Resident Evil HD Remaster is the quintessential example of classic survival horror, and that means you’ll need to be extra careful in conserving your ammunition and healing items if you’re going to survive the Spencer Mansion’s ghoulish residents. Those of you who have survived on a diet of third-person action games in recent years need to find another way to satisfy your itchy trigger finger; you can’t blast everything in sight in Shinji Mikami’s classic horror romp, unless you want to find yourself boxed in a corner with only a marauding zombie for company and the click of an empty handgun magazine.
That’s where we come in. Below, you’ll find five essential tips for surviving the horrors of July 27, 1998, as we guide on you ammo conservation techniques and how to most efficiently dispatch the roaming T-Virus horrors you’ll encounter throughout Resident Evil.
Be sure to submit your own tips in the comment section below this article.
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1 – BURN THOSE BODIES
Resident Evil is unique among its contemporaries as it allows ‘dead’ zombies to reanimate as the lethal Crimson Head. These reddish horrors are faster and stronger than the average rotting freak, and can deal extra damage with their sharp claws as well as a standard zombie bite. As such, you’ll want to stop them from rising wherever possible. The only way to do this is to blow their heads off—either with a Shotgun, Magnum, or lucky pistol shot—or burning their bodies a lighter and fuel. The Grenade Launcher can also achieve this if loaded with Incendiary Rounds. You’ll be thankful when you retread previous areas later in the game, trust us on that.
2 – LEARN TO DODGE
The best way to conserve ammo is to avoid fights entirely, and this can be done pretty easily if you know how. First up, zombies can’t bite you when traversing stairs, so you can simply run past them with ease, although they can still vomit acid on you if you decide to hang around. Anywhere else, and you’re going to have to get your timing right by dodging a zombie as it lunges for you. Typically, the undead shamble up to you, only to quickly take a brief lunge forward to grab you; this is when you step back, evading their grasp, and run past them. Do this often, and you’ll quickly save precious ammo for when you actually do need to fill your foes full of hot lead.
3 – “STOP IT, DON’T OPEN THAT DOOR!”
A quick tip this, but something that may save you a few headaches. Don’t open the main doors to the mansion once you are free to explore; if you do, a blood-thirsty cerberus will bulldoze its way in and attack you. While a single zombified mutt isn’t exactly too hard to contend with, it’s a waste of ammo having to kill it, and even if you do avoid it initially, you’ll have to deal with it every time you venture into the main hall—and you’ll do that quite a lot throughout your adventure.
4 – KNOW YOUR WEAPONS
Resident Evil has quite the diverse arsenal, and you’ll want to know exactly what firearm to use against the various mutated monstrosities you come across in the game. Certain weapons have mass appeal and can pretty much deal with any type of foe, while others are particularly effective at dispatching a specific type of enemy. See below for our handy round-up.
HANDGUN:
Your reliable 9mm pistol, best used against zombies and long-range combat against zombie dogs.
SHOTGUN:
Resi’s bread-and-butter weapon pack a punch and can get you out of most tight spaces. Save those shells for splattering zombie brains (aim up), packs of dogs, Crimson Heads, and Giant Spiders.
GRENADE LAUNCHER:
Exclusively available to Miss. Valentine, the Grenade Launcher previously belonged to Bravo Team member, Forest Speyer, and is able to pack three types of rounds. As such, it is a diverse weapon capable of adapting to almost any situation.
EXPLOSIVE ROUNDS: Save these for Crimson Heads, Chimera’s, Giant Spiders, and Hunters.
ACID ROUNDS: Extremely effective against Hunters and the Giant Snake
INCENDIARY ROUNDS: Giant spiders are highly susceptible to this fire-based ammo, as is Plant 42. Also good against Zombies, but only in dire emergencies.
MAGNUM REVOLVER:
This .357 magnum is one of the most powerful weapons in the game, and ammo is a rare commodity, so it is only advised you use it against the most powerful of foes. By that, we mean Hunters, the Tyrant, and Lisa Trevor.
FLAMETHROWER
Chris gets this weapon later on in the game, although it is only used for around 15 minutes before you have to part with it. However, in the time you use it, it is unequivocally the best method at disposing of the Black Tiger Spider in the catacombs, as well as its various offspring.
SELF-DEFENSE GUN
This pint-sized pistol is a curious weapon, seeing as it only houses a single .22 magnum round. Despite this, it packs a considerable punch, and as such is best used for the first encounter with the Tyrant. It’ll help even the odds against the beast, allowing you to finish it off with another powerful weapon. Even if you don’t save it for this encounter, don’t waste the shot on anything less than a boss creature.
5 – DON’T LET YOUR HEALTH FALL BELOW ‘YELLOW’
Resident Evil’s health system is measured like an ECG, with four different variations: Fine (Green), Caution (Yellow), Caution (Orange), and Danger (Red). Once your character reaches ‘orange’ caution, he/she will clutch their side in pain, and will be susceptible to one-hit kills by certain enemies, particularly the Hunters. Whatever happens, make sure you heal yourself once you reach this critical stage, or you’ll run the risk of snuffing it rather quickly. If you don’t have any defensive items, some foes may be able to finish you off by pinning you down, such as the dogs and zombies. Keep an eye on your health at all times!
Check out our review of Resident Evil HD