Ways To Shake Up A Second Resident Evil 4 Remake Playthrough

Despite many being skeptical whether Capcom could truly one-up the legendary original game, the developers managed to blow everyone away with their remake of Resident Evil 4, which dropped in early 2023. In classic Resident Evil fashion, the game is a ton of fun to jump back into for subsequent playthroughs, but to keep things interesting, it can be well worth trying to spice the gameplay up for the next go-around to enjoy a slightly different experience from before.

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Thankfully, there’s a plethora of ways to do this, whether it be adding small personal challenges to a playthrough, or simply utilizing some of the game’s mechanics in slightly different ways. Anyone out there who’s been getting that Resident Evil itch and wants something to play before the inevitable announcement of the next game ought to try out some of these ideas when jumping into a new playthrough of the much-beloved Resident Evil 4 Remake.

8

Only Use Leon’s Handgun

Keeping Leon As Underprepared As Possible Can Ramp Up The Tension Considerably

Throughout the course of a typical Resident Evil 4 playthrough, players will gradually amass a pretty large arsenal of weaponry, from shotguns to sniper rifles, all the way to a mine thrower. This means Leon is always adequately prepared for anything Saddler decides to throw his way, but a simple way to drastically increase the moment-to-moment tension is by only using Leon’s basic handgun.

Of course, this would also need to be upgraded by the Merchant, considering finishing the game with the regular handgun is virtually impossible, but buying any other weapons would be restricted. Not only can players earn a trophy by doing this, but they can also save up a ton of money for a potential New Game + playthrough, so it’s well worth attempting, despite how big of a challenge it is.

7

Embark On A No-Healing Run

Skilled Players Can Try To Save Ashley Without Using A Single Herb Or First Aid Spray

On the surface, running through Resident Evil 4 without healing a single time may seem like a ridiculous challenge, but it’s far from impossible, and can actually be pretty fun considering how difficult it is. If players start up a new game on the Assisted mode, they will regenerate health automatically, allowing them to pack their attaché case full of ammo and guns to make for a much more action-heavy playthrough.

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However, on the other difficulties, health will only be moderately restored at the beginning of each chapter, making every level feel like a true fight for survival until Leon can finally get some well-earned rest at the very end. While this is already a fun challenge to take on, completing it will also unlock the Frugalist trophy, as a nice extra bonus.

6

Try New Costumes And Filters

When Resident Evil 4 Remake launched, it also came with a few pieces of bonus content which, while not intended for a first playthrough, can shake up subsequent playthroughs of the game quite a bit. This primarily refers to the costumes for Leon and Ashley. Outside of the jacket and casual clothing, Leon can also equip a Hero outfit, a Villain getup, and even a Romantic attire which seems to be reminiscent of Romeo, if he ever became a special agent, that is.

There are also the filters, which were last seen back in Resident Evil 5. The Villain filter will turn the sky a dark red, making players feel as though they are the true antagonists of the game who have come down to cause carnage among the villagers. There are plenty of filters such as this one to play around with, and though they might seem like small additions, they can be more than enough to make a new playthrough feel much different in overall tone.

5

Replace The Original Soundtrack With The Classic

Kick It Back To 2005 With The Eerie And Memorable Original Soundtrack

Just like the remake of the second game, Capcom released the original soundtrack alongside the release of the Resident Evil 4 Remakes, which allows players to switch out the new, more minimalistic OST with the classic music of the original. This soundtrack is a lot more eerie and unsettling, allowing the gameplay to feel a lot more tense, especially when coming up against enemies like the Regenerators where the anxious music jumps into full gear.

While switching the OST can make for a fun second playthrough for anyone familiar with the original, it can also be an easy way for newcomers to get a feel for the classic game, while still enjoying the modern gameplay of the remake. It should also be noted that even the sound effects are replaced when making the switch, such as the opening and closing of the attaché case, for example, which will immediately transport longtime fans all the way back to 2005.

4

No Melee

The Game Becomes A Lot Scarier When Leon’s Roundhouse Kicks Have Been Restricted

In a regular playthrough of Resident Evil 4, players will be switching between bullets and melee attacks to take out the swarms of Ganado that hunt them down. The truth is, though, Leon’s melee attacks can become a real life-saver considering they grant him invincibility frames and can also wipe out an entire group at once, so not being able to use them results in a much harder playthrough where a good aim becomes more important than ever.

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It goes without saying, but it’s much easier to lose ammo with this challenge in place, so aiming for the head is a necessity. Not being able to melee the boss enemies will also encourage players to deploy different strategies to take them down, which can make for a drastically different fight.

3

Partake In The One-Gun Challenge

A Quirky Personal Challenge That Adds A Fair Bit Of Strategy To The Core Gameplay

The way the one-gun challenge works is simple: Leon can only ever have a single gun on him at one time. So, for example, if players decide to grab the shotgun in the village, they will then need to decide whether they’re going to give up the boomstick, or Leon’s handgun. This quirky challenge adds some strategy to the core gameplay as it forces players to decide what gun will be most useful for them in the upcoming encounter.

So while someone might decide to carry Leon’s pistol for most of the village, for example, they may then decide to replace it with the hidden Red-9 to amp up their overall firepower. Whether or not guns are allowed to be purchased from the Merchant or not is up to the player, but only being able to pick up weapons that are lying around does make for a more challenging playthrough overall.

2

Blast Away The Enemies With An Infinite Handcannon

With The Strongest Gun In The Game Equipped, Resident Evil 4 Becomes A Nice And Easygoing Adventure

While the majority of Resident Evil games include an infinite ammo feature that players can unlock, most of the time, this can only be acquired after running through the game a few times. For this game, though, if players head over to the Mercenaries mode after completing the game once, they can unlock the Handcannon, which can then be given unlimited ammo after it’s been fully upgraded.

While this can be a little pricey, there’s no shame in jumping into the game on New Game + and using the money left over to get the gun up to speed, or buying an Upgrade Ticket. Once it’s ready to go, and the chamber is full of unlimited rounds, the game almost becomes a relaxing walk in the park where players can navigate each area at their own pace without needing to worry about being killed, considering Leon will have a mini-cannon strapped to him at all times.

1

Take On The Professional Mode

The True Survival Test Is Unlocked After Beating The Game Once

Upon beating the game for the first time, players will earn the chance to dive back into the nightmarish adventure, this time, on Professional Mode. As the name implies, this is a brutally challenging difficulty where the enemies will not only hit harder but also be much more aggressive. One of the biggest changes is the Perfect Parry, which becomes much harder to pull off reliably, encouraging players to think twice about relying on their knife for close encounters.

In classic survival horror fashion, ammo and resources are also much rarer to come by on Professional, and when putting this all together, it makes for a grueling, albeit still very satisfying, experience. Completing the game on Professional can also unlock some neat goodies, so while it might seem intimidating, there’s never any harm in at least giving this difficulty a go.

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Released

March 24, 2023

ESRB

M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty