Resident Evil 4 Remake Beginner’s Guide: 15 Essential Tips for Your First Playthrough

Ashley Healing Loophole

Ashley has two companion stances in Resident Evil 4 Remake. You can tell her to stay close to Leon or keep her distance, depending on the situation.

Even when keeping her distance, Ashley can still be grabbed by enemies. If this happens, shoot the enemy carrying her before they escape. If Ashley is knocked down, she’ll enter a downed state instead of dying immediately.

Although you can manually revive Ashley, doing so leaves Leon vulnerable for several seconds. If nearby enemies have already been dealt with, it’s often safer to let Ashley recover naturally, as she’ll get back up on her own provided she isn’t attacked again.

Be particularly careful around ranged enemies, as projectiles aimed at Leon can also strike Ashley.

Teach Yourself To Evade & Parry

It’s crucial to master the art of parrying and evading as early as possible in the Resident Evil 4 Remake. Unlike the original game, this version has fewer quick-time events, but there are still instances where you’ll need to press buttons promptly during combat.

With Leon’s knife or any other available knife, such as the boot knives you can find around the game, you can parry any melee attack. Alternatively, you can hold L1/LB to block an incoming attack.

However, if you hit L1/LB just before the enemy strikes you, Leon will parry it away, causing the enemy to be momentarily stunned and open for a melee attack or quick takedown kill if you can quickly move behind them.

We recommend that you practice and learn the timing of this parry as soon as possible, especially on the game’s earlier enemies. Similarly, you’ll need to execute evades quickly by pressing Circle/B when prompted to do so.

Thankfully, the game provides on-screen prompts to tell you when to parry or evade, making it easier to learn the timing of these defensive manoeuvres.

Mastering the knife parry system early is one of the biggest differences between the remake and the 2005 original, particularly on Hardcore and Professional difficulty where defensive timing becomes much more important.

Ashley & Leon Outfit Unlock

To change the outfits of both Leon and Ashley in the Resident Evil 4 Remake, you must first complete the story mode at least once, just like in the original game.

After doing so, go to the Extras tab on the main menu or pause screen and purchase the outfits from the Bonus Shop. Under the Apparel tab, you can see all the outfits you have unlocked so far. You can purchase them with the currency earned from completing challenges, similar to the in-game models.

It’s important to note that outfit changes can only be made from the main menu, while accessories can be changed during gameplay from the pause screen. If you’re searching for specific accessories, you can check the challenges list to see what the requirements are.

Don’t Sleep On The Shooting Range

The shooting range in the RE4 Remake has unique minigames that should not be ignored.

You can access it through an elevator behind the Merchant several times throughout the game. The aim is to get the highest score by shooting pirate cutouts while avoiding sailors, as shooting them will cost you 500 points. You can earn bonus points by shooting pirate cutouts with a silver skull token.

Getting an S rank requires completing these objectives. Completing the shooting range objectives earns you silver and gold tokens, which can be used in the machine by the elevator.

The Merchant’s dispenser rewards you with special ornaments that can be hung on your Attache Case. Each ornament provides unique bonuses such as ammo crafting boosts and knife repair discounts. You can hang up to three ornaments, and using gold tokens in the dispenser increases your chances of getting rarer ornaments.

Pay Attention To The Merchants Warnings!

Unlike the original game, the RE4 remake is structured into chapters, which may contain certain areas of no return. Although most areas will be familiar to returning players, these points of no return may not be recognisable.

The Merchant not only serves as a place to save your progress or purchase supplies, but he can also provide warnings about these instances. If the Merchant advises taking care of any unfinished tasks before proceeding, that means you are approaching a point of no return.

If you plan to complete all quests or collectables in one playthrough, consider creating a manual save as a backup. Otherwise, you may need to revisit these areas in a subsequent playthrough after finishing the game once.

Before moving on, it’s also worth checking whether you’ve completed every available Merchant Request, as many optional objectives become permanently unavailable after passing certain story points.

Use The Stealth Feature

The game introduces a new gameplay element where Leon can use stealth tactics to sneak up behind enemies and execute them with his knife.

Although many combat scenarios in the game are frenzied and do not allow for stealth attacks, you can take advantage of opportunities where enemies are unaware of your presence.

By crouching with Circle/B, you can silently approach enemies and take them down. This tactic is particularly effective against high-up crossbow users who can be challenging to eliminate during combat. It’s a quiet and efficient way to eliminate foes.

Make Use Of The Combat Knife

Prioritise investing in the combat knife in the Resident Evil 4 Remake, as it is no longer just a secondary weapon but a crucial tool for survival throughout the game.

