The 10 Best Resident Evil 2 Remake Tips For Surviving

Follow these ten best Resident Evil 2 Remake tips and tricks for surviving longer in the game.

With Capcom’s recent release of the Resident Evil 2 remake, long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise have hailed it as a new classic. Taking original horror elements of the 1998 game and recreating it for new generations with a unique gameplay style, RE2 has helped invigorate interest in the beloved franchise once more. With two character campaigns, various difficulty settings, and new game+, this reimagining of the original game has excellent replay value.

Although many seasoned players of the franchise might blast through the game with ease, there are those newcomers who might struggle with the lack of ammo, inventory system, puzzles, and difficult enemies that makeResident Evil 2a challenging but satisfying experience. We’ve made a list of tips that can help those newcomers along the way.

10 Best Tips For Surviving In Resident Evil 2 Remake

1. Conserve That Ammo

This one might be a given, but for those that are trying out the survival horror for the first time, it might be instinct to shoot every single enemy and waste shots where it’s not necessary. Something that helps us along the way is storing ammo in the crates, which can be found near any save position, for later use. Have an abundance of a pistol or shotgun ammo? Stow it away; you’ll thank yourself later. At first, enemies will be regular zombies, but then players will find that enemies become much more dangerous. Of all the enemies that you can dodge and avoid in the game, zombies are probably it. Be frugal and wise about which zombies are deserving of a few bullets to the head.

2. Conserve That Health

Along the same lines as saving ammo, health is of great importance as well. Spread throughout the game, you’ll find green herbs and first aid sprays that will bring Leon and Claire back to health, but using these is of a tactical matter. Much like ammo, an excellent way to conserve herbs and first aid sprays is to have only one in the inventory and leave the rest in the crates near the save spots. If you use a health item and find yourself needing another not soon after, there will most likely be another health pickup item or another save room nearby. Trust us; you’ll need these items for later encounters, especially with enemies who cause a great deal of damage. Another tip is to know when to combine green herbs and when just to keep them separate. If you think you’ll be going a long way without stopping at a crate, having two herbs will ensure you can heal at two separate occasions, versus combining them for a stronger but one-time use heal.

3. Know Your Herbs

About health items, there are various types of herbs that have different benefits. The green herbs are obviously for healing. Red herbs are not able to be used on their own but can be combined with green herbs to enhance their potency. Blue herbs are for poison effects, which will be useful for later in the game, so if you find any early on, put those in the crate.

4. Know Your Maps

Whether you’re needing a fast exit or just a way to traverse the complex hallways and rooms, knowing the map of each major section of the game is vital to survival. Upon first playing the game, knowing where to go and what to do can be a daunting task, especially when the sections are completely open for exploration. Luckily, the game leads you along by keeping certain doors locked and some open until specific keys are found, but even with this aspect, the maps are complex. Each section should have a detailed map that you can pick up, which helps, but memorizing which rooms connect to which will significantly support survival in the long run. Part of this tip is also knowing which keys and which items go where and how they can be used.

5. Mr. X

If you’ve progressed far enough into the game, you probably have encountered the dapper Mr. X, a weaponized monstrosity created for the sole purpose of shutting anyone up who might know a little too much about the Raccoon City event. His first sighting is at the Raccoon City police station after dousing a burning helicopter with water. When heading down that hallway, Mr. X lifts the burned wreckage with no effort and charges at you. The first instinct for new players might be to shoot at him, throw grenades, or take him head-on, but this is not wise. Mr. X is invincible, at least until a specified time in the story. The only real option here is to run and hide – I know, not the heroes way of doing things but when you first see him, the coward’s way out will be the best choice. One thing to note is that he only appears in certain sections of the game, while other times he won’t be present. Knowing what to look for is key. First, you’ll hear heavy footsteps in the distance. If these footsteps sound like they’re in the same room, then run to through the first door you see and keep going. He’ll eventually lose you. Second, there are certain rooms he can’t enter such as the S.T.A.R.S. office, the Chief’s office, the Boiler room save spot, and the Clock Tower room. These are good hiding spots to wait it out until you no longer hear his menacing stomps. Lastly, always have a flash grenade handy, just in case he blocks your only path, and you need to subdue him temporarily.

