Resident Evil 4 Remake adds even more depth and detail to the classic original, giving players like us more secrets to search for. There’s so much to discover in RE4 Remake, we had to make a full list of all the fun skips and strange strategies you can use to blaze through this new twist on the survival horror classic. RE4 Remake is a wild ride — and players have been ripping it apart to find the best ways to play. There are methods for skipping entire sequences (and not just the one you know about), methods to earn more treasure from bosses, and even alternate methods to upgrade Leon’s health. This game is packed with tiny details and we had to share all the stuff we’ve discovered so far. And I’m sure there’s so much more to find.
Let’s start with 18 of our favorite weird tidbits. You may know some of these, but if you’ve completed a single run and want to go back in for more, there’s bound to be something you haven’t heard yet in the full list below.
More Resident Evil 4 Remake guides:
All Village Treasures | All Village Requests | All Castle Treasures | All Castle Requests | All Island Treasures | All Island Requests | Free Red9 Location | Free CQBR & LE 5 Locations | All Clockwork Castellan Locations | All Exclusive Perks | Rhinoceros Beetle Locations
18 Secrets, Tips & Tricks
#1. The knife is an incredibly useful tool, but it isn’t that good against bosses. The only boss that has a weakness to knives is Krauser. All other bosses, if you’ve stunned them, you’ll do more damage with a high-power gun shooting the exposed weak point. The knife doesn’t do that much damage.
#2. Guns can have +1 bullet in the chamber. This only works for guns with magazines after reloading with one bullet still in the chamber — really, this is just a cool detail that shows the developers understand how guns work. By reloading (certain) guns before they’re completely dry, you’ll basically give yourself +1 bullets before needing to reload again.
#3. Ganados can be instantly killed with the knife if they’re knocked on the ground, knocked into a wall, or if attacked from behind. Even if they’re mid-combat, if you manage to circle behind a cultist, you can still score an instant kill.
#4. Unlike the original game, Leon can use the suplex melee attack from the start. Shoot a Ganado in the knee, then quickly sprint behind them. If they’re stunned on their knees, Leon can use a special full-body slam that often blows their heads off immediately.
#5. Hidden Rhinoceros Beetles are valuable treasures. Sell them for 10,000 or eat them for a health upgrade. There are more animals you can hunt for healing — parry snakes hidden in crates / barrels and kill them to gain a healing item. If you’re in low water, you can also hunt fish.
#6. Sunglasses accessories protect Leon from the effects of Flash Grenades. This is one of the smallest details in the game — very useful for Professional runs. If you’re planning on sprinting past enemies and dumping Flash Grenades directly in Leon’s face, remember to equip a set of shades.
#7. The Knight Ashley costume isn’t just a costume. Ashley cannot be harmed by bullets and cultists can’t carry her. When she drops down into Leon’s arms, he’ll feel a sudden sting of back pain. A very cute detail.
#8. The Merchant no longer gives you free ammo when buying Capacity upgrades for your weapons. But you can still earn ammo through the Merchant. Selling a gun then re-purchasing will refill the ammo capacity. Only useful for weapons with rare ammo like the Magnum.
#9. Unlock the Merchant Charm and the Luis Charm from the Shooting Range to make re-selling and re-buying weapons much more viable. The Striker Charm is the best of the bunch — it gives Leon a +8% movement speed buff. If you can get it, you’ll absolutely want it.
#10. Shoot the bell on the Church Tower during the first Village Encounter to immediately end the sequence. This is only available for NG+ as a Sniper Rifle is absolutely required to hit the target from the Village Square. The easiest place to spot the church tower is from the roof of the two-story house.
#11. Leaving the Village Chief’s House early in the game, you’ll be able to rescue a White Wolf. Saving the wolf causes it to return during the big El Gigante fight — making the fight much easier. The dog will automatically trick the boss into stunning itself and will distract the boss for a good amount of time. Extremely handy! This classic trick also appeared in the original game.
#12. In the underground Mines, you can skip collecting the TNT key item entirely. Use the Rocket Launcher to blast open the path instantly. Only the RPG will work here.
#13. On the path to Salazar, players will encounter a statue that breathes flame. You can stop it by shooting the explosive barrel inside the head. This is a reference to two rooms that were cut — the giant Lava Room where cultists manned fire-breathing dragon statues, and a giant walking clockwork Salazar. We’re sad to see those rooms go, but at least there’s a tiny homage on the way up the tower. You can hit the explosive through a tiny hole on the back of his head.
#14. The Golden Egg can kill Salazar ridiculously fast. You can get a free Gold Egg from the Throne Room after returning from the underground in Chapter 12. A single egg hit deals 70% damage. Finish him off with more eggs or use a good gun like the Sniper Rifle.
#15. You can get through the Wrecking Ball sequence faster. Throw grenades at the cracked wall to break it down faster. Use two Heavy Grenades and three normal Grenades to break the wall down.
#16. And you can destroy the AA Gun faster. By using an RPG or tossing Heavy Grenades, you can destroy the AA during the late-game helicopter sequence immediately without having to reach the upper level. Saves a lot of time and resources. Grenades are much easier to use here — and there’s no need to waste a valuable RPG.
#17. The Rocket Launcher can kill every boss in a single hit. Extremely useful for tough bosses like the Verdugo, Salazar or Saddler. There’s no reason NOT to get the RPG for the Saddler fight — just sell everything you have to buy one for an instant win.
#18. Defeating some bosses will net you additional treasures. Defeating the pair of El Gigantes in the Mines without using the lava pit trap will net you additional treasures. Same goes for the powerful Verdugo hunter in the underground lab. If you manage to defeat it instead of running away, it will drop a valuable treasure item.
That’s all the weird little details, secrets and strategies we’ve found so far. We’re hoping to discover many, many more in the near future.