With the absence of QTEs, parrying with the knife is now essential in battles, particularly during Leon’s battle against Jack Krauser, where successful parries become essential. Upgrade the durability, speed, and damage of your combat knife as soon as possible at the merchant’s shop, while making occasional upgrades to your other weapons.

During my first playthrough, I found the Combat Knife invaluable because successful parries prevented me from wasting healing items during difficult encounters. Even so, the knife loses durability quickly, making regular repairs and occasional backup knives essential.

These knives, such as kitchen or boot knives, cannot be repaired but can still be utilised in moments of need. Alternatively, they can be sold for quick cash if you feel confident in your abilities.

Hold off on Using Herbs Until You Can Combine Them

You’ll find three types of herbs throughout the game. Green Herbs restore health, Red Herbs increase the effectiveness of healing combinations, and Yellow Herbs permanently increase Leon’s maximum health when combined into a healing item.

Rather than using a single Green Herb immediately, try to wait until you can combine it with another herb. Mixed herbs restore considerably more health, while combinations containing a Yellow Herb also provide a permanent health increase.

Unless you’re in immediate danger, saving herbs for stronger combinations gives you much greater value over the course of a playthrough.

Efficient herb combinations are also the fastest way of increasing Leon’s maximum health, making them one of the most valuable long-term resources in the game.

Make Sure to Deliver a Killing Blow to Your Enemies!

To confirm that an enemy is defeated, you must wait for them to drop an item that emits a faint yellow, red, green, or blue light, which appears when they fall to the ground. If you see this, it means the enemy is dead for good, and you can safely move on. However, if you don’t see any item drop, the enemy may revive or turn into a more dangerous Las Plagas creature.

That’s why it’s essential to deal a final blow to every enemy. Occasionally, an enemy might appear dead but will start wriggling on the ground. If you notice this, quickly approach them and press R2/RT to stab them in the throat with your knife. By doing so, you prevent them from transforming into a more dangerous foe.

Tempt Enemies To Fight Each Other

There are a larger number of special enemies which can be overwhelming. However, you can turn this to your advantage by tempting them into fighting each other. These enemies are usually aggressive and will charge at Leon or use weapons with a wide range.

To lure them into the midst of a group of enemies, circle around them and create a barrier between yourself and the special infected. Then, use a quick bait-and-switch tactic to get close enough for the special enemy to attack and take out everyone else, leaving you unscathed.

Land Critical Hits

Aiming carefully increases your chances of landing a critical hit, particularly when the aiming reticle has fully tightened. Although this takes slightly longer, a well-placed shot can kill standard enemies much more efficiently than firing immediately.

Holding your aim steady allows the reticle to shrink. If you fire before it fully closes, your chance of landing a critical hit is lower.

This technique isn’t always practical during large encounters, but it’s extremely effective when engaging isolated enemies before combat begins.

Shoot The Crows!

Although it seems like a minor habit, regularly shooting crows can earn hundreds of extra Pesetas and other useful resources throughout a playthrough. The extra money quickly adds up, making weapon upgrades and repairs easier to afford.

Listen for crows before entering new areas, but avoid sprinting directly towards them as they’ll often fly away if startled.

Make Use Of Stun Grenades

Stun Grenades are a crucial part of the game. They not only stun regular enemies, making them an easy target for a stealth kill or a melee stun, but they also instantly kill any enemy that has transformed into their Las Plagas-version.

These enemies are difficult to take down and deal significant damage. Instead of wasting ammo on them, simply toss a Flash Grenade, which will instantly kill them.

Keep in mind that Stun Grenades aren’t readily available (although you can craft more), so we recommend using them on groups of two or more of these special enemies, if possible.

Upgrade Any Weapon Of Your Choice

In RE4, there is a wide variety of weapons including pistols, shotguns, and more. As you progress through the game, you’ll come across different versions of these weapons.

You may be hesitant to upgrade your initial weapons, especially if you’re aware that more potent weapons can be acquired or bought later on. However, there’s no need to worry!

If you upgrade a weapon and then sell it to the Merchant, you’ll receive money for both the weapon and the upgrades you made to it. Therefore, you should feel free to upgrade whichever weapons you choose, and when you’re ready to part with a weapon, you’ll get back the money you spent on its upgrades.

Don’t Sell Rare Treasure Too Early

Treasure is one of your biggest sources of Pesetas, but selling valuable items as soon as you find them isn’t always the best decision. Many treasures contain empty gemstone sockets, allowing you to increase their value significantly before selling them to the Merchant.

Keep hold of these treasures until you’ve found suitable gemstones, and always check whether a combination bonus will increase their selling price. A little patience can earn thousands of extra Pesetas over the course of a playthrough, making it much easier to afford weapon upgrades, repairs and valuable supplies later in the game.