6. Lickers

Not far into the game, the threat of enemies becomes much worse with the introduction of the Licker – a vile monster with an exposed brain, sharp teeth and claws, a long tongue, and the ability to walk up walls and hang from ceilings. Although the Licker is an extremely dangerous foe, they also can’t see you. This is made up in its ability to hear, so walking softly and slowly will ensure safe passage, unless there’s a reason to run. Sometimes Lickers will be in the same room as flesh-hungry zombies. If you have to fire off shots at the zombies, the Lickers will know your position and attack, which can do great deals of damage. The best way to conserve ammo though is to be precise in your shots. Four well-aimed 9mm rounds from the pistol should do the trick, otherwise using high-powered weaponry like the grenade launcher or shotgun can take them down swiftly. But remember, if you can pass them without conflict, that will save ammo and health for worse creatures.

7. Zombie Dogs

Although they’re not the most dangerous creatures in the game, zombie dogs are somewhat tricky to deal with. They hear and see everything, and they’re fast and agile, so having the right weapon is key. Several accurate shots with the pistol should do the trick, but these enemies can be hard to lock onto, so using a weapon with a broader spread could save your herb and first aid spray consumption. This includes a shotgun, sub-machine gun, or grenade launcher, though we suggest being frugal here. It is much harder to run away from the dogs, as they’ll be much quicker than you. Another tip is to learn their patterns – meaning they sometimes stop to look at you before they charge or even to bark so using that short window to plug them full of 9mm holes can save the ammo for the higher powered weapons.

8. G-Virus Sewer Creatures

Progressing further into the game will bring you into the sewer system of Raccoon City. This is one of the more difficult parts of the game, littered with regular zombies and a new enemy, the G-Virus sewer creature. These giant foes only attack while in water, so you’re safe on dry land, but there is plenty of section where wading through the sewage water is required. The most dangerous element is their size, blocking any chance of walking around them and avoiding combat altogether. Since fighting them will be required, knowing what equipment is needed to survive is crucial. Remember those blue herbs we mentioned? Yeah, you’ll need those. If the creatures latch onto you and you do not have a knife or a grenade, they will vomit poisonous bile all over your character. This causes a poison effect, which weakens the character and damages them over time. Using a blue herb will take care of this effect immediately, so make sure you’ve got one or two in the inventory. Lastly, make sure to shoot the bulbous growth on the creature’s left shoulder for maximum damage output as well as the occasional eyeball that exposes itself.

9. Ivy Creatures

Once you’ve survived the sewers, you’ll make your way to NEST – the umbrella lab facility located directly underneath Raccoon City. Through here, you’ll encounter regular zombies, Lickers, and a new monster known as Ivy which is located deeper in the facility within the greenhouse lab area. These creatures are the most dangerous enemy to face that are not the boss battles, mostly because they can kill you in one bite so don’t let them grab you. One thing you can do is shoot the yellow growths on their bodies to stagger them, which will give you the chance to move past, but the problem here is that the story will require the player to traverse these rooms more than once. Not taking care of the problem at first might cause more issues later. A way to ensure victory is to use fire against them, which means using the flamethrower or the flame rounds of the grenade launcher. As always, we suggest being frugal, but since it’s closer to the end of the game, it won’t be as bad to use up some of that ammo. Lastly, always have a knife or a grenade in the inventory. When the Ivy creatures grab you, there will be an option to stab them or shove a grenade in their mouth to prevent instant death.

10. Don’t Overthink the Puzzles

Not all the obstacles that get in the way come in the form of enemies. Sometimes, they’re in the form of puzzles that either block the way to items or progression of the story. Some puzzles require pieces that you find, and others are more nuanced. One tip we can give is always to examine your items in your inventory, whether that’s a badge or a box. To do this, go into your inventory, highlight the item and select it. There will be a drop-down menu with various options. Select “Examine,” which will bring the item to the front of the screen and allow the player to twist and turn to see all angles. Usually, this reveals a hidden button or switch that opens the item or changes its purpose. Another tip for when you’re stumped is to explore the entire room that the puzzle is in to make sure that all the clues have been discovered. Don’t overthink these things; they usually have the answers or solutions right up front.

That’s all we have for now, but these tips should help with some of the basic elements of the game. As you play, you’ll also discover other ways of doing things that will ease the stress and anxiety thatResident Evil 2will most surely cause, so take your time with each section.