Summary
When jumping into theResident Evil 2 Remakefor the first time, players will be presented with the option of three difficulties after choosing their scenario. While the first two will provide a decent challenge, if players really want to experience the true intensity ofthis survival horror classicin its truest form, they should definitely go for Hardcore Mode instead, as it’s often touted as the best way to experience the game to its fullest.
While the enemies are obviously a lot stronger in this mode, there are also a few other small adjustments that ramp up the difficulty, such as there being no autosaves and ammunition being much more scarce than it is usually. Completing Hardcore with a high enough rank can also unlock some special weapons that can help to freshen up subsequent playthroughs, so it’s well worth giving a try.
For anyone who might be thinking about taking onResident Evil 2 Remake’s ultimate challenge, these are the main tips to keep in mind that will help Leon or Claire escape the Raccoon City nightmare.
7Sneak Past Lickers
Lickers Can Instantly Kill Leon Or Claire If They Get Close Enough On Hardcore
As the player makes their way through the dark and gloomy RPD, they’ll eventually come to face to face with the Licker, a small but deadly B.O.W. who is capable of instantly killing Leon or Claire if they get within range. Because there are no auto-saves in Hardcore, it therefore means that avoiding these guys at all costs is absolutely essential, and the best method for doing this is simply walking whenever one is nearby, even if it seems like it could be safe to sprint past them.
A prime example of this is the Licker that wanders around the outside of the STARS room. While a lot of players will start running towards the exit once they’ve gotten past the monster,Lickers are actually much faster and more agileon Hardcore, meaning they can easily catch up to the player, even if they’ve got a head start. Avoiding the sprint button entirely when a Licker is in close proximity is a good piece of advice to avoid an untimely death.
6Aim For The Legs
Immobilizing Zombies Is Much Safer Than Aiming For The Head
Aiming for the head has become somewhat of a staple in zombie games, especially in theResident Evilseries, but it’s actually not worth doing in this mode because it will still take plenty of handgun bullets to try and pop a zombie’s head. The better option is to fire at their kneecaps since this will slow them down to a crawl and make them far less intimidating.
Luckily, it will only take a handful of shots to immobilize the zombies, and since ammo is so rare in Hardcore, it’s a good tactic for saving a few precious bullets forsome of the tougher encounters later on. With that being said, a well-placed shot to the head does have the chance to stagger a zombie, so if things get a little hairy and there’s no time to aim for the legs, shooting the head to slip by can also be used as a last resort.
5Save Flashbangs And Acid Rounds
Flashbangs And Acid Rounds Will Become Essential For The Boss Encounters
There aren’t too many flashbangs that can be found lying around the RPD, but if players search hard enough, they will be able to find a few of them hidden away in areas likethe STARS Office, for example. While these can be useful for dazing a group of zombies or as a piece of secondary equipment to avoid a bite, it’s a much better idea to keep them safe in an Item Box for the bosses instead since they become so much more useful during these encounters.
In the first Birkin fight, for example, which takes place right after leaving the RPD, flashbangs will stop the mutated scientist in his tracks for quite a long time, allowing the player to fire away at his giant eyeball to melt his health bar. The same advice also goes for the Acid Rounds, which appear later on in the game, and while it can be tempting to use them on the Ivy Zombies, they are immensely powerful for the Birkin G3 fight, so keeping them safe for this battle is also a good idea.
4Always Store Ink Ribbons
There’s Never Any Need To Carry Around An Ink Ribbon In The Inventory
Players will need to manually save in Hardcore Mode by using Ink Ribbons, and luckily, the game hands out quite a few of them near the beginning of the game. With that being said though, it’s all too easy to keep one in the inventory, only for it to take up some valuable space that be used to pick up a key item or an herb. The rule of thumb with Ink Ribbons is to always store them in Item Boxes since they will only be usable within safe rooms anyway.
There’s nothing worse than being forced to discard an Ink Ribbon when there’s another essential item nearby, and because most players will start saving a lot more often later in the game to save time in the long run, it means thatwasting them is one of the worst mistakes someone can make. It should also be noted that when there is more than one of said item, the game will let the player choose how many they want to store, making it easy to throw the bulk of the Ink Ribbons in the box while saving one in the inventory for a quick save if a typewriter is nearby.
3Don’t Be Afraid To Dodge Mr X
Learning How To Slip Past Mr X Will Make Him Much More Manageable
Thehulking behemoth known as Mr Xis most definitely a terrifying sight, but thankfully, his maximum walking speed is just a little bit slower than Leon or Claire when they’re sprinting, meaning that it’s quite easy to outrun him. The hard part comes with trying to actually slip past him, though this can be done fairly easily with a bit of practice and will make him far less dangerous as an enemy.
The best way to do this is to hover near Mr. X’s proximity but face backward so that the character is ready to run away. When he starts to wind up his grab animation, simply backpedal and then run either left or right to get around him. This is an absolutely vital strategy when he first appears near the crashed helicopter since it saves having to run down the stairs to the safe room, which is packed full of zombies.
2Try To Draw Zombies Out
Luring Zombies Away From An Important Area Saves Ammo In The Long Run
Because of how durable the zombies are in Hardcore Mode, it means that killing every single one is literally impossible since there’s nowhere near enough ammo to do so. Additionally, using up too much ammunition on regular zombies throughout the RPD will make Claire or Leon ill-prepared to handle the rest of the game. Therefore, it can be a better strategy to try and draw zombies away from an area rather than gunning them down.
This may take longer, but it’s by far the best way to avoid taking damage while also saving plenty of ammo in the process. Once a zombie locks onto the player, they will keep following them so long as they don’t wander too far awayand will even barge through doors to reach them. Rounding up a group of zombies into a single room and then running past them to reach a specific room requires a lot of patience, but it’s well worth it in the end.
1Always Face The Zombie Grabbing You
Leon And Claire Aren’t Able To Use Secondary Weapons When Grabbed From Behind
It doesn’t matter how many times someone has played through theResident Evil 2 Remake –everyone gets grabbed at least once during a playthrough. Whether it’s because they’re hiding behind a doorway or they’re just a lot faster than usual, the zombies in this game are incredibly unpredictable, and therefore, avoiding them entirely is never a guarantee. The good news is, there area few knives and other secondary weaponsthat players can use to hold off a zombie if it grabs them, so long as they’re actually facing the zombie, that is.
If a zombie grabs them from behind, there won’t be any prompt to use the secondary weapon, and because a single attack will take the health bar down from Fine to Caution, avoiding them altogether is incredibly important. If it looks like a zombie is going to lunge at Leon or Claire and there’s no way out, the best thing to do is spin the character around to face them, use the secondary weapon, and plan a new escape method while the zombie is staggered.
