbrella lab complex. Inside, there will be a giant, mutated moth (don’t worry, he’s a pushover and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever once been hurt by him in 20 years of playing this game), and a computer terminal. Dispatch the maggots crawling over the keyboard first, and then use the computer, inputting the name “GUEST” when asked for a username. The character will then automatically register their fingerprints, and you’ve now begun this side interaction. You must then return to the first floor of the lab complex and use your fingerprint on the monitor outside the locked door. It will then ask for a second fingerprint.

You’re now done with this for the A scenario, but go through all these steps again in the B scenario (Moth lab, type in GUEST, run back to the locked lab and use your fingerprint) and the door will unlock. Inside you’ll find a series of grotesque failed experiments (and even the corpse of a Hunter R in the N64 version) as well as a member of the USS Mercenary team that killed Birkin. Checking his body will reward you with either the Sub-machine gun (if scenario A took it) or Sub-machine gun ammo (if scenario B took it).

Secrets and Bonus Content

Easter Eggs

There are a number of easter eggs, and while I don’t want to spoil them, I’ll give you guys hints (although y’all probably know most of these already):

Albert Wesker had many secrets and may have left some behind. You never know what you might find if you just keep checking.

Who’s controlling the cameras anyway? Could it be that Lakitu again? Take some pot shots at him with your shotgun if you think you have the right angle.

If only there was a way out of the police station… Jill uses the front gate in RE3, so why can’t you?

Unlockables and Bonus Modes

Costumes– There are three separate unlockable costumes, two Leon and one for Claire. These can be unlocked by not picking up a single item between the start of the game and arriving at the police station. Once at the station, a zombified Brad Vickers (the helicopter pilot who abandoned S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team in RE1) is found wandering around the lower alley beneath the station entrance. He’s a real pain to put down, having the highest health of any single zombie in the whole game, but once you do defeat him, check his body to find the Special Key, which unlocks a locker located in the safe room on the western side of the RPD building (the same room with the photo studio). Inside the locker, you’ll find the costumes. The Nintendo 64 version had its own exclusive costumes that aren’t seen in any other version, although they replace the costumes from other versions.

LEON– A biker outfit with a leather jacket with blue jeans and brown work boots, and a blue tank top outfit with green cargo pants, combat boots, and a blue RPD baseball cap. Both outfits give Leon the ability to hold his handgun sideways, “gangster” style, which allows him to fire it slightly faster.

LEON (N64 Exclusive)– A different biker outfit with a white t-shirt, black leather vest and baggy pants, a bandanna, sunglasses, and black leather boots. The other costume is some wishful thinking on Leon’s part: full S.T.A.R.S. riot gear, complete with a baseball cap, bulletproof vest, and blue undershirt and pants. Leon still has his special handgun stance from the original alternate costumes, but only when wearing the biker outfit. The S.T.A.R.S. outfit still has him holding his gun normally.

CLAIRE– A biker outfit with a black leather jacket with her “Let Me Live” emblem on the back and flames on the sleeves, a red tank top underneath, blue jeans, a red bandanna, and cowboy boots. To make up for not having a second costume, Claire instead gets a special handgun, a revolver that fires faster and deals more damage than any other handgun, although it only fires six shots at a time.

CLAIRE (N64 Exclusive)– What I can only describe as a purple ninja outfit, this has her in a full purple jumpsuit with loose buckles exposing skin down her chest (I can only assume this was meant to be sexy on the lego brick of a character model?). Her back swaps the “Let Me Live” logo for that of the N64 port developers, Angel Studios, who would grow up to be RockStar San Diego, the team behind the Red Dead series. Just like before, Claire gets the revolver instead of a second outfit.

Bonus Weapons-Beating the game under certain conditions rewards you with special weapons loaded with infinite ammo. However, using any of these weapons even once will automatically lock you out of an A rank. Once unlocked, they can be found inside the player’s item box.

Infinite Sub-machine Gun– Beat the game’s B scenario with at least a B rank under three hours.

Infinite Gatling Gun-Beat the game’s B scenario with at least a B rank under two and a half hours.

Infinite Rocket Launcher– Beat the game’s A scenario with at least a B rank under two and a half hours.

The 4th Survivor– Unlock this minigame by completing either scenario with an A rank, which means you must complete a scenario in under 2 hours and 30 minutes, and never use a first aid spray even once. This can be unlocked in every home version of the game.

This mission sees us play as Umbrella mercenary HUNK (a charming mistranslation of ‘Hank’ that’s stuck and has since become canon) as he attempts to escape from the sewers and through the police station to the helipad. HUNK cannot pick up any items and the path to the helipad is swarming with massive waves of enemies, including some of the largest crowds of zombies in the entire game. HUNK does pack some heat, carrying a handgun, shotgun, and a magnum, but has limited ammo and only two green and blue herb mixes. I highly recommend entering each new area with the shotgun equipped, and the aim button held down so that you’ll instantly snap to whatever enemy is closest. This can be handy for getting the first hit in on a crowd, but use your head once you see whatever is actually in the room. You might want to swap to the magnum, or even just try to outmaneuver the enemies altogether. The camera actively fights you in this mode, hiding enemy placement out of sight until the last second, so be on your toes.

The Tofu Survivor– Unlock this minigame by completing both the A and B scenarios, one after another, until you’ve played for a total of six scenarios, each getting an A rank. This can be unlocked in every home version of the game.

