Important Notes

Important Notes for Resident Evil 2 (2019)

This guide covers crucial warnings, pitfalls, irreversible choices, missable content, difficulty spikes, save management, and common regrets. Read before or during your first playthrough to avoid frustration.

Warnings and Pitfalls

• Don't try to kill every enemy. Ammo is scarce even on Standard. Run past slow zombies, avoid lickers, and only shoot when necessary.


• Zigzagging makes you an easy target. Zombies lunge unpredictably; strafe and backtrack instead.


• Knife durability is limited. The knife breaks after a few uses. Use it to finish downed zombies permanently (stab them while on the ground) or for tight spaces, but save a knife for boss fights (e.g., Birkin’s eye weak point).


• Explosive barrels kill you too. Shoot them at safe range. Don’t stand near them when they explode.


• Inventory management is critical. You only have 8-12 slots (plus hip pouch upgrades). Always leave something behind in item boxes; don’t hoard unneeded keys.


• Combining herbs is essential. Green+Green = full heal. Green+Blue = heal + antiviral. Green+Red (later) = big heal. Green+Red+Blue = max heal + antiviral. Red alone is useless. Blue alone is useless.


• Gunpowder recipes matter: Regular Gunpowder (white) = handgun or SMG ammo. High-Grade Gunpowder (yellow) = shotgun shells. Mix equal numbers of both = magnum rounds (if you have the weapon). Don’t waste high-grade on handgun ammo.


• Mr. X is persistent but not invincible. Stun him with a grenade or a few headshots. You can lose him by breaking line of sight and hiding, but he tracks sound. Avoid running or shooting unnecessarily.


• Doors are your friends. Closing doors slows Mr. X and other enemies. Use them to buy time.


• Zombies can revive. If you see a zombie’s body twitching, it will get up. Stab it while down or shoot the head to stop it permanently.




Irreversible Choices




• Choosing your starting character (Leon or Claire) is the only major narrative choice. This cannot be changed mid-run. The two stories intersect but have different weapons, puzzles, and key items. Playing both runs (A and B scenarios) reveals the full story.


• Points of no return: Once you leave the Raccoon Police Department (RPD) for the sewers via the underground passage, you cannot return to the RPD or its amenities until the very end (and only briefly). The same applies to the sewers after reaching the laboratory. Collect everything in each area before leaving.


• The ‚Äú2nd Run‚Äù scenario is unlocked after beating the game once. It changes puzzle solutions, enemy placement, and item locations. You cannot replay a scenario differently after finishing it, so save your first run for exploration and a second run for speed/rank.


• There are no branching story endings. The final outcome is fixed based on your playthrough, but your rank (S, S+, etc.) affects unlocks.




Missable Content




• Mr. Raccoons: 15 per scenario (Leon A, Claire A, Leon B, Claire B). Many are in areas you cannot revisit, e.g., the RPD main hall, the parking garage, the sewers. Check every nook. Missing even one prevents the ‚ÄúChampion of Racoon City‚Äù achievement.


• Weapon parts & upgrades: Examples include the Matilda stock (Leon, RPD break room) and the SLS 60 speed loader (Claire, RPD parking garage). These drastically improve weapons but are easily overlooked before leaving the RPD.


• Files: Some files (e.g., ‚ÄúCaptain‘s Diary,‚Äù ‚ÄúA Mother‘s Letter‚Äù) are only found in one scenario. Others are missable if you skip rooms. Read everything for lore and achievements.


• Infinite weapons: Unlocked by earning S+ rank on Hardcore difficulty. This requires finishing under certain time constraints and using limited saves. If you want these, plan a dedicated speedrun; you can‘t get them afterward.


• The ‚ÄúGhost Survivors‚Äù DLC extras: The ‚ÄúNo Way Out‚Äù scenario requires surviving 100 enemies; it‘s easy to miss if you don‘t check the main menu after completing the game.




Difficulty Spikes




• First Licker in the RPD: Appears in the west office after a scripted moment. It is fast, lethal, and has no weak point (only body shots). Run away or use a grenade.


• First Birkin fight (parking garage): He is aggressive and has a giant eye weak point. Use handgun or shotgun from mid-range. Learning his attack patterns is key to surviving.


• Mr. X chase (RPD helicopter crash): After the helicopter crashes, Mr. X begins actively stalking you. The RPD becomes a new maze; panic often leads to wasted resources.


• Sewer section with G mutants: The submerged corridor forces you to move slowly while enemies attack. Conserve herbs and use grenades or flashbangs to escape.


• Laboratory Ivies (plant zombies): These are immune to bullets unless you first hit their glowing spots. They can kill in two grabs. Use flame rounds or grenades.


• Final boss (Super Tyrant): The arena is small, and the boss has devastating attacks. Use the rocket launcher (if Leon) or high-power weapons. Staying mobile is critical.




Grinding Traps




• There is no experience system or level grinding. Wasting time killing every zombie just consumes ammo without reward. Focus on completing objectives.


• If you want infinite weapons, grinding for S+ rank is replay-based, not in-game grinding. The only “grind” is repeating scenarios many times to memorize routes and enemy placements.


• Don‘t fall into the trap of repeatedly killing Mr. X for drops (he doesn’t drop items). He is a timed obstacle, not a loot pinata.


• The ‚ÄúGhost Survivors‚Äù DLC has high difficulty. Don‘t attempt it without finishing the main game first; it requires skill and knowledge you won’t have yet.




Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes




• Resident Evil 2 (2019) is a purely single-player game. There is no online multiplayer, no leaderboards, and no form of public interaction. No etiquette is needed.


• PC version uses Denuvo DRM. This may affect performance (especially on older hardware) but is not anti-cheat. Some players report stuttering after combat; disabling fullscreen optimizations may help.


• Modding is possible but may disable achievements or cause instability. Capcom does not ban for mods, but avoid mods that alter the core gameplay in online leaderboards (there are none). Use mods at your own risk and only from trusted sources.


• The game has no anti-cheat software. All unlocks are earned through single-player progress; there is no cheating in competitive sense.




Save Management Advice




• Standard mode: Unlimited saves. Save often, especially before entering new rooms or after collecting key items. You can overwrite saves, but keep at least two separate files in case of mistakes.


• Hardcore mode: Ink ribbons are limited (you find them as items). Plan your saves sparingly. Save before major boss fights or after completing a puzzle. Avoid saving just because you see a typewriter.


• Save slots: You have three slots. Use them for: (1) your main progress, (2) a backup before a risky area, (3) an alternative route/run if you want to experiment.


• Don‘t save over your only file during a boss fight. If you‘re low on health and ammo, reload a prior save. Hardcore mode has no autosave.


• On Assisted mode, autosaves exist, but you still have ink ribbons? Actually, Assisted mode has unlimited saves and no ink ribbons. Use the autosave as safety, but manual saving is still recommended before story triggers.




Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier




• You can craft better ammo with high-grade gunpowder. Don‘t hoard it; use it for shotgun shells or magnum rounds. For example, combine 4 regular gunpowder + 1 high-grade to make 8 shotgun shells (approx).


• Knife can kill downed zombies permanently. Stab them after they fall to prevent revival. This conserves ammo over headshots.


• The ‚Äútactical knife‚Äù (unlockable) is unlimited. After unlocking it (via S+ rank on Hardcore), you never need to worry about knife durability again.


• The hip pouch expansion is essential. There are two per scenario. One is in the RPD (inside the library, after moving the bookshelf). The other is in the sewers (near the chess plug puzzle). Carry them always.


• You can use the map to identify locked doors. Red = locked with specific key. Blue = locked but can be opened from other side. Use the map to plan routes.


• The rook & pawn keys correspond to different doors. Don‘t discard them until all associated doors are opened.


• Once you leave an area, doors revert to unlocked? Some doors auto-lock again. Always check your map for new shortcuts.


• The weapon upgrades (e.g., stock, silencer) drastically improve accuracy and recoil. Install them as soon as you find them.


• Sherry‘s segment (Claire’s campaign) is pure stealth. You have no weapons; use noise distractions and avoid enemies at all costs.


• Ada‘s segment (Leon’s campaign) has limited ammo. Use stealth as well; you have a pistol and can avoid most fights.


• The rocket launcher in the lab (Leon) is a one-hit kill on the final boss (Super Tyrant). Save it for that moment; don‘t waste it on Mr. X.


• If you‘re playing Hardcore for the first time, choose Leon for his shotgun and easier boss fights. Claire has the grenade launcher (more versatile) but her second boss is harder for beginners.


• You can heal yourself by combining herbs in the inventory screen. No need to use a health spray for minor injuries.


• Ammo conservation tip: Aim for the head, but if a zombie is about to grab you, shoot its leg to stagger it. This buys time to run.


• The game‘s ranking system (S, S+) affects unlocked extras (infinite weapons, costumes). To get S+, you must finish Hardcore under certain time with ≤3 saves and no infinite weapon usage. Plan accordingly.


• The ‚ÄúFind All Mr. Raccoons‚Äù achievement is missable. Check a guide for locations in each scenario, as some are in rooms you only visit once.