Essentially the same structure and goals as The 4th Survivor, this joke mode has us playing as a giant brick of uncooked tofu, equipped with only a knife, two green herbs, and a blue herb. It is the hardest single challenge in the entire game. Beating Tofu essentially means conquering the original Resident Evil 2, and establishing yourself as a survival horror master… or that you have a lot of patience and brute forced it because this is honestly an extremely frustrating mode and can be infuriating to complete.

Extreme Battle– This mode is unlocked after completing both the A and B scenario on Normal difficulty. It can only be unlocked in the DualShock, PC, GameCube, and Dreamcast versions of the game.

This is actually a sequel to a mini-game in the Sega Saturn port of Resident Evil 1, and sees the player fight their way through a remixed version of the game. Starting all the way at the furthest save point, in the labs at the end of the game, the goal is to fight your way to the police station. Once reaching the police station, the player must then collect 4 “anti-virus bombs” to complete the minigame. By default, you can play as either Leon or Claire, although Ada can be unlocked after beating it on the “level 1” difficulty, and Chris Redfield (who otherwise doesn’t appear in the game at all) can be unlocked after completing the “level 2” difficulty. There are three difficulty levels in all, each increasing the amount of damage enemies deal, randomizing the location of the 4 bombs more, and even throwing the mutated monster G in its 4th malformation in some areas on the hardest difficulty. Because of how long this mode is, we can actually save at typewriters, although the number of ink ribbons available decreases sharply with each difficulty level (5 for level 1 and 1 for level 3).

Each character features their own load-out with character specific weapons and items, and all have ink ribbons (difficulty denotes how many):

LEON– Handgun, Shotgun, First Aid Spray, and a Blue Herb

CLAIRE– Grenade Launcher, Flame Rounds, Acid Rounds, First Aid Spray, and a Blue Herb

ADA– Revolver (the same one Claire gets instead of a second costume), Sub-machine Gun, Bow Gun, and a mixed herb.

CHRIS– S.T.A.R.S. Samurai Edge handgun (exclusive to him, and has a random chance of one-shot decapitating a zombie), the upgraded shotgun, a Rocket Launcher, and a First Aid Spray.

Arrange Mode

This isn’t an unlockable, but simply a way to play from the start. It is, however, an extremely easy mode set at “rookie” difficulty. You have access to all the special weapons from the start (the infinite SMG, Gatling Gun, and Launcher) and enemies are significantly easier to kill regardless. Items are also more plentiful and swapped around into easier to locate spots. I do not recommend it unless you really are just outright having your ass handed to you by the main game. This is not the way to experience RE2. This is the way to kill some time while listening to a podcast.

Cheats

Now now, these are for fun only. Don’t go and ruin your first run-through of the game with these cheats… but if you really want to know how to make the game crazy easy on yourself:

Infinite Ammo– This cheat works for all modes, not just the campaign (although it has no use in The Tofu Survivor). All versions (save for the original 1998 version) have this cheat, although the input for it is different every time.

Dualshock– Enter the “Key Config” screen during gameplay, and hold R1 while tapping SQUARE 10 times. The cheat will be enabled when the white borders around the control scheme selections turn red.

GameCube– Enter the “Key Config” screen during gameplay, and hold R while tapping the Z button 10 times. The cheat will be enabled when the white borders around the control scheme selections turn red.

DreamCast– During gameplay, open the inventory screen and input UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, R.

Windows– During gameplay, open the inventory screen and input UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, AIM.

Nintendo 64– At the “load game” screen, input UP (4 times), RIGHT (4 times), L, R, L, R, C-RIGHT, C-LEFT. If done correctly, the game will boot back to the main menu.

Invincibility– This is a Nintendo 64 exclusive cheat. At the “load game” screen, input DOWN (4 times) LEFT (4 times) L, R, R, L, C-UP, C-DOWN. If done correctly, the game will boot back to the main menu.

Akuma Mode– This is only available in the original 1998 PS version of the game, and was never featured in any port since. Complete the game six times with only the handgun and knife with an A rank. On the seventh playthrough, when asked to input the name “GUEST” on the keyboard towards the end of the game, instead type “AKUMA”. Now, the next time you play as Leon or Claire, you will instead be playing as Akuma, the dark warrior from Street Fighter. This is a 100% real trick that Electronic Gaming Monthly broke back in the day and I love telling people about it. But make sure to just try to do it and don’t ask anyone else about it or google it.

Welp, that about does it without just straight up giving you a step-by-step guide. But I hope I’ve answered some questions, or at least helped some new or returning players out here. That’s about all there is to find from RE2 classic, but I can’t wait to see all the new and exciting changes and secrets coming to the remake. We already know that 4th and Tofu Survivors are making it in, but I hope that we can also get an expanded version of Extreme Battle, or maybe even a new Mercenaries mode (which hasn’t been featured since 2012’s RE6). There are even crazier modes that they could implement too, like REmake‘s Real Survivor mode (which un-links all the item boxes), or Invisible Enemy mode. Gah! There’s too many awesome possibilities. For now, all we can do is wait, but at least we have the original RE2 to keep us busy until then.

Resident Evil 2 releases January 25th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

The post Resident Evil 2 Guide: How to Prepare for the Remake appeared first on Rely on Horror.

What could be more controversial than Resident Evil 6? We try and tackle defending it, and I think I came up with a couple of good points as to why it might be worth taking a second look at one of the franchise’s most unloved titles.

Please, let us know what you thought of Resident Evil 6, and we hope you enjoyed the video!

The post Video: Defending Resident Evil 6 appeared first on Rely on Horror.